The Alto was designed to replace the 800. The all new Alto was premiered at the Tokyo Motor Show and was showcased as a Kei car for the local Japanese market with a small engine, usually around 600 CC, sometimes in turbo-charged form. Once Maruti decided to make it in India it had to go through the now familiar adaptation process and this time this was going to be an extensive one. Since MUL was not in a mood to kill the all conquering Maruti 800, the Alto was to have two engine options - one a Euro III spec 12 valve, 800 CC unit derived from the Maruti 800 and another a 16 valve 1061 CC engine from the just introduced Wagon R.

 

The rear end treatment is different from the Japanese Alto gratitude to a different tail lamp cluster. The car looks the best from the rear three quarters with its chunky C- pillar treatment. It’s tall but hides it well and seems aloof and above the raging war of the tall boys. Depending on the power option, the Alto comes in a base trim LX (800 CC).

 

The Alto, once available with body-coloured bumpers and a chromed-off grille, is now seen with only black bumpers and an adorned version of the latter. It’s not a really handsome design, but it’s well proportioned and pleasing, which is good enough for the market, and it feels well built, which is important. A big asset is the enhanced stiffness and safety levels of this platform, far ahead of the 800.

 

From the dashboard to the moulded door trim, the Alto is done in the same shade of grey. The instrument cluster features a speedo with a LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) odo and trip meter and the tell tale lights in the LX. The glove compartment is quite large and offers space in conjunction with a small dug-out shelf on the dash itself. As a minor relief, the dash and central console are done in matt black plastic.

 

The large bumpers with their equally large air inlet grilles also help in making the car look classy. Adding some visual relief from the plain side view of the car are two creases, one running horizontally from just before the front door to well past the half of the rear door. While this is located low down, another one starts off, much higher, and runs, sloping upward, from the first few inches of the rear door right upto the middle of the tail cluster.

 

The air-con controls look very outdated though. The sliding controls for the blower, thermostat as well as re-circulate and vent controls are easy to use but one has come to expect rotary knobs more than this kind of switch gear in modern cars. The cubby hole in the central console provides space to keep your cassettes, which comes standard.

 

The door trim is nicely done with Zen type moulded panels that contain a comfortably sized map pocket for the front doors and the usual window winder and door lock lever. The seats are done in two tone fabrics and look quite presentable. The driver and passenger seats are comfortable without being exceptionally good. The front bucket seats are adjustable for back rest angle with a sliding base to get the driving position just right. The seats offer enough thigh support once you have adjusted the seat to your requirements.

 

It uses MacPherson struts in front and a three-link rigid axle at the rear, riding on 12-inch wheels. The Alto can never be perceived as a spacious car, and it’s cramped even for its class, with a lack of width and very poor legroom in the rear. The soft suspension settings mean excessive body roll while cornering above 60 kph mark. In short, its handling, while is any day better compared to the Maruti 800, is not comparable to that of the Zen at all. Even without power assisted steering, the New Alto is a point and squirt car that exhibits typical front-wheel under steer characteristics.

 

The Bridgestone S 248 145/80R12 tyres that do duty on the Alto endow the car with great amounts of grip but it feels a little skittish. Maybe a 155 section tyre would have felt better. If, however, a 155 section tyre had been used, MUL would have been trading the all important fuel efficiency to grip and handling.

 

The Alto comes with a slightly more advanced version of the 800’s 796cc three-cylinder motor, with four valves per cylinder and MPFi. With just 47bhp and 6.3kgm to play with, it’s quite drivable in the city, with good throttle response and decent bottom-end performance. It reacts instantly to throttle inputs, and makes city driving very easy, but it is a pain on the highway, with no grunt for overtaking. Even after a little tuning, the 800 CC engine is just adequate for this car. On congested city a road, the power train behaves well and the feeling of the car being underpowered is felt only when fully loaded with five passengers or when the AC is switched-on while accelerating.

 

Fuel economy is superb, the car going 12.9 kilometers for every litre in the city, and returning a brilliant 17.5kpl on the highway. The Alto is a very nimble car, with a tight turning circle and quick steering, and is easy to drive in the city; on non-power steering versions though, it requires some effort which can make parking more difficult than it should be. Power steering is definitely recommended, especially if the car is to be used as an urban runabout. Visibility is decent, hampered somewhat by the thick C-pillar, but good enough for city traffic, and the tiny size makes it very park able.

 

The Alto is a great little city car, a far better option than the ubiquitous 800, for it is safer, more comfortable, better built and more modern than its too-basic sibling. It’s easy to drive in the city and rides very well, with the downsides being a very small interior and a lack of performance on the highway.

Filed under: Maruti Cars in India