Hi all,
New Alto was launched 1st March. Test drove the mid-spec SZ2 today in solid red. £7295 on the road.
First impressions were excellent. I currently drive a 1.0 Charade 2004. The build quality was very good, everything felt very tightly screwed together. The engine is a 3 pot but much more refined than the engine in my Charade. Ride felt smooth and handling good. Of course it's not in the same league as the new Ka for handling, but it's cheaper and felt very competent. The 3 pot unit has a pleasant thrum to it which didn't feel too gruff. Switchgear nicely weighted, indicators make the classy sound that the mk 1 Focus used to (thankfully not the 'ping ping' of the Suzuki Splash).
Overall, I think it's a really decent car, offering a good level of kit, great economy, and low emissions. For someone who covers only 5-6000 miles per year and doesn't need lots of space, this sort of car makes sense (without needing to pay the premium for the IQ and having less room).
I was impressed with how quiet the engine was at idle, and the brakes were strong with a very nicely weighted pedal. They've saved money on the dash plastics, but at this end of the market you can live with this.
The i10 is of course its natural rival, and arguably offers more kit for the money. Having recently test driven the i10, I would say the i10 is more refined, but I thought the Alto handled the road better and rode more smoothly. There is something more characterful and fun about the Alto, too - probably its cheeky looks and zesty 3 cylinder unit. The Alto has an extremely wide range of colours to choose from, which is unusual on a small car.
I'd definitely buy the new Alto... but with money tight and a reliable Charade, it's going to have to wait!
I think HJ is testing the Alto soon, so it will be interesting to see his verdict.
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I just read HJ's test and he seems to agree. I was a bit puzzled by his claim that it had the "lowest depreciation" among its rivals, which include the C1 and Aygo. I wouldn't have thought a Suzuki would lose less value than a Toyota, however good.
This isn't to slight Suzuki, just the vagaries of the car market. As a bangernomics enthusiast, I've been benefitting from people's weird perceptions of value for years!
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Must add that in India, the Alto comes with proper rear wind down windows
Why/ Some of them are chauffer driven (yes!)
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If it's a new car surely depreciation won't be known until a few years time? I regularly see 2 year old Aygos for not much less than we paid for ours brand new.
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Oops! Thanks, HJ - I shall now don the tall conical hat and inspect the plasterwork in the corner...
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