Alto's big appeal; Suzuki's little car has grown up to become a motor that drives well, feels spacious and has a quality finish, reports EDWARD STEPHENS.Byline: EDWARD STEPHENS FOR a lot of people buying new cars today, it's all about balance. They want something that's sensibly priced, is economical on fuel, has low road tax yet offers good interior space and is happy to cruise comfortably at motorway speeds. Enter the new Suzuki Alto The Suzuki Alto is a kei car from Japanese automaker Suzuki Motor Corporation, introduced in 1979. The main selling points include its low price and good fuel economy, the latest model being badged the Alto GL. It is powered by a 1. - priced from just pounds 7245. The latest generation of Alto - the seventh - is curvaceously cur·va·ceous adj. Having the curves of a full or voluptuous figure. cur·va  ceous·ly adv. cute
and boasts an abundance of kerbside appeal.
Soft flowing lines on the front wings and bonnet and teardrop shaped headlights give it a very distinctive "face". The car is available in three different spec levels, the SZ2, SZ3 and SZ4, and all have five doors and come with the same one-litre, three-cylinder engine. But while it may be small on CCs and cylinders, this Suzuki engine is certainly a willing workhorse work·horse n. 1. Something, such as a machine, that performs dependably under heavy or prolonged use: "the 50-year-old DC-3 ... which is rarely found wanting. With a slick five-speed gearbox, it gives a very respectable account of itself both in the city and on the motorways, although you do have to work the gearbox on some long gradients if you have more than two people on board. Having said that, I encountered few pulling problems and with just one or two people inside, the little car is well up to anything you might throw at it. For a car of these dimensions, the Alto offers generous space for front-seat passengers and adequate leg room in the rear. Inside, the little car is neat and well thought out. The dashboard is functional rather than flashy, although I did miss the lid on the open-fronted glove box glove box n. An enclosed workspace equipped with gloved openings that allow manipulation in the interior, designed to prevent contamination of the product, the environment, or the worker. to stow things out of sight. Boot space is fine for small bags but you would struggle with large suitcases and would have to drop the rear seat backs for extra space. Although the Alto is built in India, design work for it was conducted by a team based at Suzuki's headquarters in Japan with extensive studies in Europe. My SZ4 test car came with a host of refinements as standard, including electronic stability programme, 14in alloy wheels, front fog lamps and five airbags, including a curtain airbag. The Alto was introduced in Japan in 1979 to provide motorists with a city car which combined fun, practicality, affordability and low running costs running costs npl [of business] → gastos mpl corrientes [of car] → gastos mpl de mantenimiento running costs npl [of business . Suzuki say this ethos has been maintained. Certainly, it would be hard to find a car which offers such value for money. A car which, despite its dimensions, feels very grown up. Factfile: Model: Suzuki Alto 1.0 SZ4 Engine: One-litre petrol Power: 68bhp Top speed: 96mph 0-62mph: 13.5 seconds Fuel economy: 64.2mpg combined CO2 emissions: 103g/km Warranty: Three years/ 60,000 miles Price: pounds 8460 On sale: Now CAPTION(S): ECONOMICAL: The Alto is friendly on the pocket NEAT, NOT FLASHY: The new generation Alto's dashboard |
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