There is no denying to the fact that the small car segment has been the bread and butter for the market leader in the passenger car market - Maruti Suzuki but the segment is expected to see more fireworks in the coming times. While Maruti is planning to launch the Alto by next month in the Indian market, the competition is also firming up plans to give the market leader an optimal answer in the form of their respective hatchbacks.

Be it Volkswagen, Fiat or Hyundai Motors, almost all the companies are expecting to launcht heir products in the same segment in the coming times. Notably, Volkswagen is working on its plans to launch a model in the price range of the Alto in the Indian market while Hyundai is also developing an 800cc model for the Indian consumer.

Similarly, Fiat will also be launching its small car in the Indian market by 2012. Moreover, the small car segment is a very large segment in India and with the strong competition coming up; Maruti may find it very tough to retain its 50%+ market share in the domestic market.