10 Things We Learnt From Driving The New Maruti Alto K10

A big surprise is the space inside as thanks to a longer wheelbase, the new Alto K10 is much more spacious and also a lot more than what it's pictures suggest.

New Delhi: Maruti has been hugely successful with its small cars and just to reinforce the fact that it is not moving away focus from hatchbacks to SUVs, the car-maker has brought in the new Alto K10. Here are 10 things we learnt from driving this new iteration of this small car.

1. Based on the new Heartect platform, the Alto K10 is now longer and taller than the previous model and looks more premium atleast in sync with the new design language which Maruti has for its small cars. Accessories further enable it to have a sportier stance.

2. A big surprise is the space inside as thanks to a longer wheelbase, the new Alto K10 is much more spacious and also a lot more than what it's pictures suggest. That said it is best left as a four seater but legroom is surprisingly good. Boot space is 214l but again it's not as bad you think with a cleverly used boot space.

3. Interior design is a big step up and while it obviously shows some signs of cost cutting, the all digital dash and a touchscreen makes it far more modern than the earlier cabin.

4. The newest Maruti infotainment system makes its way here and there are features like smartphone connectivity, steering controls and basic safety equipment. But there are no rear power windows and not even a rear wash/wipe feature.

5. The Dualjet 1.0 petrol is same as in the S-Presso with 66 bhp and 89Nm. At just 740kg, the K10 is quick and even more so in the manual where it has plenty of performance along with a rev happy nature. The manual is slick with a light clutch too.

6. We'd look at the AMT version though it is has been hugely improved from earlier AMTs and basically drives like an automatic at low speeds with very few jerks and creep function is there too. The pause has been reduced between shifts too. We miss a hill hold function though for the AMT version.

7. The NVH levels could have been better of the car but the light steering makes it very easy to drive in the city. Ride overall is decent for its class especially at low speeds but one needs to be careful of larger potholes.

8. High speed stability has been improved over the earlier Alto K10 but it is still a city car and best kept at speeds below 100 km/h.

9. Mileage is terrific with atleast 20kmpl plus expected for both versions with the AMT being more efficient than the manual.

10. The AMT carries a Rs 50,000 premium over the manual with top-end AMT and manual carry a price tag of Rs 5.3 lakh and Rs 5.8 lakh hence we think the top-end AMT is a bit expensive since it lacks some features which the Celerio or S-Presso have hence lower spec variants at Rs 5 lakh are actually better value and work as a first car buy.

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