Maruti Suzuki Alto 2000-2012 LXi

Alto 2000-2012 LXi Review

Maruti Suzuki India is the leading car maker in the country for quite some time now and the Maruti Alto small car is one of those models that have played a key role in the success of the brand . This entry level car is positioned directly above the Maruti 800 which was responsible for putting the majority of the Indian public on four wheels. Traversing the Indian roads in 6 alluring colors such as Ecru Beige, Silky Silver Metallic, Midnight Black Metallic, Blue Blaze, Superior White and Fire Brick Red, the Maruti Alto LXI is a BS-IV compliant car. The overall length of this small car is 3495mm, the width is 1475mm, and the height is just 1460mm. The wheel base of the car is 2360mm which shows that the car can seat 4 adults pretty comfortably, the 5th adult can definitely fit in but on the expense of absolute comfort. The car sports a low ground clearance of just 160 mm which often makes the car suffer a bit on bumpy roads or high speed breakers. At present the Maruti Alto uses only petrol and green fuels as the major propellants, the diesel avatar is missing from the product line-up.

Exteriors:

The car is known for its simple styling and exceptional proportionality. The petite frame of the Maruti Alto LXI might as well be deceiving but it is sure that this small car is not so delicate and is a high performer of the entry-level segment. The front of the car flaunts headlights with traditional shape that flank the big black stylish grille bearing the Suzuki logo. Maruti Alto LXI also possesses body colored bumper that perfectly holds the stylish air duct.  The hood bears faint lines emerging from the ends of the grille. Moving on the side profile, the car flaunts black colored outside rear view mirrors (ORVMs) and door handles that make the car look sportier and sharp lines emerging from above the rear wheel and moving to the mid of the rear doors on each side. The elegance element is maintained till the rear end; the tail lamps are again uniquely shaped and the rear bumper is body colored.

Interiors:

The interiors of the car are far more superior to the Maruti 800 as they come equipped with fabric seats, molded carpet and door trims, carpet for the luggage compartment, a lamp for the cabin, pockets on the front doors, electronic tripmeter, floor rear console, glove box, front floor console with cup holders and all new speedometer with a digital indicator for the fuel level. The seats of the car posses integrated headrests and the dashboard sits proudly with a dual tone of black and silver that imbibes a modish feel to the interiors.

Engine & Performance:

The Maruti Alto LXI derives power from the 0.8L 3-cylinder in-line FC petrol engine that has a displacement of 796 cubic centimeters. The engine uses 4 valves per cylinder and MPFI fuel supply system. The valve configuration is SOHC and the engine control is done through a 32 bit computer.

Power:

The 0.8L FC engine is capable of churning out a peak power of 46bhp at 6200 RPM and a peak torque of 62Nm at 3000 RPM . The overall driving experience of this small wonder car is enhanced with the all synchromesh transmission system that uses a 5 speed manual gearbox. The drive type supported is the FWD of front wheel drive.

Mileage:

The Maruti Suzuki cars are known for their durability and high fuel economy and this car is no exception with a city mileage of 14.6kmpl and a highway mileage of 18.9kmpl . The fuel tank capacity of the car is 35 liters which is more than sufficient for a small city car and the emission norms are BSIV (Bharat Stage IV) compliant.

Acceleration & Pick-up:

This small car is capable of attaining a top speed of 137kmph which is pretty impressive for a 796cc engine and the 0-100 acceleration time has been recorded as 17.7 seconds .

Braking & Handling:

The braking aspect of the car is handled by the disc brakes affixed in the front and drum brakes affixed in the rear. The handling of the car is enhanced by the inclusion of power steering and a collapsible steering column. The steering gear type supports rack and pinion arrangement. The tubeless tyres with a size of 145/80 R12 and wheel with a size of 12 inches aid in better handling ; the car has a minimum turn radius of around 4.6 m. The front suspension sported by the Maruti Alto LXI is McPherson strut with torsion type roll control device and rear suspension is coil spring with three link rigid axle and isolated trailing arms. The shock absorbers type is gas filled.

Safety Features:

The basic safety features equipping the car include the clear lens in both the headlamps and the tail lamps, 4-step head lamp leveling device, high mount stop lamp, front and rear seat belts and side-impact beams, booster assisted brakes. Advanced safety features include booster assisted brakes, collapsing steering column, door ajar warning, engine check warning and iCATS security system. Other features like the central locking, child safety locks, airbags anti-theft alarm and an Engine Immobilizer are however absent from the car .

Features:

The Maruti Alto LXI does not offer a plethora of features but whatsoever features are included are pretty good for an entry-level car that offers great mileage and performance and also ensures high level of reliability and durability. The features finding way in the car include the power steering, remote fuel lid opener, warning light for low fuel level, integrated front seats, head restraints on the rear seats, cup-holders in the front, air-conditioning system with heater, electronic multi-tripmeter, glove compartment, rotary control for the AC, tinted glass and manually adjustable external rear view mirror on the right hand side.

Pros

Power steering, Mileage, Engine

Cons

Absence of airbags, power windows and audio player