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Alto hits right note [South Wales Evening Post (Wales)](South Wales Evening Post (Wales) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) NOWHERE is Suzuki's pricing tighter than with the Alto citycar at the lower end of its range but the product planners still found room for manoeuvre in creating the Alto SZ-L special edition. The Alto's 1.0-litre petrol engine looks ideal for a compact urban vehicle. The three-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's gearing is quite long to help it achieve the best fuel economy but it means that you have to work the engine hard if you want to make quick progress, especially with passengers on board. Do this and there's quite a bit of accompanying noise but the off-beat three-cylinder thrum isn't unpleasant. You could even say that it sounds quite sporty. It's no longer enough for city cars to be space-efficient wheeled boxes. Customers have come to expect a certain cheeky style and the likes of the Fiat 500, smart fortwo and Toyota iQ have delivered it. The Alto isn't in this league in terms of its cute factor or its price but it's a far from unappealing proposition with its big teardrop headlights and rising side window line. The SZ-L models have black fog lamp surrounds, side mouldings and B-pillar trims which stand out against the Superior White or Bright Red metallic paintwork. In the cabin, there's silver trim for the gear knob, vents and door openers while other aspects of the trim are finished in body colour. Suzuki is only going to make 500 Alto SZ-L models which promise to sell swiftly by Alto standards. All come with the basic equipment levels of the mid-range SZ3 variants which means air-conditioning, a CD stereo, remote central locking and a 50:50 split rear seat are included. Front and side airbags also make an appearance and all at a price that only tiptoes over the Pounds 8,000 barrier. The Alto's lightweight design allows it to get the most of its 1.0-litre engine and in terms of fuel economy, very few petrol powered cars can touch it. The Alto can average 64.2mpg on the combined cycle and 51mpg around town. Accompanied by emissions of just 103g/km and the lowest possible insurance grouping, it makes the Alto one of the most cost-effective purchases in the sector. Not even Suzuki would claim that its Alto is one of the most sophisticated small cars on the market but it is fun, durable and it stacks up extremely well from a cost perspective. (c) 2011 ProQuest Information and Learning Company; All Rights Reserved. |