In a decade of never ending belt tightening, budget cars are in – as seen in Skoda’s astronomical rise in popularity. However, with Skoda moving ever more upmarket, other companies have taken on the baton of providing the most bang for your buck and reintroducing the £6,000 new car into Britain.
Dacia’s Sandero may have stolen the limelight as the UK’s cheapest car, but when Suzuki’s VAT free offer’s in town you can pick up the most basic version of Suzuki’s Alto for just £4 more. Unlike the Sandero, the £5,999 Alto doesn’t scream blatant cost cutting with luxuries Sandero Access owners can only dream of, such as painted bumpers, hubcaps, a radio with two speakers, front electric windows and most decadent of all, a choice of colours.
Though the cheapest Sandero is a large car for the money, even the most basic equipment has been stripped out, making it easy to see the Sandero’s £5,995 headline price as nothing more than a marketing ploy to get buyers into Dacia showrooms – before persuading them to part with much more cash for a higher spec model. It really is hard to imagine many people paying six grand just for the new car smell considering the Sandero’s minimal equipment tally…
In contrast Suzuki’s Alto secures its low price with its small size and simplicity and no doubt the fact that Suzuki sells hundreds of thousands of Altos in India. But how does it fare on UK roads?
Suzuki has a reputation for producing uncomplicated, bulletproof small cars and the Alto is no different. Fire up the engine and the tiny 1.0-litre three cylinder motor splutters into life with a fizzy enthusiasm. The gearstick slots between gears smoothly with little slack and even as you pull off the car feels light and the engine eager.
Another thing that you notice is that all the controls are a little heavier than you might expect from a city car, especially compared to newer rivals; if you want to put the least amount of effort possible into driving, you’ll find lighter steering and clutches in many other small cars. However, the flipside is that Alto gives lots of feedback through the steering wheel and a reasonable sense of how much grip the front tyres have.
Less impressive is the drab interior which features a very basic, plastic-heavy dashboard, shapeless seats and several buttons which become hard to read when the sun is shining on them thanks to grey text on a silver background. The dials however are extremely clear with a very simple, large speedometer dominating. Surprisingly however visibility isn’t great for a city car, with hefty rear pillars and small wing mirrors making the car feel more unwieldy than it should do on narrow urban streets.
Space upfront is reasonable, however the rear seats betray the car’s small dimensions – average height passengers will fit, but taller adults may struggle to get comfortable. The front seats don’t adjust for height either, so particularly short or tall drivers may find it hard to get the seat into a comfortable position. The boot is also comically small with an inconveniently tight opening and high lip, which makes it tricky to load heavier items.
Driving around town the engine feels responsive and performs well for a 1.0-litre motor, in part down to the Alto’s small footprint and light weight, though the engine requires revving to make the most of its performance and tackle inclines and it produces a charismatic three cylinder thrum in the process. The noise is not unpleasant, but is more intrusive than in some, admittedly more pricey rivals.
The gutsy engine means that the Alto can maintain motorway speeds quite easily, picking up well from 70mph. At these speeds the car is surprisingly refined with the engine barely audible and only slightly high wind noise adding to the volume inside. Rough tarmac does throw up a lot of road noise though.
What is more of an issue, are the weak brakes. Brake hard on an A road and there is the very real possibility of locking the narrow wheels, which considering the Alto’s underwhelming NCAP 3* safety rating is a slight worry, especially for parents who might consider the Alto as new (read “safe”) wheels for their 17 year olds.
Another concern is that the ride is quite firm and allied to the car’s short wheelbase this seems to exaggerate any bumps in the road, meaning that the Alto can quickly become tiring to drive over scarred tarmac. The Alto does however, grip well around bends despite its skinny tyres, though flat seats and body roll discourage overly enthusiastic driving.
Other things that might become irritating are the lack of air conditioning, which can make for uncomfortable summer journeys and the absence of a pollen filter. Park under trees and the car will fire leaves and seeds through the vents when you fire the car up – considering how cheap a pollen filter must be, this feels like a false economy.
Tech Data
Price as tested: £5,999
Engine: 1.0 12v 66 bhp - 0-60 mph: 13.5 secs - Maximum Speed: 96 mph -
Economy: 54.3 mpg (urban) 74.3 mpg (extra-urban), 65.7 mpg (combined) - Emissions: 99 g/km (Band A) - VED (12 months): £0
Dimensions: Length: 3500 mm - Width: 1600 mm - Height: 1470 mm - Wheelbase: 2360 mm
*data from Suzuki UK
DriverVIBE Verdict
Unlike Dacia’s Sandero, the Alto feels like a small, basic car, rather than a larger car which has had bits ripped off. It is perfectly competent around town and performs surprisingly well on faster roads, however it does have a number of downsides – though nothing you couldn't forgive considering the bargain price tag. However, many people will be better served by a larger used car. But, for those drivers who just want the cheapest, smallest car for pootling around town then the Alto could fit the bill.
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