The Karol Bagh market in Delhi, morning traffics swirl around me like mad river. Scooters are jockeying with cars, pedestrians cross paths quickly and auto-rickshaws press inside what seem like razor slim slits.
Trapped in this urban maelstrom, perhaps the last thing one would expect to see is a quintessentially Indian automobile to have emerged from Maruti— the Alto 800.
The least sexy little hatch often swatted aside by cognoscenti and seldom the cause of breathless argument hardly got the country moving like some of our gizmos but for less sexy reasons.
Oh such an unassuming little hatch that is usually swept under the carpet (apologies for the pun) enthusiasts seem to hate the Alto 800 for being well what most people view i.e., ordinary; and a staple within Indian mobility stretching over decades which rivals its flashier counterparts on their dreams.
Design — Practical Simplicty Evolved
Assembled and parked next to it’s peers; the design of Alto 800 reveals meticulous pragmatism, no grandeur or aggression.
This read-only generation of car, first launched in 2012 and has undergone multiple updates since; keeps the compact form and provides a lot of hard inch in cabin taking into consideration minimum dimensions.
In a length of exactly 3445mm and 1490mm in width that makes it tailored to go through urban slums where one cm of space is a luxury.
With the simple, understated grille and obvious headlamps we hardly expect any LED daytime running light or projector here; simple functional lighting is what makes this entry more economical to maintain.
Interior: Space Efficiency Masterclass
Upon entry, the Alto shows its class in terms of accommodation space for what is obviously very limited externally.
Simple dashboard design with central stack for audio and climate controls on the instrument cluster that sacrifices form for function.
All in predictable hard plastics as materials, but a little bit of surface texture helps cabin not to seem so cavernous.
Because the driving position must be high, this both a curse and a blessing.
Some taller people may need to bend forwards due their knees hitting dashboard while the excellent view is great for traffic match-ups that demands anticipation.
Details: Low Luxury, High Value
Alto pricing reflects its use as an affordable compere. The base units are genuinely bare bones and you have to pay a bit extra for things that you actually want.
The mid-range VXi tester that I drove had power steering, AC, front power windows, central locking and a mundane audio option — just about everything necessary for everyday driving but not reaching into luxury.
Compliment of course would go to its very effective air conditioning (despite having been a simple system) even in the scorching summer heat of Delhi, one can down cool within seconds and keep cabin of air even in no time without overstraining small car underhood.
While manual adjustment need tending to after any change in conditions, the controls are so simple for this to be a real pain in the ass.
Powertrain: tiny and packed
Packed beneath the short cylinder head is an 800cc three-cylinder petrol engine that pe forms a bit more modestly than expected for its size with 48 horsepower and then one hardly clutches at the 69Nm of torque.
The numbers don’t cut any ice on paper, but in a car weighing just this much you have enough oomph for urban duties.
The engine has a five-speed manual that turns the front wheels (the only choice, Maruti holds the auto-manual option for bigger Alto K10, sibling to 800 in length
Alto, unlike most other cars which goes from standstill with all its might The 0–60 km/h takes around seven seconds, quite long (not fast by any objective measurements but still competitive in traffic.
So on the highway merging also needs more effort — from a standstill, 0-100 km/h requires nearly 17 sec (full load).
This engine is workable for this car and the purpose it serves, with plenty low-end grunt to make VHS stop-and-go traffic navigational headaches that will tire users long before 4 corners driven through a red light.
Appearing but above 3000 rpm and never quite getting in your way (I guess I could rephrase that as the obligatory three-cylinder thrum is heard past this point). The Alto cruised between 80-90 on the open roads for a day trip to more peaceful back roads outside Delhi at least, with very little downshifting during overtakes.
Drive: City Drive Pro
City citysteriod in the Alto, first few km of drive reveal its dynamic nature.
MacPherson strut up front and a rear torsion beam suspension provide more than adequate ride quality for Indian urban roads, which is quite remarkable for a budget car.
Micro flaws are o be swallowed by theшив{TargeR; massive one s get absorbed with a small grunt, or maybe not if you lucky.
Steering feels light and nimble at parking speeds (no give in the box response — just the right amount a car designed for maneuverability over driver fun.
With a 9.6m turning circle, this is invaluable when fighting way into small market areas or when making u-turns on progressively narrower streets.
So, the urban-centric set-up managed to turn what may have been harrowing navigation into a doable adventure while taking us on an impromptu stroll through the labyrinthine lanes near Chandni Chowk.
Market Positioning: The People’s Car
Starting at around Rs3.39 lakhs for base STD, Alto 800 shows its pricing muscles all the way to the top-spec LXi (O) with Passenger Airbag and AGS transmission (ex-showroom, Delhi) for a little over Rs4.48 Lakhs
It is a high-low contender to the likes of Kwid (revised) and Datsun redi-GO on the one hand and its direct stablemate, S-Presso.
Maruti and their extensive service network is a big factor in favor of the Alto against these peers, especially to first-timers or people who lives far from Metro cities.
Beyond the purchase price, the ownership proposition also includes lower running costs (say maintenance), plentiful spare parts and a good resale value that influences much of the calculation for Total Cost of Ownership related to this topic.
