Indian automobile major Maruti Suzuki is planning to launch a new version of its small car model Alto with an additional CNG option in the month of October 2012. With the introduction of the new version of the Alto, the company expects to regain its lost market share in the small car segment.
The addition of a CNG option in the new Alto is aimed at decreasing the running cost of the car model in comparison to the diesel powered cars in the industry which have witnessed a significant growth in demand due to frequent hikes in the petrol price.
The company expects the new Alto to enable the company to wade through the tough market conditions prevailing in the Indian automobile sector. The diesel driven Swift car model by Maruti Suzuki took over the Alto small car in May 2012.
The new CNG version of the Alto is also aimed at reducing the diesel car dominance in the Indian auto industry which has resulted in heavy losses on unsold petrol car inventory to the company.