Altogether very nice Alto

This classy little four-door caused quite a buzz when it made a surprise appearance on the Suzuki stand at the Johannesburg International Motor Show last year and since then its arrival has been eagerly awaited.

Well, the good news is that the two-model Alto range is now on the local dealer showroom floors.

I had the pleasure of driving both models during a particularly cold spell in Bloemfontein recently and rated them well, even though the two models are poles apart.

Cute, cocky - and coping better than many

With few exceptions most teeny fuel-sipper cars at this level look and feel a little tinny and low-budget. Performance tends to be lack-lustre and road holding is invariably little better than wishy-washy. Usually the steering feels like cotton wool and both the exterior appearance and the interior finish are unlikely to push up anybody's heart rate.

The Alto is not entirely free of these ailments, although it copes better than many entry-level Dinky toys in this category.

It looks kinda cute and cocky and its peppy little engine prrrs and grrrs with equal enthusiasm, although quite coarsely so.

At times the engine sounds not unlike the boxer engine under the hood of a Subaru. At low revs it gets rougher and engine vibration is quite noticeable.

The cabin has ample space, considering the car measures a mere 3,5-metres from bumper to bumper.

A tight turner

It's nippy enough not to be intimidated by fast-flowing traffic and perfectly at home in the tight confines of a city centre. Parking is made easy by its light steering and you can turn on the proverbial five cent piece, thanks to a turning circle of only 4,5 metres.

Suzuki has a reputation for slick gearboxes and the Alto's five-speed manual is smooth as butter.

There are two models to choose from; an entry-level GL version at R104 900 for the budget-conscious and an extremely well-specced GLS model at R119 900.

The same 1,0-litre, three cylinder, DOHC, fuel-injected engine provides power for both models and it is zippy enough to produce 50 kW at 6000 rpm and 87 Nm of torque at 4500 rpm.

Thanks to its light body weight of only 895 kg the power is good enough for a respectable top speed of around the 145 km/h mark.

Maybe a little snug for Bakkies and the boys

On the motorway leading out of Bloemfontein I whipped the GLS and was quite surprised how keenly it gallops to the legal speed limit and cruises comfortably close to its flat-out ability.

The engine growl also quietens down once you are up to cruising speed. The car sits confidently on the road without any hint of skittishness and although the steering is light, it's fairly direct.

Four adults fit in without a squeeze although the likes of Bakkies, Matfield, Smith and Spies might find it not unlike the closeness of a set scrum against the All Blacks.

Suzuki says if you drive it like a good citizen the Alto should sip a gentle 5,7 litres per 100 kilometres and keep the emissions rating down to about 133g/km.

Bags of features

The price difference between the two models has all to do with wanna-haves and safety. For my money, I would happily fork out the extra R15 000 for the GLS model.

But even the less expensive GL version comes with power steering, aircon with a pollen filter, dual front airbags, immobiliser, front seatbelts with pre-tensioners and force limiters, dual ISOFIX child safety seat anchorages at the back, a 12-volt accessories socket, full-size spare wheel, remote fuel lid opener, dual-speed front wipers, a roof-mounted antenna and halogen headlights.

And if you think that's impressive at the price, check out what the GLS has to brag with in addition to all the above: alloy wheels, tilt-adjustable three-spoke steering wheel, sporty rev counter mounted on top of the dash, front electric windows, a six-speaker sound system with MP3- compatible CD tuner, 50:50 split rear seats, remote tailgate release and a luggage compartment cover.

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And best of all, top-flight brakes with ABS (anti-lock braking system), EB (electronic brake-force distribution) and BA (brake assist) which makes it an excellent safe city runabout.

Very appealing

At these prices, and with its quirky good looks (including a choice of 10 cool colours), low carbon footprint, four-seat practicality and fuel-sipping, spirited engine the new Alto will appeal to young families as well as to trendy singles from Mars and Venus.

Suzuki's attractive range of vehicles and long history of quality products have boosted world-wide sales to over the 40-million mark by June this year.

Particularly impressive is the fact that Suzuki South Africa has sold more than 5000 vehicles since its re-entry into the local market in just over a year ago.

Suzuki is projecting sales of between 150 to 200 Alto cars per month and I reckon the chances are they could well exceed expectations.

The competition!

There are a number of competitors in this class, some also with three-cylinder engines; the Suzuki Alto GLS (R119 900) goes up against the Fiat Panda (R111 500), Daihatsu Charade (R114 995), Toyota Yaris Tl (R126 400), Kia Picanto (R114 995), Hyundai i10 (R105 900), Citroen C1 X-Line ( R98 500) and Peugeot 107 X-Line (R124 995).

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With new car sales well down on previous years and escalating costs pushing up the prices of new cars, Suzuki is leading the way by turning out good, cute cars, equipped to the level one would expect to find in much more expensive cars.

Suzuki is also taking brave new footsteps soon by branching out with bigger models and the word is out that the first of the bigger models, called Kizashi, might well reach our shores before the end of the year.

Meanwhile, ownership of a swish new Paradise Blue Alto GLS might just help to score a date with that red-haired raver in the Accounts Department…