GaadiKey
  • Car News
    • Maruti Suzuki
    • Hyundai
    • Mahindra
    • Tata
    • Toyota
    • Ford
    • Nissan
    • Honda
    • Volkswagen
    • Renault
    • Kia
    • MG
    • Skoda
    • Fiat
    • Datsun
    • Mercedes-Benz
    • Volvo
    • BMW
    • Audi
    • Jaguar Land Rover
    • Lexus
    • Ferrari
    • Lamborghini
    • Maserati
    • Pininfarina
    • Tesla
  • Bike News
    • Hero
    • Bajaj
    • TVS
    • Honda
    • Yamaha
    • BMW
    • Suzuki
    • KTM
    • Royal Enfield
    • Mahindra
    • Harley Davidson
    • Ducati
    • DSK Benelli
    • Indian
    • Kawasaki
    • Piaggio
    • Triumph Motorcycles
    • UM Motorcycles
  • Reviews
    • Bike Reviews
    • Car Reviews
  • Photos
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Contact us
No Result
View All Result
GaadiKey
No Result
View All Result
ADVERTISEMENT
Home Reviews Car Reviews

Maruti Alto K10 “(Automatic) power to the people”

Anand Chaudhuri by Anand Chaudhuri
April 23, 2019
in Car Reviews, Cars, Featured, Maruti Suzuki, Reviews
7
Maruti Alto K10 Opened Doors Side Profile
3k
VIEWS
Share on WhatsappShare on FacebookShare on Twitter

Maruti Alto K10 Front Angle

ADVERTISEMENT

Maruti Alto K10 Automatic Review

I was keen to test drive and review the automatic gear-boxed version of the all-conquering Suzuki Alto K10, as prior to doing so, I had had a few too many frustrating and tiring weeks negotiating the nightmare that is Delhi road traffic in my manual geared car. Therefore the idea of an automatic geared small budget car for a day or two was music to my ears, but more importantly from a car reviewer’s point of view, I hoped to understand why automatics are still a relative rarity in the small car market, given the general traffic conditions of India that is nothing short of real life GTA play, automatics should be the default weapon of choice.

Introduction

1-Maruti-Alto-K10-Front-View-1

The courteous and pleasant representative of Maruti Suzuki handed over the keys to a striking “Cerulean Blue” coloured (6 Colours in total) Vxi version of the Alto K10 with approximately 2693 kms on the digital odometer, a quick introduction to the car and off I went to wrestle the traffic and Delhi heat. This version does however get the most important features in my opinion i.e an effective air conditioner, electric front door windows, multi-function music system and power steering. To see the whole list of features this version and others get, please follow Maruti Suzuki Alto K10’s official website.

Advertisement. Scroll to continue reading.

Engine

Maruti Alto K10 Front Engine

The engine is a 3-cylinder 998cc “K-Next” unit with claimed peak power of 68PS @ 6000rpm and peak torque of 90 Nm @ 3500rpm. In the real world, the engine has more than adequate power to keep up and at times surprise the traffic, though its best not to rev it for fear of slightly intolerable NVH levels at high rpms that most small capacity engines suffer from. There is however some extremely pronounced engine vibration and shake at idle that makes it way through the cabin and then neutrals out on the move.

Design and Build

Maruti Alto K10 Opened Doors Side Profile

The Alto K10 is a smart looking car despite its humble status and the striking “Cerulean Blue” does it justice and lend it the Subaru-look from some headlamp angles. Like all other Suzuki products, the car feels well put together and built for Indian road conditions. The cabin itself is airy and has a nice blend of light coloured seat and upholstery material and fabric mixed with dark plastics for the dashboard to lend the cabin a pleasant and welcoming feel. Headroom is very generous though rear legroom is adequate, as tested by the reviewer’s quick change for an evening run at Sirifort. The transmission tunnel along the floor does however eat into such legroom and three abreast would be a tight squeeze. An airy cabin with large windows also allows for great all-round visibility and an important plus in hazard-rich road conditions. The placement of the power windows switches requires a rethink and repositioning to the door handles from the current no-man’s land positioning between the handbrake and auto gearbox.

Handling and Safety

Maruti Alto K10 Handling and Safety

The steering wheel is nice to look at and hold, however the power steering requires further assistance and comes across a tad too heavy for everyday city use and over uneven surfaces tends to make the car tramline. The suspension is quite well dialled in with adequate ground clearance to handle the potholes and breaks in surfaces and braking performance is satisfactory, however no ABS or Airbags on this version is disappointing. Central locking is on offer but not remote keyed and will have you reaching for the door old-school style to lock all the doors when inside. At mid to high double digit speeds, the car feels fairly well balanced and confident helped by the slightly heavy steer and not so despite the small and skinny 155/65R13 tyres.

Fuel Economy

Whilst class and type (automatic geared) leading fuel returns are claimed, my test drive over 3 days and approximately 150 kms returned me an average of around 16 km/l, however the same was achieved with the airconditioner switched on at all times and whilst negotiating some brutal stop-go Delhi traffic with the occasional heavy foot to test responsiveness and acceleration characteristics of the car, in a word, impressive and no doubt helped by the extremely low kerb weight of 750 odd kilograms.

Maruti Alto K10 Mileage

ADVERTISEMENT

Gear box

The centre of attention of this review and the manufacturer’s focus on this version of the Alto is undoubtedly the 5-speed automatic gearbox with a tip-tronic shift function for manual override (“+” to go down the gears and “-” to go up the gears) and a digital readout of the current gear selected under the speedometer unit. Along with the “R” slot for reverse drive, “N” slot for neutral, for forward movement in automatic mode “D” slot is provided. Noticeably “P” for auto parking brake is missing and one must physically pull the hand brake after slotting into “N” to give the box a breather.

Maruti Alto K10 Automatic Gearbox

Whilst most automatic gearboxes of yore were criticised for lethargic response and a detached feel, this gearbox feels a bit too eager and if dialled down a bit, would make for a smoother and a more fuel economical ride. When pressed into urgent action on “D”, it tends to hold on to 1st gear a bit too long and there is an at times unnerving pause every time the gearbox downshifts down the gears up until 4th gear and also requires a subtle lift off the accelerator to downshift rather than take the hint when the driver is not pushing full steam ahead but maintaining a steady pace to downshift quickly for maximum fuel returns. The downshift thereafter to 5th is surprisingly smooth and nonchalant, something that would be preferable for all the shifts. The accelerator pedal is surprisingly hard sprung as well but press it in a hurry and the gearbox downshifts a gear in quick time to unleash immediate and at times, what feels like relatively excess power. The Tip-tronic works well and can be played around with, though it is speed sensitive when losing speed or slowing down.

From a standstill, every movement forward requires a prior press of the brake pedal which will take a bit getting used to. Slowing down to a stop, the gears stay engaged which gives a stuck-in-gear feeling and when at a standing stop, the car constantly lunges forward, this constant and excessive engagement would seem to unnecessarily tax the mechanicals of the transmission and braking setup. Preferably the gearbox should be calibrated to idle motionless when slotted in “D” and respond thereafter in accordance with the pressure applied to the accelerator, akin to the stop-start tech that one now finds in high-end cars.

7-Maruti-Alto-K10-Boot-Door

Verdict

The Suzuki Alto K10 Vxi version here reviewed gets most of the goodies on offer and misses out on the few that come with the “O” (top spec optioned) version, retailing (on-road Delhi) at approximately Rs.4.3 lacs to the best of my knowledge. The price, fuel return figures and Suzuki’s reliability and after-sales service cannot go wrong in India, and it is smart looking as well. The Alto itself has sold more than one can count to and resale value of all Suzuki cars in India are firm and for good reason. The automatic gearbox featured is robust and works well, but as discussed just needs to be calibrated a bit better to ease the driving experience a bit more, with more emphasis on refinement rather than outright pace and brute responsiveness, as such interests could be satisfied by the manual gearbox option. Once such subtle changes are undertaken I see more car buyers willing to pay the extra premium for the automatic gearbox in return for the hassle free driving experience and a predicted switch to auto gearboxes as a default option of choice over their manual counterparts.

Read: Top 5 affordable automatic cars in India.

Find all photos of Maruti Alto K10 Automatic here on Flickr Album.

Also read: Maruti Celerio Diesel Review

SendShareTweet
ADVERTISEMENT
Anand Chaudhuri

Anand Chaudhuri

Anand is a practicing Advocate who also writes and publishes articles on Indian and Commonwealth case laws through Medium

Subscribe
Login
Notify of
guest

guest

7 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
trackback
Renault Kwid Colors: Red, White, Silver, Grey and Bronze - GaadiKey Blog
7 years ago

[…] Renault is looking to grab the A-segment market which is currently dominated by cars like Maruti Alto and Hyundai Eon. Renault is quite established brand in India with its popular offering – […]

0
Reply
trackback
Maruti Alto K10 Urbano Edition launched - GaadiKey Blog
7 years ago

[…] Also read: Maruti Alto K10 AMT Review […]

0
Reply
trackback
Maruti WagonR AMT version Spotted - GaadiKey Blog
7 years ago

[…] all know that the AMT versions of both Maruti Celerio and Maruti Alto are well received among auto enthusiasts who are looking for ease-of-drive in Indian traffic […]

0
Reply
trackback
Maruti Alto beats Maruti 800; Becomes most sold car model in India - GaadiKey Blog
7 years ago

[…] Also read: Maruti Alto K10 Automatic Review […]

0
Reply
trackback
Renault Kwid Colors: Red, White, Silver, Grey and Bronze - GaadiKey
6 years ago

[…] Renault is looking to grab the A-segment market which is currently dominated by cars like Maruti Alto and Hyundai Eon. Renault is quite established brand in India with its popular offering – […]

0
Reply
Samuel T.
Samuel T.
1 year ago

Is there Mumbai CSD available

0
Reply
Samuel T.
Samuel T.
1 year ago

Mumbai CSD canteen available this 🚗 car

0
Reply
wpdiscuz   wpDiscuz
  • Trending
  • Comments
  • Latest
2023 Honda Activa H-Smart Technology

2023 Honda Activa Colors (H-Smart): Blue, Black, Red, White, Grey

March 6, 2023
Suzuki Access 125 Colors - All Colors

Suzuki Access 125 Colors: White, Red, Gray, Blue, Silver, Black

February 17, 2022
New Splendor 2023 Colors - Hero Splendor 2023 model color options - All details

2023 Hero Splendor Colors: Black, Purple, Red, Yellow, Green, Gold

March 6, 2023
New Honda Shine 2023 colors

2023 Honda Shine Colors: Blue, Genny Grey, Grey, Red, Black

March 15, 2023
2023 Suzuki Access 125 All Colors - New 2023 Access Colors 125cc Suzuki Access Colors Standard, Special Edition and Ride Connect Edition All Colors 2023 model Access 125

2023 Suzuki Access 125 Colors: White, Blue, Silver

March 6, 2023
New Honda Activa 6G 2023 model colors - All Colors New Activa 6G Scooter

2023 Honda Activa 6G Colors: Blue, Red, White, Grey

March 4, 2023
2023 Honda SP125 Colors: Blue, Grey, Red, Green, Black

2023 Honda SP125 Colors: Blue, Grey, Red, Green, Black

March 15, 2023
2023 Brezza from Maruti Suzuki New Maruti Brezza 2023 model colors all colors

2023 Maruti Brezza Colors: Blue, Red, Silver, Khakhi, Grey, White

February 1, 2023
2023 Hyundai Verna launched in India at Rs 10.9 lakhs

2023 Hyundai Verna launched in India at Rs 10.9 lakhs

March 22, 2023
2023 Hero Xoom 110 Colors: Red, Orange, Blue, Black, White

Hero MotoCorp to Revise Price of select 2-Wheelers from April 1, 2023

March 22, 2023
Volkswagen Virtus launched in India at Rs 11.21 lakhs

Volkswagen India Enhances Features on Taigun and Virtus Models

March 22, 2023
2023 Renault Triber Colors: White, Blue, Mustard, Brown

Renault Nissan Alliance Signs Agreement with Kamarajar Port to Enhance Car Exports

March 20, 2023
2023 Maruti Brezza CNG

2023 Maruti Brezza S-CNG launched at Rs 9.14 lakhs

March 17, 2023
2023 Kia Sonet Colors: Red, Blue, Grey, Silver, White

2023 Kia Sonet Colors: Red, Blue, Grey, Silver, White

March 17, 2023
Audi tests the production-oriented Q6 e-tron prototype

Audi tests the production-oriented Q6 e-tron prototype

March 17, 2023
2023 Tata Punch Colors - All Color options for new 2023 Tata Punch SUV

2023 Tata Punch Colors: Orange, Bronze, Blue, Grey, White, Red

March 16, 2023

Recent News

2023 Hyundai Verna launched in India at Rs 10.9 lakhs

2023 Hyundai Verna launched in India at Rs 10.9 lakhs

March 22, 2023
2023 Hero Xoom 110 Colors: Red, Orange, Blue, Black, White

Hero MotoCorp to Revise Price of select 2-Wheelers from April 1, 2023

March 22, 2023
Volkswagen Virtus launched in India at Rs 11.21 lakhs

Volkswagen India Enhances Features on Taigun and Virtus Models

March 22, 2023
2023 Renault Triber Colors: White, Blue, Mustard, Brown

Renault Nissan Alliance Signs Agreement with Kamarajar Port to Enhance Car Exports

March 20, 2023
2023 Maruti Brezza CNG

2023 Maruti Brezza S-CNG launched at Rs 9.14 lakhs

March 17, 2023
2023 Kia Sonet Colors: Red, Blue, Grey, Silver, White

2023 Kia Sonet Colors: Red, Blue, Grey, Silver, White

March 17, 2023
Audi tests the production-oriented Q6 e-tron prototype

Audi tests the production-oriented Q6 e-tron prototype

March 17, 2023
2023 Tata Punch Colors - All Color options for new 2023 Tata Punch SUV

2023 Tata Punch Colors: Orange, Bronze, Blue, Grey, White, Red

March 16, 2023




Search this Website

No Result
View All Result

About

GaadiKey

GaadiKey blog is a one stop portal for all the latest in the automobile industry. We are a bunch of people who are passionate about bikes and cars. We share the experience, reviews and stuff connected to Gaadis.

Contact

  • Contact us

© 2022 GaadiKey - Prime GaadiKey.

No Result
View All Result
  • Car News
    • Maruti Suzuki
    • Hyundai
    • Mahindra
    • Tata
    • Toyota
    • Ford
    • Nissan
    • Honda
    • Volkswagen
    • Renault
    • Kia
    • MG
    • Skoda
    • Fiat
    • Datsun
    • Mercedes-Benz
    • Volvo
    • BMW
    • Audi
    • Jaguar Land Rover
    • Lexus
    • Ferrari
    • Lamborghini
    • Maserati
    • Pininfarina
    • Tesla
  • Bike News
    • Hero
    • Bajaj
    • TVS
    • Honda
    • Yamaha
    • BMW
    • Suzuki
    • KTM
    • Royal Enfield
    • Mahindra
    • Harley Davidson
    • Ducati
    • DSK Benelli
    • Indian
    • Kawasaki
    • Piaggio
    • Triumph Motorcycles
    • UM Motorcycles
  • Reviews
    • Bike Reviews
    • Car Reviews
  • Photos
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Contact us

© 2022 GaadiKey - Prime GaadiKey.

wpDiscuz