From correspondents in Haryana, India, 10:27 AM IST

In its journey to win millions of hearts, Alto, the country’s highest selling car has achieved spectacular sales of two lakh units (200,000 units) in the last 11 months.

This makes Alto the first car in India to cross 2 lakh domestic sales in a fiscal. Of this, one lakh sales have come in just five months (150 days).

Alto has emerged as India’s most loved car as it combines unmatched fuel efficiency, contemporary design and looks, and conveniences like Electronic Power Steering and air-conditioning.

In October last year, Alto sold a whopping 22,294 units. That was the highest ever domestic sales achieved by any car in India in a month.

Since its launch in India in September 2000, over 6.25 lakh Alto cars have been sold in the domestic market. Additionally, over 1.25 lakh Alto cars have been exported.

Supported by some of the finest advertising campaigns like `Lets Go’ and `Boondon Mein’, Alto has been a bestseller almost from the day it was launched. In October 2006, Alto’s “Boondon Mein” TV commercial was accorded the Silver medal at the prestigious EFFIE Award 2006.

Besides, over the years, Maruti has introduced several variants of Alto to cater to the demands of entry level buyers. A limited edition Alto in April 2003, a face-lift in July 2005 and a special edition Alto “X-fun” edition to coincide with 5 lakh sales in November 2006, kept up the excitement in the brand.

Awards and accolades

Along with being the customer’s most loved car, the Alto has also been a favourite of experts.

In its launch year, it received several accolades, such as Car of the Year and Most Exciting New Car of the Year from reputed auto magazines.

Alto again shot into the limelight when it became the first Indian car to undergo a “24-hour endurance test” and set 13 national records for speed and performance.

Sales of Alto have grown at an accelerated pace since it was launched.

It achieved

• First 1 lakh - in 37 months
• 1 lakh to 2 lakh - in 12 months
• 2 lakh to 3 lakh - in 10 months
• 3 lakh to 4 lakh - in 7 months
• 4 lakh to 5 lakh - in 6 months and the journey from
• 5 lakh to 6 lakh - in 5 months

Owing to improved efficiencies and effective cost control initiatives, Maruti has been able to offer an attractive, contemporary and feature-rich car like the Alto at attractive prices.

Just over six years after its launch, “the hottest little thing” of year 2000 continues to be India’s hottest selling car.

Source: Press Release Distribution via India PRwire