New Delhi, Jun 15 (IANS): Automobile major Maruti Suzuki's hatchback Alto has maintained an unbroken 16-year-long spree of being the largest selling car in India.

According to the company, Alto's off-take has been the largest in the country ever since 2004.

On an average, the car's off-take has been in the range of more than 20,000 units per month.

However, the current market conditions have not been taken into consideration due to the unprecedented events like Covid-19 outbreak.

The car was launched in September 2000 and has since witnessed a consistent rise in its popularity over the years.

In all, the auto giant has sold over 39 lakh units of the car till date.

The company, in a statement, said the unparalleled mass acceptance of Alto has helped it emerge as the largest selling model in the highly competitive passenger car segment for the last 16 consecutive years.

Shashank Srivastava, Executive Director (Marketing & Sales), Maruti Suzuki, said: "The strong customer base of Alto is a testament of customers appreciating the timely upgrades and refreshment in the brand."

"Maruti Suzuki has kept a close eye on the evolving customer preferences and aligned its product range to such changes."

At present, the car sports a new aero edge design and latest safety features.

It also became India's first entry level car to become BS-VI compliant and offers a fuel efficiency of 22.05 km per litre for petrol and 31.56 km/kg for CNG.