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TIGER PRODUCTIONS
The Maruti Suzuki Alto 800 is the most awaited car of the year, as it will be a replacement to India’s most successful car, the Maruti 800. The Alto 800 is expected to be the top-seller in its segment, thanks to the Maruti Suzuki badging. The vehicle is a prestigious project for Maruti Suzuki and they have ensured not to make any mistake. Autocar India got the opportunity to test drive this entry level hatchback from India’s largest car maker and we share some of the key-points based on their review.
At first look, the design looks more or less similar to the existing Alto, but there have been few visible additions such as high mounted petal shaped headlights, sportier spoiler and flared arches which stands out from the previous generation model. The forward tip design adds sporty touch to the Alto 800. The refreshed crystal like tail lamps add to the appeal of the Alto 800 at the rear. Overall, the exterior design is attractive when compared with the existing Alto.
The Alto 800 shares the same wheelbase of the current Alto and efforts were made to have weight reduction in the new model. Thus the Alto 800 weighs 720 kgs and has a weight reduction of 40 kgs from the current Alto.
Interiors of this car is one area where you will notice a lot of improvement. Maruti Suzuki has improved a lot on the quality of plastics. Silver accents are quite visible at numerous spots on the dashboard and an innovative horizontal aligned bottle holder ahead of the gear lever calls for appreciation.
The seats are slimmer and in terms of comfort, you cannot expect much. There is a slight increase in terms of the space but the vehicle continues to be cramped at the rear.
Improvement has also been done on its 800cc F8D engine, which has increased compression ratio with longer air inlet. It produces a power output of 47 BHP and a peak torque of 69 Nm which is 11 percent better than the previous model. Low end response of the engine has improved and the upshifts are quick and effortless and same goes for the top end response. The engine has a sporty note when the tachometer needle tries touching the red zone.
Throttle is jerky at low revvs making city driving not very smooth. ARAI certified mileage of 22.74 km/l.
The 5-speed manual gearbox is also on the better end and comes with a new cable type shifter. Overall gear shifting is smooth but it scores low when compared to its competitors.
The suspension does a fair job compared to the segment. The 145/80 R12 tyres offers good grip.
Ride is much better for a car in this segment. You can feel some vertical movement on uneven roads though.
Steering is not good and hard cornering is bit difficult for the Alto 800 to handle.
Positives – Interiors, dynamics and performance.
Negatives – Lacks power, vague steering.
Overall the Alto 800 will be a Maruti Suzuki’s fortune for this year and it will record chart buster sales. The Alto 800 would be a family car in the entry level segment and with its launch scheduled for 16th October, just ahead of festive season, you may expect it to be a big success. Autocar India anticipates its pricing to be Rs. 3.15 lakh for base model (LX) fitted with AC.
Source – Autocar India
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