When I decided to buy a car three years ago, with the budget that I had in mind there were three options - Alto, Zen and the Santro. The older Santro (even the Zipdrive as it was called then) was not a thing of any beauty, though it has had its ardent fans. So I did not even consider it. For me - it came down to the Zen and the Alto. Zen was more stately of the two, and had been around for ages. One thing that really worked for the Zen was its re-sale value, but then the Alto was new, so there werent many vehicles available for resale anyway!
And of course, every one advised me to buy the Zen, so I bought the Alto.
What moved me was its looks - very trendy, its interiors - decent quality for the price, and the pickup. Which is amazing!
This is why I wonder why Maruti has discontinued with this model - its one of the zippiest car in its segment, and a great drive. I hear it is only available for export.
I have the Maruti VXi for three years now, have driven it all around Delhi, and outside - been to the high mountains, and absolutely enjoyed every minute of the drive.
One absolutely delightful feature is the power steering. It is very light, lighter than most other cars of this category. Traveling on narrow winding mountain roads in this car is great fun.
I have consistently been getting an average of 13-14 KMPL in the cities and 17-19 on long drives. With AC it comes down a bit to 10-11, which is a bit of a problem.
Yes - space is at a premium, but then I knew that right from the start. The interiors and functional, but the finish is good.
The best part is that I have spent very little on maintenance. Regular servicing is all that is required - it has never let me down till now.
Recommend this car for everyone who has a small family, but wants a car with great pickup and a great feel good factor. So if its the Alto you like, and want a powerful one, go get it. One could also pick one up from the export models, and I would heartily recommend you to do that if you have the inclination!