The Maruti Suzuki 800, once the humble king on Indian roads, is expected to make a comeback to the market. The entry-level hatchback of the Maruti Suzuki India Limited (MSIL), which sold almost 30 million worldwide, will roll back to streets in a new avatar and is likely to be out on sale next year. 

The news of its likely relaunch comes as a huge surprise to many 800 cc fans who once took an unostentatious pride in owning this middle class, four-seater family hatchback. MSIL said that it was working on a plan to reintroduce its discontinued model which will be a replacement for Alto 800 unveiled in 2012.

The Japanese car manufacturer is, however, yet to reveal further details on the upcoming car but said that it would be loaded with features and be built on the same Heartect-K platform that also underpins the S-Presso. Maruti 800 was discontinued in 2014 after 30 years of production,  the declining sales and stringent pollution standards forcing the manufacturers to dispose of the model. 

Alto 800, which came as a replacement to the then outgoing 800 cc, made ripples in the car market and almost won the sales 800 had enjoyed then.  But the current entry-level hatchback of MSIL, received only one facelift despite remaining on roads for nearly 10 years, which is said to be the reason behind the relaunch of the 800.

Reports suggest that MSIL will name the new model after the iconic ‘Maruti 800’, in the hope that it would help a lot of people rekindle their memories of their 800 cc and recapture the hearts of thousands of fans. The new 800 cc car is expected to be styled more like a crossover, unlike the low-slung Alto 800 that it is set to replace.

The upcoming new gen model will be plonked with the same 796 cc, 3-cylinder 3-cylinder naturally-aspirated petrol engine available with the current-gen Alto. The engine is expected to churn out 48 PS of maximum power along with 69 Nm of peak torque. Apart from a 5-speed manual transmission that the Alto 800 is offered with, the new-gen 800 will be available with an optional AMT gearbox, which is expected to draw in  more number of buyers to the market.

Among the features, the new 800 will be coming with a Smartplay infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity,  wheel caps, dual airbags, ABS with EBD, power windows, LED DRLs, a reverse parking sensors etc. Though there is no clarity about the price, it is likely to be at Rs 3 – 3.5 lakh.