SUZUKI has made an impressive re-entry to the South African market with a range of vehicles that are exciting, of good quality and – despite some rapid escalation in recent months (along with many others, it has to be said) – well-priced. Until now, however, the Polo/Fiesta/Corsa-sized Swift has been the smallest, lowestpriced hatchback in the local distributor’s armoury. Enter the Alto, a budget machine that’s set to take on the best of the pocketfriendly brigade…
Actually, despite its compact dimensions (by SA standards), the Alto, now into its seventh generation, has actually grown considerably over the years. The nameplate originally applied to a model built for the Japanese kei car segment, which allows for an engine capacity no bigger than 660 cm³, and limits body width to cope with congestion in large cities such as Tokyo. Increased size went hand in hand with emigration to India, where an 800 cm³ version became the Maruti, the sub-continent’s bestselling car. No surprise, then, that the latest version – unveiled as the A-Star at last year’s Paris show – is actually built in the Maruti plant, in which Suzuki has a controlling interest.
These days, funky styling is a given for modern small cars. Trouble is, vehicles in this segment are starting to look very much the same, and the fivedoor Suzuki really does nothing to buck the trend. The Audi-style “double grille” is a little different, but the elongated headlamps and upward-curving rear door-glass that are the Suzi’s main design cues are both elements that we’ve seen before. As one tester put it, “there’s a mix of Picanto and Citroën C1” to the looks. The silver paintwork of our test car made the package look even more generic, and another team member suggested sagely that a different colour might help.
Anonymous it might look, but the little Suzi does have an aura of quality about it, with excellent paint and consistent shut lines. And while you wouldn’t expect genuine alloy wheels at this level, the alloy-look covers and 65-series rubber give the car a purposeful stance.
In GLX guise the Alto comes with remote central locking, though from outside you still have to unlock the hatch with the key. Approaching the rear, one can’t help but notice the thick rear pillars – apparently adopted to provide better rear impact protection – and tiny hatch opening. Unlocking and opening the tailgate reveals a high loading sill and a small primary luggage compartment that took only 96 dm³ worth of our ISOstandard measuring blocks. The flimsy luggage cover isn’t designed to lift automatically as you open the tailgate, either. However, the 50:50 split rear seatbacks increase load capacity to 616 dm³, and there’s a full-sized spare under the boot board.
Inside, the Alto is fairly spartan, with acres of hard plastic on the facia and door-trims. However, clever colour-coding gives the cabin a light, airy feel. An interesting feature is a voluminous “bin” on the passenger side of the facia, replacing a glovebox. The swoopy facia incorporates a binnacle in front of the driver housing the speedometer and minor gauges. On the GLX there is an add-on revcounter in a pod atop the right hand side of the facia, where – depending on your preferred seating position, of course – it can be partly obscured by the steering wheel.
Also integrated into the facia are a sound system – radio/CD/ MP3 – and controls for the standard air-conditioning, both of which work very well. While we’re mentioning convenience features, there are electric windows in the front doors, but exterior mirrors have to be adjusted from inside by means of stalks. And the rear-view mirror has no dipping facility.
The Alto comes with airbags for driver and front seat passenger. The seats are nicely finished, but could offer more support. Rear legroom is cramped, but the high position of the bench means that even taller than average folks can be seated quite comfortably. The driver’s chair features fore-aft and backrest adjustment only, but a rakeadjustable wheel helps with finding the best possible compromise at the controls.
Turn the key and you’re greeted by a typically raucous threecylinder “thrum”. The Euro 5-spec triple does not have the special “floating” mounting system that makes the Toyota threes in cars such as the Yaris T1, Citroën C1 and Peugeot 107 so smooth at idle, but the Suzi’s beat is infectious and, apart from the necessity to boost revs a little more than you might initially expect on take-off, it is a very civilised little power-unit. Featuring multipoint fuel injection, twin overhead camshafts and four valves per cylinder, it churns out 50 kW at 6 000 r/min and has a peak torque figure of 87 N.m, achieved at 4 500 r/min.
Driving the front wheels through a five-speed gearbox with meaty but reasonably slick shifts, out on our test strip the engine propelled the Alto to 100 km/h in 14,91 seconds, and on to a top speed of 157 km/h – not exceptional figures, but par for the class. However, despite the fitment of ABS and EBD, stopping times produced by the disc/drum braking set-up were more in line with what you’d expect from a car without antilock, the average time in our 10-stop 100-to-zero test working out at 3,41 seconds. The Suzi’s fuel index, at 6,36 litres/100 km, is close to the class average and allows a range of 550 km from the small 35-litre tank.
Despite average performance, the Alto is quite involving to drive as a result of its nippy handling. The suspension, by MacPherson struts up front and a three-link rigid axle and coil springs at the rear, provides a firm but compliant ride that adds to the sporty feel. Grip is good and pushing too hard into a corner can dislodge the front Goodyears, but a throttle lift is enough to bring it all back into line again.
Test summary
The Alto has one very un-budget- car-like characteristic: it is fun to drive. Against the clock it turns in a class-average performance, but the manner in which it does so makes this a car for the young at heart. Nippy handling and an inspirational engine note make it more than simply A-to-B transport. Accommodation is good, too, although luggage capacity is lower than most rivals’. And, finally, it is well-specced, with four key items – ABS, airbags, air-con and an excellent sound system – that we feel should be on offer in all entry cars… Sadly, though, there’s no service plan, which makes the launch price of R119 900 seem a bit high.