Suzuki Alto

Suzuki Alto Overview

Powered by a tiny eco-friendly 998 cc three-cylinder engine, the A-segment 5-door hatchback offers a viable and economical solution to the rising global petrol price. It is one of the cheapest cars on sale globally and competes against budget rivals like the Hyundai i10, Kia Picanto and the local favourite, the Perodua Axia.

Imported CBU directly from India, the 2014 model is offered in three trims level with the same 1.0 L engine variant. The price of the cheapest M/T GA variant starts from RM 44,888, followed by the mid-level GLX and the top of the range GSX variant at RM 49,888 and RM 54,888 respectively when new.

Suzuki Alto Exterior

Although it is said to be based on the Suzuki A-Star concept, the Suzuki Alto exterior design is anything but similar to the bold and sporty concept. Instead, the hatchback is wearing a friendly-looking front end with a bug-eyed face and a gaping front radiator grille.

Being a budget car designed to go from point A to point B as economically and as practically as possible, the Suzuki makes do without any sort of premium design touches. In contrast, competitions like the Kia Picanto and the much cheaper Perodua Axia are comparatively more neatly styled.

That said, it is robustly put together, and all three variants come equipped with body-coloured bumpers and 14-inch wheels. The cheapest M/T variant does without the fog lamps and coloured wing mirror which are equipped in both the higher spec variants. Suzuki has taken the Suzuki Alto compact design to a new extreme. It is a good 145 mm shorter in terms of overall length with a 95 mm shorter wheelbase compared to the already compactly packaged Perodua Axia.

Suzuki Alto Interior

Fabric upholstered seats with rear folding bench are standard feature on the base GA variant but misses out on GLX’s powered window and 50:50 split folding rear seat. The top of the range GSX variant gets upgraded leather upholstered seats, window tint and door visor/

Unlike the Perodua Axia that can fit full size adults at the back fairly comfortably, the rear seats in the Suzuki are more suitable for kids or smaller sized adults. And with only 2 seatbelts at the back, it is classified officially as a four-seater. At 129 litres, it has one of the smallest boot in the segment too.

Suzuki Alto Features

All three variants come fitted with front ventilated disc brakes with rear drum brakes and riding on 155/65R14 tyres. The Suzuki Alto scored only 3 Star in the Euro NCAP crash safety rating. Not surprising when it comes only with basic safety features like dual front airbags, ABS with EBD and 2 ISOFIX child seat anchor points.

Suzuki Alto Driving Performance

It feels slightly quicker than the 14-second 0-100 km/h time suggests, at least until you drive with maximum seating capacity. Drive is sent to the front wheels via Jatco’s 5-speed manual for the M/T GA variant and 4-speed automatic transmission for the automatic variants. The latter features a gated shifter.

Suzuki Alto Ride Comfort

Suzuki Alto Conclusion