egmentation is not easy. Ask India�s largest car manufacturer, Maruti Udyog Ltd (MUL). After four years, two bouts of repositioning, a price cut and a new variant, the company seems to have finally got the configuration of its B segment car right. That too after bringing its price within sniffing distance of its A-segment car, Maruti 800.

In September 2000 MUL, in which Suzuki Motor Corporation owns a 54.2 per cent share, launched the Alto. "The hottest little car in town" sold a record 14,000 units within 100 days of its launch. The run of success, however, did not last long. By the turn of 2001, sales had fallen to about 2,000 units per month. But that was three years ago. ... more