Small car market leader Maruti Udyog has decided to hike prices of certain models, including the popular 'Alto' and 'M800', ranging between Rs 500 and Rs 5,000.

According to company officials, the increase, with effect from today, varies from 0.17 per cent to 1.47 per cent, and is necessitated due to rise in input costs and freight costs.

The highest price hike is on the newly-launched 'WagonR LPG' variant, which will be costlier by Rs 5,000, while the mid-size sedan 'Esteem' will see a rise of Rs 1,000 across all variants.

Last month, Maruti's nearest rival Hyundai Motors India had also hiked prices of its models, including the 'Santro' model.