In India, Maruti Suzuki is known as the largest manufacturer of cars. The Indo-Japanese firm enjoys a market share so big that, on a monthly average, the second-placed carmaker in the country sells nearly half the number of units. If you want to put a number on Maruti Suzuki’s dominance, it accounts for around 50 per cent of the cars sold every year.

Maruti Suzuki Alto K10

Why is that? Well, there are several reasons. One, the company monopolised on its first-come advantage. It started producing cars in India back in the 1980s. Two, it has the most extensive sales and service network. And three, the majority of the products it sells cater to the broadest customer base. One particular model that iterates that fact is the Alto. First launched in the year 2000, it was meant to the replacement for the iconic Maruti 800. So, what has it managed to achieve in a two-decade career?

• As per Maruti Suzuki, Alto has been the bestselling car in the country for sixteen consecutive years.
• A whopping 76 per cent first-time car buyers opt for an Alto.
• It took eight years to surpass the 1 million sales mark, four years to breach the 2 million barrier and four additional years to cross 3 million lifetime sales.
• This year the Maruti Suzuki Alto achieved something that no other car in India has ever managed – record lifetime sales of 4 million units.

Current-gen Maruti Suzuki Alto

So, why does India love Maruti Suzuki’s entry-level product so much? Apart from it being a pocket-friendly model, it offers both petrol and petrol+CNG options. Additionally, it doesn’t drill a hole in one’s pocket during the ownership period. The running costs are low, which includes maintenance, insurance and mileage. Then, it is one of the most reliable cars in the country. There have been no horror stories surrounding it. Probably the only area where Alto disappoints is in the safety section. Back in 2014, Global NCAP awarded the hatchback zero and two stars for adult and child safety, respectively.