Maruti Alto LX
Maxabout Review
No.1 Small Car In India
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Overview - Alto Is A Segment Leader
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.
Launched eight years ago, the Alto has displaced the M800 as Maruti's flagship company in the domestic market. Moreover, this model is also exported to other countries including Switzerland, Germany, the Netherlands, Finland, Greece, Austria, Ireland, the UK, France, Italy and Sweden and now it plans to start exporting it to new markets like Denmark, Hungary and Portugal.
So far it has exported nearly 2 lakh Altos. During FY 2007-08, Maruti sold sold 227,170 units in the domestic market. Alto sales have actually picked up very fast over the last 24-30 months. While Maruti only sold around 500,000 units of the Alto within the first six years of the car's launch, it has sold around the same number over the last two years.
Alto Xcite, Alto Flash & Alto CNG Retrofit
As Festive days are coming Maruti Suzuki India has come up with Alto Xcite Limited Edition, Alto Flash Limited Edition and has added some more spice in their bread and butter model with the launch of Alto CNG. With the launch of these limited edition variants and CNG kit, it is expected that Maruti Suzuki is going to make its base more strong in small car market.
Price Difference In Alto Xcite Limited Edition From Standard Alto
Maruti has priced Alto Xcite Limited Edition Rs.16000.00 more than the Lxi model which seems to be quite reasonalble in comparison to extra features on offer.
| 18 Additional Features In Alto Xcite Limited Edition |
| New Exterior Features |
New Interior Features |
New Comfort Features |
- Body Coloured Bumpers
- Chrome Plated Grille Garnish
- 2 New Shades
- Body Graphics
- Body Side Moulding
- Smart Wheel Covers |
- Stylish 2 Tone Interiors
- Rear Parcel Tray
- Premium Seat Fabric
- New Gear Knob
- New Trendy Speedometer
- Door Panel Fabric |
- Rear Defogger
- Internally Adjustable Mirrors
- Central Locking
- Remote Boot Opener
- Power Steering
- Front Power Windows |
Alto Flash Limited Edition - Features & Price Difference
In addition to all the features of Lxi model Alto Flash Limited Edition comes with following new features:
1) Body graphics on body panels.
2) Body coloured bumper, door moulding & feather touch door mirrors
3) Refreshed interior with new art leather seat covers.
4) Front power windows.
5) Flash - Special Edition Badge.
Price difference is around is Rs.18500.00 more than the Lxi model. The Alto Flash variant is available in five colours:
- Silky silver
- Pearl silver
- Blue blaze
- Fire brick red
- White.
Engine & Suspension Of Alto- Economical & Comfortable
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. The stiff suspension of Alto soaks up bumps quite well and Brakes are hugely responsive too. A stiff chassis gives the Alto its fabulous driving character.
Interiors Of Alto - Basic Yet Functional
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 Alto 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 of Alto 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 of Alto. 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.
Available Variants Of Alto
The Alto is available in three variants - Maruti Alto Standard, Maruti Alto LX and Maruti Alto LXi. And for this festive season Alto is available in three more variants - Alto Xcite, Alto Flash & Alto CNG.
Alto 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.
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.