It is said that experience is golden and what better review can u ask for from a guy whio has been driving a maruti alto lx since 3 years and has spent life with it through thick n thin. anyways I wnat to write a balanced review, any brickbats or bouquets are welcome.
looks
hmm.. from ourtside alto looks pretty contemporary aided no doubt by its mid life makeover. it looks solid, muscular and definitely a maruti suzuki. the boot is a bit cute altough the fat c pillars convey robustness and the almost de riguere crystal tail and head lamps look pretty good. and the aggressive new grille tries to bely the fct that its just a small 800cc compact car.
now the interiors - although competition has progressed further, the interior is ok for a small car though a bit cramped even for average sized guys. this car is best described as a car for a small family comprising of one/two small kids and of course their parents or a single guy/girl. the materials are nothing space age here just typical 90s fare with a dash of 2000’s and thats way ahead of the maruti 800.
engine
people might say o c’mon what else would u expect from a 800cc engine- I would beg to differ here although I would be straying from the topic. the alto engine is a 47bhp @ 6200 rpm 62nm @ 4500 rpm engine which is a bit underpowered, harsh although peaky and loves to be revved hard (it revs upto 6500 rpm) although u wodnt want to! the lower end og the powerband has a lot to desire and the mid and the high end is where the fun actually is. being a four valve engine has its inherent drawback i.e. low botton end grunt but better top end. the engine struggles to pull the car when the ac is on and if ur stuck in traffic, its better to stay in a low gear or be left behind! overtaking in alto is a excersice in planning and u have squeeze every bit out of it to be ahead. maruti has designed the engine with only one thing in mind it seems - fuel economy! yes by opting for 1100cc gear ratios (and a changed final ratio) and tuning for only 47 bhp. (whereas matizs engine had 52bhp and still was as efficient) but have failed quite miserably because it doesnt live upto the expectations. the gear shift is hard, notchy and audible while the cluch is pretty good- light with proper feel. and the vibrations and harshness is expected only from a sports car which it aint. still alto engine is better than 800’s.
ride, handling, steering
i have to commend one thing to the maruti guys for giving alto with a very good ride quality- compliant and soft but not wallowy the credit partly goes to the high profile tyres which dont do much for the handling although high speed poise for a small car is exceptional. handling is ok for the city with a bit of flex if ur in schumi mode with thin tyres and small wheels not letting u use the chassis’ full potential. and unless u want to build those arm muscles in half time, opt for power steering. even though its a small car, alto has a hard steering rivalling heavier cars.
driving it
driving alto is pretty easy and apart from the obvious space crunch, it is a decently comfortable car with good driving position aided by therelatively high seat but dont expect any underthigh support or lumbar support its a compact car for chrissake! brakes of the car are the best among the small cars and that includes the santro , wagonr etc. the ac which bogs the engine is quite efficient in chilling the interiors. the controls are well within reach and exude good feedback and feel and quality though that huge weird speedo in the centre takes some time getting used to. personally, I would like a tachometer there as well. the visibilty in front is decent though at rear those huge c pillars which give character to the car have a blind spot which can hide an elephant! so a left mirror is recommended. the rear benches are just for kids and have low legroom and support with a thin backrest and three is a strict no-no. the entire space inside has been made for the front passengers and the boot which is decent for a compact. the haedlamps are quite good and lightn up the road ahead especially in high beam. now for fuel economy part- I havent seen during the entire 3 years, the figure rise above 13kmpl w/o ac and with ac just 12kmpl in the city. many say they have got about 17-18kmpl. I dunno maybe they push the car or something or drive in the highway all day in 5th gear (which by the way gives welcome respite from the harsh and rough engine note). this is because of the fact that u have to pin the throttle all the time and overtaking means shifting into lower gears which takes its toll on the "mileage". oh and important fact, alto is one of the safer cars in the market passing the stringent european safety regulations.
overall
i dont see much point in buying this except for a low price tag and a more "luxurious", modern and upmarket feel when compared to 800. of course, it does everything better than its sibling and is a way safer and is a good upgrade from a two wheeler. still it is hard to digest almost 3 lac (lxi) price tag this car demands while u can get a wagon r (lx) or santro (xl) for 40k extra! which are definitely better equipped and spacious. dont get me wrong but it is a better buy than a 800 anytime and first timers can buy this car without any guilt but if u could expand ur budjet by 30-40k u cud get a better car (and thats an understatement!)