The Indian car-maker Maruti joined forces with Suzuki to develop and sell a small car for their local market.
The car was based on a kei-car built by Suzuki for the Japanese market.

Usually, a small car means less material used to build that car. Also, the workforce in India was much cheaper than in other countries. Last, but not least, the technology used to build a small car without too many features, if any, was cheap. The Maruti Suzuki Alto had all the above advantages and became a very affordable car. To get even more profit out of it, the Indian-Japanese joint-venture succeeded to export the Alto in Europe.

The 2000 model was a small, five door-five seat car. It was built on the base of an old Suzuki platform. The simple look, with almost flat body panels and basic exterior features, was introduced in Europe in 2002.

Inside, lines, colors, and features were simple. There was no power window or power seats. The power steering was only available for the European market. The car was very roomy for its size, due to its high cabin, which allowed a higher seating position for all the occupants inside.

Under the hood, there was a small choice of engine. For Europe, there was a 1-liter, three-cylinder engine mated to a standard 5-speed manual. Don’t ask about an automatic.