While the Alto has made recent inroads into Chile and Algeria, the Netherlands remains its international hub in terms of sales with over 22,000 of them plying on their roads. The Maruti Suzuki Alto is the perfect ensemble of practicality, economy and styling, traits which have seen it becoming the 'ultimate people's car' in India. It is a benchmark of reliability and quality, and in the seven years since its launch has set many a record.
Design
Based on the Wagon-R platform, the Alto's design is low-key and doesn't come even remotely close to be ostentatious. On the front, the Alto wears a meaty bumper and impressive looking radiator grille with a very 
prominent Maruti Suzuki logo. The flank like the overall design of the car is minimalist and has a subtle crease running along its length. The posterior with its stereotypical hatchback design doesn't in the least bit set the pulses racing. But as simple and unpretentious the Alto might look like, there is no doubt something mystic and charming about this saccharine hatchback, which makes it quite appealing to the eyes.
The Alto has a very modest and yet decent interior. While it scores highly in terms of headroom, practicality and seating comfort, the legroom for the rear passengers is a wee bit on the cramped side. The dashboard is very functional, and uncluttered, while the buttons and knobs fall within easy reach of the driver. The Alto holds four adults in comfort, a fifth passenger can be accommodated, but that would require some sacrifice of space from the others. There is a decent amount of storage space, both in the passenger compartment as well as in the boot.
Comfort
Fitted at the front with McPherson strut with torsion type roll control device and three link rigid axle coil springs with isolated trailing arms at the rear, the Alto has a stiff and very competent suspension system and 
absorbs bumps beautifully. Ride quality is pleasant and comfortable, although the same cannot be said about handling. The power steering in the LXI is a tad too soft and doesn't have a feel to it, while the manual steering in the standard and LX version is simply too rigid. The 5 speed manual transmission found in the three models though is very soft and easy to use. The efficient brakes combined with the stiff chassis further enhance the drive quality of the Alto.
The comfort equipment level in the Alto is at par with the standards set in the segment. While it doesn't feature anything fancy such as climate control, the top LXI version does have an air-con, power steering with adjustable steering column, remote fuel lid opener and front cup-holders. The standard model though comes sans air-con and power steering and is completely barren in terms of features.
Engine, Transmission and Performance
The Maruti Suzuki Alto is powered by an in-line 3 cylinder, 4 valves per cylinder, 796cc gasoline engine. The Maruti 800 based MPFI engine comes with a 32bit ECM and offers only 47bhp of maximum power. It is no 
secret that the Alto is not a fast and powerful car, but for city driving it more than suffices. Inspite of its insipid power the Alto makes for quite a decent drive, especially in the city. On the highway performance at lower and medium speeds is quite decent, but the lack of punch and verve makes it a frustrating car to drive at speeds in excess of 90kmph. The Alto has a maximum speed of 138kmph and completes the naught to 100kmph run in a sedate pace, taking 20 seconds.
But speed and power is not what the Alto has been made for. Its real forte lies in fuel-economy and in this aspect it is quite frankly unbeatable. In a fuel-efficiency rally held earlier in the year, the Alto achieved a spectacular mileage of 41.5kmpl, while the top 10 participants recorded a mileage of 36.5kmpl. This is what makes the Alto the favourite car among first time car buyers and the darling of the Indian middle class. The Maruti Suzuki Alto in general can be driven a total distance of 14.6km in a litre of petrol in the city, while on the highway, the mileage stands at a glorious 18.9kmpl. The Alto is available in three models- Standard, LX and LXI.
Safety
For a car that sits in the lower echelons of the automotive hierarchy, safety has never been an issue worth 
pondering much upon. Like in terms of features, the safety department too doesn't offer much to write about. But that is not at all surprising considering the fact that the Alto is an entry level hatchback and not a luxury sedan. Front and side impact beams, central locking, child safety locks and anti-theft alarm are the rudimentary safety features that the Alto boasts about.
Being the only car in Indian automotive history to sell 200,000 units in a single fiscal year, the Alto has already found its place in the pages of history. It is also the only car to have clocked sales of over 22,000 units in a single month, and if Maruti Suzuki is to be believed, an Alto sells every minute. Priced in the range of Rs. 2,33,690 (ex showroom Delhi) to Rs. 2,83,952 (ex showroom Delhi), it is only fair to say that for its price, the Alto offers much more than one could ever hope for.
