Review of the Maruti Alto K10
The Maruti Alto K10
has been launched in India and is priced between 3.03 - 3.16 lakhs (ex-Delhi).
What you'll like about
the new Alto :
• Power! 67 BHP (68
PS) in a 760 kg kerb weight car. The Alto K10 will shame most A2 segment, and
some B segment hatches too
• Thoroughly
fun-to-drive hatchback
• Maruti Suzuki's 1.0
L K10 engine feels mature in this car
• NVH levels are
surprisingly low for a 3-cylinder engine
• Mileage: 20.2 kpl
ARAI figure. Since the powerplant isn’t strained, expect high real-world fuel
efficiency as well.
• VFM pricing; upto
only 50K more than the top-end Alto 800. Pocket rocket for < 4 lakh rupees
What you won't like:
• Vague & rubbery
gearshift quality
• High-speed handling
& significant under-steer. Alto K10 is under-tyred
• Lifeless steering. Steering the Alto K10 is
akin to playing a video game.
As the largest selling
car in India, the Alto is Maruti’s most important offering in the market.
Indeed, the Alto remains the spiritual successor to the iconic Maruti 800.
That’s not an easy responsibility to have, especially since today’s car market
is significantly more mature and demanding than even 5 years ago! The Alto (796
cc) continues to set sales charts on fire, having sold 224,000 units last year;
that’s 20,000 Altos per month, while being 10 years old already !
So, why did Maruti (of
all manufacturers) want to offer the new, more powerful, 1.0 liter K10 engine
in a car that’s already the bestseller? One word answer: Comfort
For the first time in
its history, Maruti found itself in a position where its traditional dominance
of the entry-level segment was under threat. Competition has surrounded its
bread-and-butter offering, above and below. The Hyundai Santro and Chevrolet
Spark right above, and the Tata Nano right below. Then, there’s the threat from
the upcoming “Hyundai 80”. Combine these competitive pressures with the strong
brand recall that Maruti has, and you get an idea behind the reasoning for the
Alto K10.
Now, the other million-dollar
question: Will the Alto K10 coexist or replace the Alto 800? Answer:
The Alto K10 will coexist with the Alto 800. Maruti has no plans of
stopping the 20000-unit-a-month best seller. Furthermore, to differentiate
between the two, the facelift on the Alto K10 remains with it, while the Alto
800 will continue unchanged from its current form.
The Alto K10 will be
offered in 2 variants (ex-Delhi prices):
Lxi: Rs. 3.03 lakhs
Vxi: Rs. 3.16 lakhs
This is killer pricing
from Maruti! This car is intended to bridge the gap between the top 800 cc
segment (at 2.8 lakhs) and the beginning of the A2 segment (at 3.3 lakhs).
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