The Alto is one of the incarnations of the a common platform, designed with the Japanese principles of kei-ji-dosha which strictly decide the dimensions a car must confirm to in order to be called a small car, in japan that is. As a matter of fact, it is the elder brother of the maruti 800. At one point of time, maruti was selling 3 versions of the maruti 800 here - the 800, Alto and the old Zen. All are different generations of same model.
The Alto is available in three variants: Maruti Alto Standard, Maruti Alto LX and Maruti Alto LXi. It borrows from Maruti 800's tried and tested engine technology, therefore delivering optimal performance.It is a car with minimum number of problems - 93 per 100 vehicles in the B-segment according to JD Power Asia Pacific 2005 India awards.
Update: Alto CNG Retrofit:
The Maruti CNG authorized kit is priced at Rs 43,545 and will be available across the variants of the Alto. The CNG kit come with a 12 Kg cylinder tank which can accomodate 7-705 kgs of CNG.
“The Maruti-authorised CNG kits will be available across variants of brand new Maruti Suzuki Alto at dealerships in only Delhi and NCR from June 17 onwards,” the company said in a statement. "Alto has emerged as the most preferred car in India for its driveability, superior mileage, low ownership cost and overall reliability. We are confident that the Alto with a CNG option makes this car even more attractive for customers,” Maruti Suzuki Chief General Manager Shashank Srivastava said.
One of the best things about Maruti is the fact that it has authorized service centers all over India. Maintenance is low and the spare parts are easily available in the market. So you don’t need to worry when it comes to maintenance and repairs of your car. The Alto is equipped with a 796cc engine that serves up 46 bhp worth of power and 62 Nm of torque. The front suspension has a McPherson Strut with torsion type roll control device, while the rear sports coil spring gas-filled shock absorbers with three link rigid axle and isolated trailing arms.
Alto is based on the Wagon R's platform but has an identity of its own. It has a clean silhouette and a minimalist design minus any frippery. A chunky front bumper, a dashing front grille and a bold 'S' badge are among the new design cues on the front fascia. The ride quality is pleasant and comfortable but handling does not exactly measure up. Steering is spongy at times. A stiff suspension soaks up bumps like a pro. Brakes are hugely responsive too. A stiff chassis gives the Alto its fabulous driving character.
Alto's Interiors are very basic with simple dashboard, with provision for the stereo in a very common position. The controls for the Air conditioning are the new design rotary type, with the sliding type controls found on the non-AC model. In Lx & Lxi cariants seat come in fabric and the quality is quite good and so are the colors and the graphics used. In the new Xcite limited edition version it comes with black and red leatherette combination. Also it comes with a rear parcel tray unlike other Alto models.
The doors don't have map pockets at the side; neither is there a decent enough number of cup holders. The instrument cluster has a big white speedometer in centre flanked by the fuel gauge and the temperature indicator on either side. Maruti also added some new features some time back with the launch of Lxi version. It was given a mild facelift including clear lens headlamps, sparkling tail lamps, new dynamic front grill and bumper, stylish fabric & rotary control for AC.