This is the car that Maruti hopes will challenge the Hyundai i10. Known as the Maruti A-Star in India, as it will not replace the Alto here, the car for the Indian market will also have wind down windows and other modifications made to it.
Power comes from the same 67bhp 1.0-litre three-cylinder petrol engine however and it’s suspended by MacPherson struts up front and a torsion beam at the rear. And although it’s only a smidge over 3.6-metres in length, it’s full sized five-door. The car’s standout attribute is the car’s surprisingly slippery drag co-efficient of 0.30
For a start, it’s a much better-looking thing than the small Suzukis we’ve known before. The oversized headlights, prominent radiator grille and the added ‘wedge’ to the car’s bodyside give it a modern, cheeky look, and an abundance of visual appeal.
The new Alto’s cabin isn’t quite as funky, but it’s not far off the class standard. There’s plenty of room, even for six foot-plus occupants, but the driving position could be improved by a steering wheel that adjusted for reach.
At urban speeds and above the Alto displays good rolling refinement, absorbing mid-sized bumps with plenty of quiet composure and good damping. It steers a little oddly; the stability-enhancing dead zone engineered into the system around the straight ahead position feels a little too wide. But there’s no arguing with the car’s turning circle of just 9.0 metres, perfect for urban driving conditions
While the Alto doesn’t quite feel as upmarket or sophisticated as some cars of its size, but there can be no doubting that Suzuki has produced a robust, good-looking, practical, and cheap-to-run car. I'll update the test drive of Indian version more thoroughly later this month, so watch this space for more on the Alto.
