I had booked this car within a week of the launch but still it took me about 45 days to get my hands on the Alto k-10 Vxi model. I have been driving this for the past 10 days and have clocked about 230 km till date. I am 5 ft 8 inch tall and of average build which you must keep in mind while reading the review.Looks: Almost the same as the old alto except some cosmetic changes to the head lamps (eagle eye) and a new tail lamp cluster. Length of the car is marginally increased and it is evident at the first look.
Interiors: getting in and out is a little tight for a person of my height. and my wife says that its a little difficult with a saree too. A little better than the previous alto and adequate for a car of this class and size. Instrument cluster is new with standard speed, rpm fuel contents and odometer. what is missing is the cylinder head temp guage. (How many actually look at it???) Glove box is not lockable which could have been a good feature. boot space is adequate for one suitcase and one 28 inch strolley which in most cases is adequate. seating in the rear quarters is fair. two adults can sit with tolerable comfort over a distance of 2-300 km at a stretch. (3-4 hrs).
leg room has increased as compared to the previous model. Quality of plastics is same which is a turn off. especially the centre pedestal which is half floating and hence moves everytime you shift the gear lever to the left to change to the 2nd gear. Throw of the gear lever and the feel is fair and encourages a sporty driving style.
Engine: A smooth running box which is very peppy. You cant miss the change in acceleration over many other cars. Beyond 4500 rpm the engine becomes a little shrill but its ok when you look at the performance that it gives in that range.68 bhp for a 760 kg car shows up and then its a rocket. On a new car atleast, during straight legs, you have to look at the guages to realise that you are going in three figures. Effect of AC in terms of loss of power is hardly noticeable till 100 km/h. Beyond that it shows up which is expected.
All round visibility is good and the car is nimble on its feet. The power steering however lacks feedback and is hence a little dull. At city speeds however it hardly matters. the suspension is good and absorbs most of the regular bumps in bangalore with ease. Ground clearance also is fair even with 4 passengers and some luggage.
fuel economy is good. after a top up it has run 230 km and the guage still shows about 2/3 rd full. I will up date on this soon.
high speed i.e. 80-120km/h the rear end is close to loosing its grip if you push it hard on the current tyres. with an upgrade it should be ok. a predictable understeer is easy to handle even by a novice.
Overall a good package. Husband + wife/ H+W+ 2 Kids below 8 yrs, bachelors and as a second car at home this is a good deal
Maruti can modify the same car to make it a true sports car for india. two door, good tyres, tweak the engine to 75-85 bhp (K&N, sparks etc.) and some tightening of the suspension.
Dont ask too much out of this at this price. A ferrari or a lamborghini have similar space for a much greater price. This car does not have snob value.. if you are looking for economy, fun handling, and decent load carrying capacity then there is no one better.