Review on Maruti Alto K10-2014
Maruti Suzuki has been sustaining the demand for its products since from its startup.That too,among its products,the
Alto,is the highest selling car in India.Each year,it is about to get some timely updates. Now,it's time for Alto , to undergo some replacement ,which has been sold
4.3 lakh units since its launch 2010.This change would result in the form of the
new Alto K10,no doubt ,that is about to be the customer's favourite chariot,that will be compacted with more powerful and fun to drive nature . But the thing that is to be noted is this is slightly more expensive than Alto that the automatic version is priced at
Rs3.80 lakhs,while the non-automatic variants fall under the price brackets of
Rs 3.06 lakhs and Rs 3.57 lakhs.Besides the CNG version is priced at Rs
3.81lakhs.All these prices are ex-showroom,Delhi.The detailed price list is given below
Variants Price
LX Rs 3.06lakhs
LXi Rs 3.21 lakhs
LXi(CNG) Rs 3.81Lakhs
VXi Rs3.37 Lakhs
VXi(with Airbag) Rs3.56Lakhs
VXi(AMT) Rs3.80Lakhs
Alto K10 Old Vs New:
On seeing the new K10,it gives us a feel of looking at he old Alto 800.When compared with the old K10,the new Alto K10 gets the
newly designed headlights and a smaller chrome grille. Another noteworthy improvement over the older K10 is that the new Alto K10 is to wear the
Celerio-inspired taillights.When it comes to the interior design,the new model misses out the sea of black, and the slightly outdated buttons and center console,which one can find out in the old Alto K10.Instead,the new one gets the
dual-tone dashboard that comes with
black-and-beige theme and a
piano black center console which makes it look smarter than its predecessor. The mechanical parts remain untouched that the same the 1.0-liter three-cylinder K-Series engine continues to make 68 PS (67.04 bhp) and 90 Nm of torque.While considering the transmission part, one could expect the arrival of
5-speed automated manual transmission along with the presence of standard 5-speed manual gearbox.
Exterior Styling:
The new Alto K10 boasts of larger, more contemporary looking head lamps; a more aggressive air dam design and larger
13 inch wheels.Further,the features like bonnet,the front fenders and the beefed up bumpers running to the middle tend to give the ALto K10 a unique look.However,on looking at its
door and roof,it shows that Alto K10 share those things with that of Alto 800.The
top VXi option trim gets the body colored outside review view mirrors and body side moulding,thus giving an upmarket feel.Overall,it is obvious that the new ALto K10 looks like an Alto,yet,the term "new" gets reflected in the upcoming Alto K10 in its
younger looks and sportier aura.
Interior Design:
The interior looks extremely cool and fresh,as some dramatic transformations have been done on the car. All these changes can be seen at all new dashboard, gloss black centre console and the
matte silver highlights that gets sprinkled along the steering, the audio buttons and door handles. You could find more stowage space and handy cup holders. But still there are some areas which have to be further improved. Especially it comes with the
fit and finish, which could be improved a little more.And the rear seats could have been arranged even better so that even the tallest passengers could sit comfortable having enough leg space. That flaw drags the position of the Alto K10 from the best car to the
best four seater hatchback.
As it is an entry level car,we can't expect much features to be dumped with it.However,the top variant VXI option gets front power windows,internally adjustable ORVMs,keyless entry,a gear shift indicator,fog lamps and power steering.Further for safety concerns,driver side gets the airbags.Further,to have a plush and enjoyable ride,features like integrated audio system that plays USB and AUX besides regular CDs have been added.Also,air conditioners are present to have a cool drive.
Engine and Performance:
The same
1.0 litre K10 petrol is about to run up the lives of the new Alto K10 which is more efficient but can’t expect the power and torque figures as before. Usually,K10 Series will make use of
aluminium 998cc motor for easy revving,potent and fuel efficient.Now,when it comes with new Alto K10,tuning has been done with even more precision since K10's claim to fame has always been its engine.The engine that power up the new car gets mated with a new 5-speed gearbox. You have seen that the K10 would return about an ARAI mileage of about
24.07kmpl. But here,only
68 PS is achieved,though it tends to be small,it never fails to excite everyone with its riding dynamics,as this power that is being delivered at
755kg is too great!
Apart from these aspects,certain elements have been changed along with the engine mainly to claim the ARAI fuel economy of about 24.07kmpl as claimed by Maruti Suzuki,a near
15% improvement over the outgoing Alto.To get this output,the the engine mapping within the
ECU has been improved with better algorithms working faster and with more precision to measure out the air fuel intake in every driving condition.Thus you can expect an enhanced engine performance and efficiency.The lower kerb weight has its implications over these improved factors.Nearly 15 kilos get shaved off that has its impact not only in the performance but also in handling and riding.
The introduction of
AMT transmission is to eliminate the need of clutch.The automatic mode,there is just a
drive, neutral and reverse selector.In manual mode you can choose the gear you want to be in though while braking or slowing down the system will automatically downshift to the best gear. Up shifting needs manual intervention or you will simply see the tachometer needle bouncing off the red line. But the engine does make some noise at the starting point but it doesn't act to b a hesitating factor.Also the gear shifts are smooth and precise.
Riding and Handling dynamics:
For many years,Alto gets carried over with its excellence in driving. It still get continued with the new Alto K10 too.While you have a drive in it,you could achieve
good visibility with the reasonable light controls.Despite the ease lies in its driving mode, you could feel the
lightness inside the cabin especially over the bumpy roads that get the passengers do get thrown around a bit as well. Also, its not an easier task to dart around with the traffic.
The
shift quality is not so quick.Once the speed is up,it's your responsibility to operate quickly with the quick shifts.But its comfortable enough with the shift quality without being intrusive.Riding in the urban areas especially over the rough roads is good.The
gas-charged shock absorbers on a
MacPherson strut assembly at the front and a 3-link rigid axle at the rear give it superb low speed absorption qualities.One can experience a good ride between the speeds of 60-80kmph.With the crawling speeds,the steering is under your control,but once you accelerate the speed,the communication gets lost between steering wheel and tyres a bit disconnected.
However one can have a fun ride over the new Alto K10 while you get chucked into corners. Acquiring with a greater confidence you can also get it to correct its line mid-corner, which for a car meant to deliver 'kmpl' over everything else,is a huge plus.Puny tyres helps in bringing the car to a halt all of a sudden,but it can’t be considered as an epitome of power, since these puny yet narrower tyres lacks in grips.
Verdict:
Now you could pick up the reasons why the Alto is the best selling car in India.It has arrived with the answers like palatable looks,simple mechanicals,bullet proof reliability and the ability to deliver consistently high fuel economy.Now it comes with an even more refined package-smart looks,premium interior and better ergonomics all get enclosed within this package.All these factors would give the company a strong belief that new Alto K10 is going to be the best affordable automatic car for the Indian market .
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Maruti Alto K10 Review-2010
Maruti Suzuki has introduced its Alto K10 which is a new face of Alto packed with a lot of excitement and advanced features. The car is available in K Series engine which ensures excellent performance, mileage and fuel economy. Alto K10 is a tough competitor to its similar other cars such as Zen, Ritz, Figo, 800 and many more. The new car is fully integrated with both active and passive safety features.
Maruti Alto K10 Models
The Alto K10 comes only in petrol version and there is no diesel option for the car. The petrol models of the car involves
1) Maruti Alto K10 LXI
2) Maruti Alto K10 VXI
The LXI is the base variant of the car whereas the VXI is the top end variant with all standard features.
Maruti Alto K10 Color Options
Maruti Alto K10 comes in peppy colours such as
1) Fire Brick Red
2) Ecru Beige
3) Blue Blaze
4) Midnight Black
5) Silky Silver
6) Superior White
Engine, Mileage and Fuel Efficiency
The new hatchback comes is housed with a 1 litre-998cc, 3 cylinder K10B engine which assures good performance, mileage and fuel economy. This engine is available with BS-IV emission norms which delivers the
maximum power of 68 PS @ 6200 RPM and torque of about 90 NM @ 3500 RPM. The K10 engine is mated with a five speed cable gear shift with the replacement of level shift yielding increased and uninterrupted performance. The output of the engine is far better while compared to its previous models.
Maruti Alto K10 can be able to touch 0-100 kmph in just 13.3 seconds with maximum speed. The company claims that the K series engine always returns a good fuel efficiency and there is no doubt in that. This K-series engine of the car is made up of aluminum type for best performance. The car generates a healthy mileage of about 20.2 kmpl with the BS-IV emission norms which is quite impressive.
Design and Engineering
Alto k10 Interiors
The interiors of the Alto K10 are stylish, basic and it is the bread and butter car for Suzuki. The dashboard of the car is very neat with new three spoke steering, a stylish gear knob etc. The dashboard is of dual tone combination with premium quality and seats are fitted with new range of colours for upholstery and colour coordinated door trim fabric. One can feel comfort with the seating arrangements and the seats are provided with headrests along with foldable type. The door trims are of molded type with fabric inserts and the car has a cabin lamp for reading and other purposes. The instrument panel of the car is fully integrated with Tachometer, Speedometer, Vanity mirror, Ash Tray, Tripmeter, AC with heater, Sun Visor, Accessory Socket, Rear Parcel Tray, Cup Holder, Power Windows etc. The car is very spacious with ample legroom, headroom, shoulder and knee room in the rear seat row. It holds remote back door opener, fuel tank lid opener, key-off reminder, central locking system etc. The car is incorporated with a power AC with heater. These are the interior features of Maruti Alto K10.
Maruti Alto k10 Exteriors
The Maruti has designed not only the good interiors but also the exteriors are really superb. Lot of modifications have been applied over the car. The features are eye-catchy and it is very too. The curvier body of the car adds more sytle and look to the vehicle. The front grille of the car is well revised and the chrome type company logo is affixed on it. The car consists of a body coloured bumpers which looks more stunning and appealing. It has a headlamp cluster which is similar to a bold eagle eye shape with cystal-clear leans impresses everyone at the first sight. The fog lamps are designed in round shape slot and some other features remains the same as that of Alto. This hatchback has an internal adjustable rear view mirror covered in body coloured as well as bumpers. The door handles of the car is of black colour which gives an unique appearance to the car. The Alto K10 comes with 13 inch tubeless tyres with a tire size of 155/65 R13. These tyres ensures stability and control on the vehicle. The minimum turning radius of the car is about 4.6 m which is good while turning the car and parking. It is important to note that Alto K10 LXi has centre cap on the wheels and the top-end variant Alto K10 VXi comes with full wheel cover. The external measurements includes 3620mm length, 1475mm width and 1460mm height etc. The total ground clearance of the car is nearly 160mm and the wheelbase of the car is measured as 2360mm.
Braking and Handling
The company has improved the braking and suspension systems compared to its similar other cars which ensures more safety and security to the people. The handling of Maruti Alto K10 is so good even in busy streets and the ride is also so soft.
The front wheels of the car is of ventilated disc brakes and the rear wheels are of drum brakes. Likewise, the front suspension of the vehicle is of McPherson Strut with Torsion Type Roll Control Device, coil spring and rear suspension is of gas filled shock absorbers with three link axle and isolated trailing arm.
Maruti Alto K10 Safety Features
The Maruti Alto K10 comes with lot of advanced safety features but it has missed out one important features like dual airbags.
The Alto K10 is fully packed with central locking, key off reminder, seat belts, improved braking and suspension system, child safety lock, front fog lamps etc. It is provided with a collapsible steering column for the protection of driver while collision happens. The car has headlights with engine immobilizer through i-CATS for preventing car theft and the high mounted stop lamps enriches the visibility and safety. Additionally, the side impact beam protects from unwanted scratches.
