Maruti Alto K10

The name Alto doesn’t need any introduction. For sixteen consecutive years it has been a bestseller in the Indian market. In 2022, Maruti Suzuki launched an all-new generation of the legendary hatchback, in just the more powerful ‘K10’ version. The popular ‘Alto 800’ had to be discontinued owing to stricter emission and safety regulations. 

In a rapidly vanishing market, Maruti Suzuki’s Alto K10 remains the only one in its class. Rivals such as Hyundai’s Eon/Santro, Tata Nano and Datsun rediGO have all been discontinued. For a similar price, the Renault Kwid remains an option if you want something with an SUV flavour. 

The Alto has always been known for its affordable price, low service costs and great mileage. Does the latest model deliver the same experience?

The new Alto K10 is very pleasing to the eye. Its appeal lies in its compact proportions and simple design. Maruti Suzuki has stuck with a design that is likely to please most and offend none. 

Viewed from the front, the teardrop-shaped headlamps and large, smiling bumper makes it look happy. What adds a bit of aggression are the sharp creases on the bumper and the chin. 

There are no fog lamps or daytime running lamps available here. Maruti could have added these elements in to better balance the front end design. 

In profile you realise the Alto now looks noticeably larger than the 800. It is 85mm longer, 55mm taller and the wheelbase has grown by 20mm. As a result the Alto K10 has a lot more presence as compared to the 800. 

The strong shoulder line too makes it look modern and the 13-inch wheels look the right size despite the increase in the car’s overall size. There are no alloy wheels here. In fact, even wheel caps are available only on the top two variants. 

There are some obvious signs of the Alto K10 being a budget car. The flap style door handles, the unpainted outside rear view mirror (ORVM) and the indicator on the fender all point towards this car being built to a cost. 

At the rear too, the large tail lamps and sharply cut bumper look good and overall, the Alto looks balanced and has a nice stance when viewed from the rear. 

The 2025 Maruti Alto K10 is available in 7 monotone shades: Metallic Sizzling Red, Metallic Silky Silver, Metallic Granite Grey, Metallic Speedy Blue, Premium Earth Gold, Solid White, and Bluish Black.

Bluish Black is only available in the top-spec VXi and VXi+ variants.

If you want to add a little bit of style to the Alto K10, you can consider opting for the official accessories that have some contrast-coloured/chrome accents and alloy wheels.

Design and Build Quality

Getting in and out of the Alto K10 is quite easy. The doors open wide enough and the seats are set at a neutral height. Even elders in the family will be comfortable getting in and out of the car. 

Just like the exterior the interiors too look pleasant. The dashboard design is clean and what adds a bit of sophistication is the V-shaped centre console which looks modern. All the controls and switches are easy to operate and placed well ergonomically, which makes the  Alto K10’s cabin very user friendly.

Even in terms of quality there is not much to complain about, especially considering the price of the Alto K10. Plastics are of acceptable quality and fit and finish is consistent. The only ill fitting plastic is the cover for the left front airbag which gives an uneven surface.

Front Seats

As you’d expect, the front seat experience isn’t particularly great. The amount of space available feels sufficient only for those upto 5’6”. Taller drivers will find themselves a little too close to the steering wheel. The steering itself cannot be adjusted, which makes finding a good driving position that much trickier. 

XL-sized occupants will also find a lack of support around their upper back as they’re likely to ‘spill out’ of the seats. The front headrests are non-adjustable, which isn’t ideal.

Rear Seats

The rear seats come in as a genuine surprise. Maruti Suzuki has limited the travel of the front seat, which makes the rear seat surprisingly good even for six-footers.

There is more than enough headroom and the bench offers good underthigh support as well. The fixed  rear headrests though are disappointing. They are short and won’t give you any whiplash protection in case of rear impact. Taller occupants will find these headrests practically useless, since it will only support the shoulders at best.

Storage and Practicality

Storage spaces in the cabin are quite limited. Front passengers get two cupholders, a tray to keep your phone, large door pockets, and a decent sized glovebox to keep their stuff.

Rear passengers on the other hand get nothing. No door pockets, cup holders or even seat back pockets.

Charging Options

The Alto K10 gets a 12V charging socket and a USB type-A charger at the front. Rear occupants have no chargers available, at all.

Features

The feature list of the Alto K10 covers only the basics. In the top end VXI Plus model, functional features such as remote keyless entry, front power windows, power steering and manual air-conditioning are provided. 

Infotainment duties are handled by a 7-inch touchscreen that features wired Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. The infotainment is easy to use with big icons and its processing speed feels snappy. This is paired with a bare basic 4-speaker sound system, the output from which is acceptable at best. Maruti is also offering steering-mounted controls for music and calls. 

You also get a digital driver's instrumentation which has a trip computer. On the downside you don't get a tachometer. 

Other misses include powered mirror adjust, rear power windows, reversing camera, seat height adjust and steering height adjust.

Maruti Suzuki recently updated the Alto K10 with six airbags, making it the most affordable car in the country to have this crucial safety feature. Other safety features on-board include ABS with EBD and rear parking sensors. 

When the Alto K10 was crash tested by the GlobalNCAP in 2023, it scored a poor 2 stars. However, with the improved safety package, you can expect the Alto K10 to now be safer. Another test by BharatNCAP or GlobalNCAP is awaited. 

The boot at 214 litres is considerably larger than the 177 litres of the older Alto 800. This is sufficient to keep 2-3 small-sized trolley bags. The boot is well shaped too but the loading lip is a bit high which makes loading large items a bit difficult. 

For added practicality the rear seat folds flat to give more luggage space. However, there is no 60:40 split seat functionality on offer.

The Alto K10 is powered by a 1.0-litre three cylinder Dualjet motor that makes 69PS of power and 91Nm of torque. This engine is also found in other Maruti Suzuki cars such as the Celerio and the WagonR. Maruti also offers a factory-fitted CNG kit in the LXI (O) and VXI (O) variants. 

City Performance

The Alto K10 feels peppy to drive. It has good low end torque and the motor pulls cleanly even at idle engine speed, as a result at low speeds the K10 feels stress-free to drive as gear shifts are kept to a minimum.  The manual transmission too feels slick and the clutch is light. The automatic transmission on the other hand feels surprisingly smooth for an AMT gearbox. Light throttle upshifts are quick enough with minimal shift shock and even quick downshifts are executed quickly and confidently. It is only under hard acceleration where the upshifts feel a bit slow but other than that there is not much to complain about. The power delivery is strong throughout the rev range which makes driving the K10 fun. 

Highway Performance

For highway runs, performance seems adequate as long as you stick to speeds under 100kmph. If we had to complain then it would be the motor's refinement, especially at highway speeds. It stays composed till around 3000rpm but post that it gets noisy and you can feel some vibrations in the cabin too. 

Naturally, this small engine isn’t built to power quick overtakes. It’s best to stick to sane speeds and enjoy a relaxed drive. 

Note: Alto K10 CNG

Switching to CNG mode causes a drop in power and torque. While this might not be immediately apparent for city drives, highway performance will take a noticeable hit. Acceleration will feel slower and it is likely to struggle with a full passenger load on heavy inclines. The upside is the fuel efficiency which is very close to the claimed 33.40km/kg even in the real world.

If you are a first time car buyer, there are not many cars better than the Alto K10 when it comes to ease of driving. The Alto in fact is fun to drive in traffic - it fits in the smallest of gaps, visibility is excellent and it is easy to park too. When you bring the light steering, slick gearbox and responsive engine in the equation, the Alto K10 makes for an excellent city runabout. What irritates you while driving at low speeds is the steering's inability to self centre. While taking tight turns it adds to the overall driving effort.

The Alto K10’s ride quality too surprises you. It gobbles up even the sharpest of potholes with ease. The suspension has a good amount of travel and it works silently to give you a comfortable ride. Save for a bit of tyre and road noise the Alto’s cabin is a soothing place to be. Highway manners too are good, with the Alto K10 showing good composure even over undulations. After a certain point the ride does get a bit bumpy but never to the point of feeling uncomfortable. 

• The 2025 Alto K10 comes in four variants: STD (O), LXi (O), VXi (O), and VXi+ (O).

• LXi (O) and VXi (O) get the option of a CNG powertrain, and AMT is offered with the VXi (O) and VXi+ (O) variants.

STD (O)

• Bare bones variant with halogen lighting elements and 13-inch steel wheel with no wheel covers.

• Features include digital speedometer, dual front airbags, electronic stability program (ESP), ABS with EBD, and rear parking sensors.

LXi (O)

• This is the entry level CNG variant.

• Adds body coloured bumpers to the exterior.

• Feature additions include manual AC, and a powered steering wheel.

VXi (O)

• Entry level variant for AMT.

• Gets a roof antenna, body coloured outside door handles, and full wheel covers.

• Comes with front power windows, bluetooth compatibility, and 2 speakers.

VXi+ (O)

• Gets chrome inserts in the cabin for a better look.

• Adds a 7-inch touchscreen, wired Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, keyless entry, and a 4-speaker sound system to the feature list.

CarDekho Recommends

• You can go for the VXi (O) variant if you’re willing to spend more on accessories and an aftermarket infotainment system.

• But the VXi+ (O) offers a more complete package including an infotainment package and a better looking cabin.

Overall, the Maruti Alto K10 really impresses but there are some shortfalls as well. The engine gets vocal at higher revs, there are absolutely no storage spaces for rear seat passengers and there are some key convenience features missing too. 

Apart from this, the Alto K10 is hard to fault. It is likeable inside out, the engine is powerful with excellent drivability, it has space for four people, the ride quality is comfortable, and it is extremely easy to drive.

Other Options To Consider

Maruti Celerio

Reasons To Consider

• Modern styling

• Better looking cabin

Reasons To Ignore

• More expensive

• No major feature upgrades

Maruti S-Presso

Reasons To Consider

• Similar price

• Better rear seat space

Reasons To Ignore

• Funky styling might not appeal to everyone