Suzuki Alto : COST COMPACTOR

Suzuki's city car may well make more of an impact than its predecessors. June Neary checks out the Alto

Small cars are very much in vogue at the moment. They're the simplest, most effective way to achieve the dual goals of minimising motoring costs and cutting vehicle emissions, so both manufacturers and consumers are paying them more attention than at any time in the past. It's into this state of affairs that Suzuki has pitched its latest Alto, a compact city car with the tough task of vying for attention against some very high profile rivals. Suzuki is strongly represented at the more bijou end of the car market with its Splash, Swift and SX4 deservedly enjoying sales success and the Alto slots in below these offerings. It's aim is to replicate some of the Swift's sporty flavour in a more compact package that's also strong on economy, practical and easy to use around town. Sounds like a recipe for more success but with the likes of Fiat's Panda, Ford's Ka, Toyota's Aygo and Renault's Twingo targeting a similar market, the Alto will need to be right on its game.

It was once enough for a citycar to be small and efficient. If it looked like a shrunken Transit van and had a wow-factor equivalent to a bag of potatoes, nobody much cared. Today, as small cars become a more mainstream choice for urban motorists, there's a demand for them to display a lot more individuality and style. With the Alto, Suzuki has risen to this challenge, creating a look it says `exudes urban energy'. You can be the judge of exactly what it's exuding but with its huge teardrop headlights, oversize grille and sharply rising beltline, the car is definitely distinctive. We're told that the space for front seat occupants is `prioritised' in the cabin and so it should be but that doesn't bode well for those in the back. The fact is that most citycars are used to carry more than two people rarely, if ever, and so long as the rear seats can cope with a few shopping bags and a tattered road atlas, they'll do the job. The Alto's C-Pillars are extremely thick and this may result in visibility issues when parking but the interior itself looks to have the requisite youthful feel with the curvy lines of the dash and the door inserts. There's also a healthy amount of storage capacity. Suzuki products rarely leave too much to the imagination in terms of equipment and the Alto doesn't break with that tradition. The car is also well-appointed from a safety perspective with Suzuki incorporating a full complement of crumple zones and impact-absorbing structures to keep occupants safe in the event of a collision. Front side and curtain airbags are available, as is ESP stability control.

The Alto's 1.0-litre petrol engine looks ideal for a compact urban vehicle. The 3-cylinder unit musters 67bhp and 90Nm maximum torque at 4,800rpm. That doesn't sound thrilling but in a car that tips the scales at 855kg, it's enough to cover the 0-60mph sprint in 14 seconds. Stick at it and a top speed of 96mph is also attainable. The Alto is 3500mm long with a 2,360mm wheelbase and that helps it achieve a super-tight turning radius of 4.5m that should be ideal for manoeuvring into tight parking spaces or executing the odd cheeky U-turn. Suzuki's Swift supermini never fails to impress with its sharp handling and the Alto aims to replicate that big fun factor within its more compact package. The MacPherson strut front suspension is tuned to give the rigidity and fast response required in a nimble small car and at the rear, Suzuki's clever 3-link rigid axel suspension is used. This set-up is also tuned to deliver firm, stable ride but its compact design is a further benefit in a small car like the Alto.

The citycar sector looks set for boom times ahead on the back of motorists downsizing their vehicles in a quest to cut costs. The Suzuki Alto will be up against some stiff competition for these sales but this manufacturer's small car expertise and aggressive pricing policy should count for something. A target of 60,000 sales annually in Europe has been set for the car which is built by Suzuki in India in partnership with local manufacturer Maruti Udyog. The 1.0-litre petrol engine can return an impressive 64.2mpg on the combined cycle along with 103g/km emissions. It's greener than Robin Hood on a rollercoaster but if you specify the four-speed automatic gearbox, environmental performance will tail off. The auto model gets 53mpg and 122g/km emissions.

The choice now at the disposal of UK city car buyers is quite something and the Suzuki Alto looks like being another useful addition to the field. Operating at the value for money end of the segment, its low costs and competitive pricing will be crucial to its success.