Insurance Group: 4
MPG: 65.7
CO2: 99
0-62 Mph: 13.5 secs
BHP: 67 BHP
Range: 506 miles
PROS: It’s economical and cheap to insure. It has room for four adults providing they aren’t too tall and it’s dimensions mean it is perfectly suited for driving around town.
CONS: The 1.0 litre engine is no cruiser. The quality of the interior plastics could be better and the boot is not very spacious. There are better value and more desirable rivals out there.
The 1.0 litre three cylinder engine is good for 67bhp and 66 lb-ft of torque and while this is adequate for town driving, it makes long distance driving something of a chore. A 0-62 mph time of 13.5 seconds and a top speed of 96mph hardly excite but that’s not what this car is about.
The car’s small dimensions make it perfect for manoeuvring around town although the steering at parking speeds is a little on the heavy side. When the road opens up things get a bit more untidy as the body tends to lean in corners and the noise from the engine intrudes into the cabin. The gearbox needs a good stir to keep up with traffic and this can get tiresome.
The driver’s seat is height adjustable and the steering wheel can be tilted so getting comfortable shouldn’t be a problem.
The Suzuki Alto 1.0 SZ4 5dr is not a particularly stylish car and certainly falls behind some of its rivals in the looks department. The dashboard is generally well laid out with simple dials and buttons and a useful amount of storage space but it all looks and feels cheap.
However, there is a decent amount of kit including an adjustable driver’s seat, electric front windows, CD, immobiliser and central locking all as standard. It also comes with alloy wheels, stability control and front fog lights.
Metallic paint is a £380 option.
The cabin is adequately spacious for four although the boot is quite small and it has a rather high lip. However, the split/folding rear seats can be lowered to increase the space from 129 litres to 367 litres.
The Alto comes with six airbags as well as ABS, anti-lock brakes and stability control systems plus ISOFIX child-seat mountings.
Suzuki has a good reputation for reliability and the car comes with a three year 60,000 mile warranty.
The Suzuki Alto 1.0 SZ4 5dr is not the cheapest in this class and at £9,345 there are more appealing alternatives but the Alto should be cheap to run thanks to impressive fuel economy of 64.2mpg and low road tax costs under VED band B.
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You might want to read reviews for other City Cars that you can then compare to the Suzuki Alto. Here are some popular Suzuki Alto alternatives:
