Suzuki’s all-new five-door Alto hatchback has arrived on the 20th anniversary of the launch of the original version – the Alto SS80 which was assembled in Wanganui.
The seventh edition Alto is larger and more highly specified, yet reportedly uses less fuel and boasts lower emission levels.
The new Alto has a three-cylinder engine, 5-speed manual gearbox and is front-wheel drive.
In 5-speed manual gearbox form, the Alto has a recommended retail price of $16,990, including on road costs, while the four-stage automatic transmission version is $18,500.
“Alto will redefine the term ‘value motoring’ with the lowest new car price currently available,” said Gary Collins, Automobile Sales Manager for Suzuki New Zealand Ltd.
“Not only is the Suzuki $1000 less than its nearest rival, it has two more air bags, superior fuel economy and far lower emissions,” he said.
One specification level is available in New Zealand in a package that includes power steering, electric operation for the front windows, air conditioning with pollen filter, digital clock, six air bags, front seat belt pretensioners, anti lock braking with electronic brake force distribution (EBD) function and brake assist function and full size spare wheel and tyre.
In manual gearbox form, the car has a curb weight of 855kg, 880kg for the automatic.
The Alto scored four stars in recent ANCAP safety ratings and it is the only car in its class with six air bags as standard.
The Alto develops 50kW of power at 6000 rpm and 90Nm of torque at 4800 rpm.
In the official combined fuel cycle test, the Alto manual averages 4.8 litres/100 km, while the automatic versions achieves 5.5 litres/100 km.
The car’s CO2 emission levels are 113 grams/km for the manual and 130 grams/km for the automatic model.
With automatic transmission, the Alto has a top speed of 150kmh, rising to 154kmh for the manual gearbox variant.
Alto sits on a 2360mm wheelbase, is 1470mm high, a trim 1600mm wide, and has 150mm ground clearance. With an overall length of 3500mm, the Alto is marginally smaller than the Suzuki Swift.
