Maruti Suzuki India, which is all set to launch its new crossover S-Cross on August 5, also has a number  of new models lined up for the year. One of them is a new Alto 800 which is likely to be more fuel efficient as a lot of engineering and innovation is believed to have gone into it.

The earlier Alto, available in petrol and CNG, delivered an ARAI-tested mileage of 22kpl. The carmaker is likely to better it in the upcoming small entry hatchback.

Sources in the know told Autocar Professional that the new Alto could also get the two-cylinder 800cc diesel engine developed by Suzuki Japan and currently powering the recently launched diesel Celerio hatchback, which delivers a segment-best ARAI certified 27.62kpl. The Alto 800 competes with the Datsun Go and the Hyundai Eon in the entry hatchback segment.

Maruti’s website discloses that the Alto has sold 28 lakh units in the past 10 years. Maruti Suzuki sold 104, 801 units between April-June 2015 of the M800, A-star, Alto and Wagon R models together compared to 102,729 units in the same period the previous year, as per SIAM data.

In June 2015, domestic sales of these models were down at 34,336 units compared to 47,618 units in June 2014, a decline of 27.9 percent. The new Alto with the diesel variant could be an effort to boost sales of its one-time best-selling car. Maruti also has the higher displacement Alto K10 in its portfolio.