Test Drive and Review of new Maruti Alto 800

It’s not everyday that you get to test a car that’s likely to be a surefire best seller, but that’s just what this is    a first drive of Maruti’s all new Alto 800, a car that in all probability will start life at the top of the sales charts.

The new Alto is a car Maruti has poured its heart & soul into to get right. What the company wants is continuity & progress. It wants the Alto 800 to take off from where the current Alto stands today, & for that Maruti’s designers have given it an identity that is instantly recognizable.

 So there’s an overriding feeling of familiarity as you walk upto the car. The compact dimensions, the high mounted headlights & the thick ‘C’ pillar at the rear of the car tell you this is an Alto, instantly. But the new bits stand out as well. There’s a new two part grille is attractive, the high mounted petal shaped headlights stand out, the mild chin spoiler looks sporty & the wheel arches that are mildly flared as well. Unlike the earlier car, this one is mildly tipped forward too, adding to that sporty feel. The design is familiar around the back as well, but here too there are fresh new details like the crystal like tail lights & some sculpting on the hatch that adds a spicy touch. What makes the car looks a bit awkward from some angles however is the massive ground clearance, something that just doesn’t sit well with the compact dimensions. The more conservative Alto 800 however is likely to appeal to a wider audience than Hyundai’s overtly styled Eon, which has polarised opinion.

The new Alto 800 is built on the same wheelbase as the earlier car & plenty of suspension bits are carried over, but the structure has been heavily modified to make it stiffer. Maruti’s engineers have concentrated on keeping it light too. The roof, for example is made of thinner steel, but has corrugations for added rigidity.

The biggest change however is in the cabin. There’s an all new & more contemporary looking dash, with a strong ‘V’ around the center console & plastic quality has been improved considerably. There are plenty of silver accents in the cabin, & there’s a horizontally aligned bottle holder placed ahead of the gear lever, which is quite innovative 

The inclusion of new slimmer seats mean there is marginally more space for passengers but this is a car that’s hard to get in comfortable in. The small front seats with their integrated head rests for example, lack decent back support & the rear seat back isn’t too comfortable either.  Space is also only marginally better than the current car which means its very cramped, especially in the rear. The moulded roof lining & fully clad pillars however improve the ambience of the cabin tremendously.

There are big changes under the bonnet as well. Maruti may continue to call this 800cc motor the F8D but changes made are quite far reaching. There are new short skirt pistons, the compression ratio of the engine has been increased & the air inlet system has been made longer. Torque as a result is 11 percent better, & you can feel it.

Push down on the accelerator & the Alto 800 sets off in a much more determined manner. Low engine speed responses have always been a strength of this engine & now its better. You don’t need to rev the motor hard to get a move on & you can upshift quite early so overtaking is not as much a challenge as before. At very low revs there’s a jerky throttle action, which is typical of other Maruti motors as well & hence driving in bumper to bumper is not very smooth. Out on the highway, the improved motor felt more eager thanks to improved performance at the top end of the rev range. In fact, there’s a sporty note to at higher revs & the engine doesn’t feel as thrashy as before.

The gearbox too has been improved over the earlier car with a new cable type shifter. The gearshift is fairly smooth but it still doesn’t have the precision or crisp action of more contemporary competition.

The ride is simply outstanding for such a small car & it copes admirably well with everything that’s thrown at it. The Alto 800’s tall springs & 80 profile tyres absorb potholes & ruts with ease but as expected the Alto 800 is never as well settled as a bigger car. There is always a nervous bit of vertical movement when the road gets uneven but it’s not to the point of being uncomfortable.

When it comes to driving pleasure the Alto 800 really won’t excite you. There’s no excess of power for one & the handling is pretty soggy too. The steering feels a bit vague, especially around the straight ahead position, & the car doesn’t like to be cornered hard. But then the kind of person who is buying this car isn’t going to really care.

The new Alto 800 may not have the same modern feel as the Hyundai Eon but certainly feels a generation ahead of the previous Alto with better interiors, dynamics & performance. It looks more contemporary too. Is that enough to keep its popularity sky high? It will finally depend on the price.  However, assuming a Rs. 3.15 lakh sticker for the base, air con equipped version, Maruti’s latest will continue to be the best selling car on Indian soil after it goes on sale on October 16th.
Fact File

Engine
Fuel     Petrol
Installation     Front, transverse
Type     12 valve, 796cc, 3 cyl,
Power     47bhp
Torque     7.03kgm

Transmission
Type     Front wheel drive
Gearbox     Manual, 5 speed

Dimensions
Length     3395mm
Width     1490mm
Height     1475mm
Wheel base     2360mm
Ground clearance     160mm

Chassis & Body
Weight     720kg
Tyres     145/80R12 (tubeless)

Suspension
Front     Gas filled McPherson Strut, Torsion Roll control device
Rear     Coil spring, Gas filled shock absorbers with three link rigid axle & isolated trailing arm

Brakes
Front     Solid discs
Rear     Drums

Economy
Tank size     35 litres

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