Maruti Suzuki Alto is arguably the most popular small family hatchback in India. It was available in the market for over two decades and was recently discontinued when the government implemented new emission norms. Over the years, we have seen several iterations of this small hatchback. If you’ve been to the mountains, you’d know that the Alto is very popular as a taxi in these regions. We’ve seen several modified versions of this hatchback; however, here we have a video where an Alto has been converted into a pickup truck.
The video was shared by sanscari_sumit on their Instagram page. It was recorded by a person who was traveling just behind this Alto on the same road. At first glance, it looked like a regular white Alto. There’s nothing wrong with the vehicle. However, as you continue looking at the car, you realize that it’s missing some parts, especially the roof.
The owner of this car has partially chopped the roof and also removed the rear seats, creating more space at the back for luggage. It’s just the roof that has been removed from this hatchback. The owner has also created a partition using a metal sheet that divides the driver’s cabin from the rear. There’s even a glass placed to get a clear view of the traffic and the goods being carried. In this video, the luggage area in the car was all covered using a black sheet. Other than the chopped-off roof, everything else on this Alto looks stock.
This is actually a short video, and we do not get to see all the changes in detail. The car retains the stock tail lamps, bumper, and even has the lower half of the original tailgate, probably completely sealed. The rear doors on this Alto have also been retained, but just like the tailgate, the upper half of the doors is missing, and the lower half is sealed shut.
The car still uses the stock steel rims, and it looks like the owner did not make any changes to the cabin or the front of the car. The Maruti Alto seen here is the first-generation model. If you’re a person looking at this vehicle from the front, you won’t find anything odd about it. It’s only the rear that looks different. It’s possible that the owner of this hatchback might have chopped the rear off to make this small family hatchback more suitable for his work.
However, it should be noted that simply chopping the rear or roof of a car to make it look like a convertible or, in this case, a pickup, does affect the overall integrity of the structure. If the owner has reinforced the body of the car with additional metal bars or sheets, it’s a great thing. Otherwise, the handling of the car would be negatively affected. It should also be noted that this is an illegal modification, and such vehicles can only be driven on private properties as they are not fit for road use.