Maruti Suzuki Alto K10 Performance & First Drive

Maruti Suzuki Alto K10 Overview

Maruti Suzuki has launched a special edition Alto K10 in India today called the K10 plus. This special edition hatchback gets plenty of new features which are missing in the standard variant.Maruti introduced the K10 which is the premium variant of their entry level Alto 800 hatchback. The Alto K10 powered by a slightly more powerful 1.0 Litre petrol unit, and it also gets an AMT Transmission as well. The K10 competes directly with the Alto KWID 1.0 Litre unit and the Hyundai Eon 1.0 Litre in the Indian market.This special edition Alto K10 Plus is only offered in the VXi trim and gets a total of ten new features. Maruti Suzuki Alto K10 in Tryaldrive

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Maruti Suzuki Alto K10 Design

Modern Entry level cars have moved on from the notion of looking basic providing only the bare essentials to justify its price tag. The new age Maruti Suzuki cars endorse the same with a modern approach. While the previous generation Alto K10 looked dated, the new version looks trendy with characteristic design lines.They have finally managed to wake up the new K10 by giving it wide awake large headlights. The larger profile of the lights makes it look better and more functional with a wider illumination. The lights get a dash of chrome detailing inside. The ends of the radiator grille have been brought closer giving it a smaller and wider stance. The signature ‘S’ logo sits firmly on the chrome grille. The front bumper layout has been kept clean with neat contours. The top of the line VXi(O) MT variant also gets fog lamps as standard fitment.

You can possibly mistake it for the younger 800 at one glance as both these cars share the same height and width except the K10 is longer by 150mm. The characteristic shoulder line flows from the front wheel arch to the tail lamp giving a strong profile. The B-Pillars have been masked with the help of blackened tape to showcase a larger glass area. It is again the premium variant which gets body colours exterior mirrors while rest of the variants get standard finished ORVMs both of which can be adjusted internally.

Both VXi and VXi (O) get multi spoke wheel caps. All variants come with standard 155/65 R13 tyres. We definitely recommend replacing the stock steel wheels with alloy wheels as the latter will give a sporty look. There are side body protectors on all variants.It looks taller in ride stance when seen from rear. The rear tail door has been designed to give a wider car feel by not actually being so. The windshield is just about of sufficient size to manoeuvre the car in reverse. It also gets new rear combination lamps which look impressive. The rear bumper has been kept simple with subtle sections and creases to match with the overall design.

Maruti Suzuki Alto K10 Style

Where the Alto K10 is vastly different from the Alto 800 is the interiors. While both cars have similar AC vents (side ones), the dashboard is as different as chalk and cheese. The Alto K10’s dashboard is a nice unit which looks quite attractive and gets piano black finish on the centre console and some silver inserts for a sporty feel. The cabin is a dual-tone unit that adds airiness and quality inside is good although there are some rough edges which aren’t glaringly obvious at first sight. The way the centre console has been designed makes the Alto K10’s dashboard look wider than it actually is. The 3-spoke steering is nice to hold and the car gets front power windows, buttons for which are unconventionally placed in the centre, there are no rear power windows.

The manual variant of the Alto K10 gets a cubbyhole and cupholders in front of the lever but in the AMT variant, this is missing as the lever takes more space. The car gets a smart hook next to the glovebox for hanging small things. The instrument cluster is a funky looking unit (Maruti calls it speedy finish) with a nice design having red markings and white fonts. There is a display under the speedometer which carries twin trip meters, odometer, gear indicator (AMT) fuel meter and time. The right side on the console has tell-tale lights and as they don’t blink all the time, the meter looks a bit empty.

The Maruti Alto K10 is the premium version of the Alto but isn’t loaded with a ton of features to boast about. Bluetooth is absent which comes as a surprise because the world’s cheapest car, the Tata Nano has it. The audio system offers CD, USB and AUX functions and sound quality is strictly average. None of the Alto’s seats come with adjustable headrests and due to the narrow cabin, it’s best to seat two at the rear and not squeeze in three. The front seats are quite comfortable and although the Alto K10 carries the same wheelbase as the Alto 800, rear seat legroom is better thanks to the scooped front seat back, resulting in thinner front seats (one can at times feel the knees of the rear passenger on his back). Still legroom is just average while headroom is adequate. Boot space is decent for a car of this size. Check for Maruti Suzuki Alto K10 in igc2016.in  

Maruti Suzuki Alto K10 Gearbox

There are no mechanical changes under the hood, and thus the Alto K10 Plus gets the same K10B 1.0-litre three-cylinder petrol engine which is capable of producing about 68 PS at 6,000 rpm and 90 Nm of torque at 3,500 rpm. All that power sent to the front wheels via the help of 5-speed manual transmission. However, there is also an optional automated manual transmission on offer as well. The hatchback promises to return an impressive overall fuel efficiency of 24.07 km/l.

The AMT unit is the same 5-speed transmission and unlike conventional automatics, this gearbox shifts cogs with the use of an electronic unit, thereby having slightly jerky shifts, although lesser than the Celerio. Maruti has tweaked the box quite well, making it feel less of a compromise than what AMTs are usually known for. When you leave the brake pedal and don’t get on the accelerator, the car crawls ahead, a default feature in any automatic car, helping in stop-go traffic. You can also go manual mode and the best part is, the car won’t upshift till you do, thereby holding gear for as long as you please. Redline comes in at 6500 RPM.

Maruti’s petrol engines are rev happy units and coupled with the tall gearing on the Alto K10, it offers quite an experience of driving pedal to the metal. First gear is good enough for 50 km/hr while second will take you to 85 km/hr, third bringing in 125 km/hr and fourth taking you till 155 km/hr. The top speed is 170 km/hr and all this is possible due to the low kerb weight of the car. Cruising in top gear and doing the ton results in the tacho ticking in at 3000 RPM. The Alto K10 now gets a drive by wire system which improves low-end response while NVH levels are good as long as you don’t get past the mid-range, the motor creating quite the racket near its redline. The Maruti Alto is frugal too and despite being an automatic, it returns similar mileage as the manual, thanks to the AMT. One can extract around 16-18 km/l from this car.

Maruti Suzuki Alto K10 Driving

They have shortened the length of this one and thus the nose can be easily turned easily. The steering wheel feels light and nimble. Be it driving through lanes dodging cars, cycles, bikes and anything that comes your way, this car can do it well without whirling your head. In any case, there are ventilated front disc brakes which come standard on all variants. To improve its ride and handling, gas filled dampers have been deployed.There is only one spoiler which cuts down all the enthusiasm. The 155/65 R13 tyres aren’t the best when it comes down to gripping. They work just fine inside the city but on a longer stretch at higher speeds, they can’t keep up with the peppy engine. These tyres feel a tad small compared to the ideal ones leaving a lot to expect.

Maruti Suzuki Alto K10 Safety

Maruti Suzuki has the biggest service network in India, having dealerships in remote areas too. India’s largest car maker also offers excellent after sales service and prices of parts are very reasonable, making owning a Maruti car a trouble-free experience. However, in terms of safety, the Alto falls short. From being awarded 0-stars in crash tests to not coming equipped with any safety feature, the Alto is basic in terms of safety. The VXi trim gets a driver side airbag as an option and even foglamps are part of optional kit. Meanwhile, Maruti exports the Alto K10 to Algeria with both ABS and dual airbags.

Maruti Suzuki Alto K10 Price in Bangalore

Maruti Suzuki Alto K10 On-Road Price in Bangalore ranges from 4,03,016 to 5,11,392 for variants Alto K10 LX and Alto K10 LXI CNG Optional respectively. Maruti Suzuki Alto K10 is available in 8 variants and 6 colours. Below are details of Maruti Suzuki Alto K10 variants price in Bangalore. Check for Alto K10 price in Bangalore at Carzprice

Maruti Suzuki Alto K10 Verdict

Impressive is the fact that being one of India’s earliest car manufacturers, Maruti Suzuki has kept in sync with modern trends. Even for this car, they have taken each possible measure to bring down its weight and minimise the frictional losses to make the engine highly fuel efficient improving it by 15% compared to the earlier model.The reduction in kerb weight was done by the use of use of low drag brake caliper, high tensile steel, lightening of the engine unit by re-designing engine and use of light weight material in engine auxiliaries. It also challenges the conventional thinking of an AT being lower in efficiency compared to its manual counterpart as both the variants deliver an impressive 24.07kmpl.

To conclude, if you love measuring the length and width of your city and want a convenient method to do so, the new Alto K10 is worth every penny spent making it a strong city hatch.

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