[bravo82in]

I am planning to add a hatchback to my garage for city use and as a backup when my other cars are in for service and repairs. Although Maruti Suzuki (MS) was not initially on my list, I decided to give it a try. I took a test drive of the Alto K10 Vxi AGS and came back impressed.

1. Appearance: The 2022 Alto K10's look is more akin to the Celerio than the previous generation Alto. I believe it's time for Maruti to load the Alto with more features and discontinue the Celerio. They could introduce Zxi and Zxi Plus variants in the K10, possibly with a larger engine.

2. Interior Space: The interior space is well-managed. Relocating the power window buttons to the central console has freed up space on the door panels. The car doesn't feel cramped despite its size. Even then everything in the car is within reach, including the passenger side ORVM adjustment knob.

3. Performance: I didn’t expect such an impressive pickup. The gear shifts are smooth ( I never anticipated that for an AMT gearbox) with quick upshifts allowing me to reach 5th gear by the time I hit 60 kmph. When I floored the accelerator, the car downshifted to 4th gear, providing the needed power to overtake. The car consistently downshifts when the accelerator is pressed hard.

4. Driving Experience: There's a slight jerk during gear shifts if the gas pedal is pressed hard, but if you ease off the gas for a few milliseconds around every 20-30 kmph mark, the car smoothly shifts up. The NVH levels are well-controlled; engine noise in the cabin is minimal and much better than Tata's 3-cylinder engines. Wind noise becomes evident over 80 kmph but is acceptable. The car easily reached 110 kmph, but I didn’t push it further. Brakes have a good bit too. All this is with 3 on board and AC running. The AC was able to cool down the cabin of the sun baked car in under 5 mins (Good job MS)
5. City Use: The car is well-suited for city driving with its compact size and basic features sorted. IMHO the Vxi variant offers the best value for money, as the Vxi Plus only adds remote locking and a touchscreen display. The remote can be added later and the see no reason for a touch screen in a car of this size unless one wants a reverse camera The Alto comes with a convenient mobile mount on the music system, making a mobile screen sufficient for navigation and music.

6. Accessories: MS offers an impressive and tasteful accessories list for the K10, with the Impacto kit adding a nice touch.

7. Cons:The steering feels vague and doesn’t return to the center on its own, which is unusual. The sales executive assured me I would get used to it, but I remain skeptical. Additionally, the 145 mm tires need an upgrade.
8. Final Thoughts:Would I buy one? Yes, I find it to be value for money with reliable and cheap maintenance typical of Maruti. However, my family is not in favor, preferring a safer car like the Tiago, which, for a bit more cost, offers more features and better safety, albeit at the expense of reliability.

[Reinhard]

Originally Posted by bravo82in

However, my family is not in favor, preferring a safer car like the Tiago, which, for a bit more cost, offers more features and better safety, albeit at the expense of reliability.

I'd recommend you to take the family's advise. It is right. Tiago is a proven reliable car and there are no real surprises or horror stories with it. Routine failures happen with Marutis too (trust me, I have owned 3 Marutis). And Tiago maintenance cost is on par.

And as a satisfied past Alto K10 owner (so obviously no offence to any owners is meant) in my personal experience - the car even in the new guise, compares more with an Auto-rikshaw than a Tiago in matters of power, safety, comfort & quality of materials and NVH.

If you don't want a Tata - I'd suggest you stretch and buy a far better made & practical IGNIS ZETA AGS. Alto, really is a big compromise and should be considered IMO only if one just has a hard set budget and anything else doesn't matter.

[ERDOC]

Nice review, the K10C engine is refined as compared to the earlier K10B engines. Also as compared to 1st generation Celerio the AMT is also surprisingly responsive.
Hope you have a great car.

[arpan_spark]

Go for the Tiago. Safer and you'll enjoy the handling. Engine performance and fuel economy could be a compromise though. Also, I think Tata AMTs are not so good. My point is that one shouldn't compromise on safety, esp as Indian Roads are so unruly and dangerous

[harikrishnansp]

The Tiago is a much more capable car. There is no comparison with the K10. Barring the kwid, it have no clear competitor also.

12 years on, my K10 still brings a smile to my face when I floor it. It's a pocket rocket. You can have a lot of fun with it at City speeds while getting decent mileage. The K10B was a gem of an engine. The whole family learned driving in the K10 and it still soldiers on without any complaints. It has seen its fair share of highway runs also. It came in as the primary (only) car and is now being used as the beater after we got ourselves a bigger car 3 years ago. It is a perfect secondary car because of its dimensions. You can take it to any congested streets without worrying about it. As another satisfied K10 owner, I would add to a previous post. Anywhere an autorikshaw could squeeze through, most probably your Alto would. Trust me, it is a very positive aspect.

The Tiago is a segment above. Although the engine is just sufficient for it (It doesn't lunge forward like the K10). But everything else is miles better, especially the space inside. It is also one of the most reliable TATA cars out there. If your family wants it, that would be the sensible choice.

[ItsMeTheCarBoi]

Have a Alto K10.

What strikes you first is the Suzuki engine- ahh, so silent.

Appearance? Looks wide from the front due to that XL sized grille, but it's only when you see it from the back your realize how narrow it is.

Interior- Design is straightforward, a bit boring you might say, but not too bad. Plastics, well, they rattle all the time, except on the v-e-r-y smooth roads. The sound just like a poorly refined engine . Storage is quite low.

Space- Must say, Maruti has done a brilliant job here! There's ample amount of space. Width is a bit narrow yes, three people are an absolute squeeze, unless you and the third passenger are enemies .

Ride quality- Great in city, not-so-great in highways.

Mileage- 13 kmpl in city. Very less for a Maruti, eh?

Build quality- Ok. Not too tinny but no tank as well.

Price- 7 lakhs. Times have changed I guess.

Verdict- Brilliant for city, okay for highways.

[Phantom 510]

Originally Posted by ItsMeTheCarBoi

Have a Alto K10.

What strikes you first is the Suzuki engine- ahh, so silent.

Appearance? Looks wide from the front due to that XL sized grille, but it's only when you see it from the back your realize how narrow it is.

Interior- Design is straightforward, a bit boring you might say, but not too bad. Plastics, well, they rattle all the time, except on the v-e-r-y smooth roads. The sound just like a poorly refined engine . Storage is quite low.

Space- Must say, Maruti has done a brilliant job here! There's ample amount of space. Width is a bit narrow yes, three people are an absolute squeeze, unless you and the third passenger are enemies .

Ride quality- Great in city, not-so-great in highways.

Mileage- 13 kmpl in city. Very less for a Maruti, eh?

Build quality- Ok. Not too tinny but no tank as well.

Price- 7 lakhs. Times have changed I guess.

Verdict- Brilliant for city, okay for highways.

If it's a b2b traffic scenarios then 13 kmpl is not at all a bad number. We had an Alto 800 2k16 model with almost 20 bhp less compared to your model and it returned 14 ish kmpl in heavy b2b traffic and gave 17/18 kmpl on open roads @ 70 -90 kmph. If you ask me it's may not be the most efficient like advertised but it's mechanically bullet proof at an affordable price. It might be small on outside but certainly packs a punch.
I am certainly a fan of all Alto's. Regards.

[ItsMeTheCarBoi]

Originally Posted by Phantom 510

If it's a b2b traffic scenarios then 13 kmpl is not at all a bad number. We had an Alto 800 2k16 model with almost 20 bhp less compared to your model and it returned 14 ish kmpl in heavy b2b traffic and gave 17/18 kmpl on open roads @ 70 -90 kmph. If you ask me it's may not be the most efficient like advertised but it's mechanically bullet proof at an affordable price. It might be small on outside but certainly packs a punch.
I am certainly a fan of all Alto's. Regards.

Not really that I face b2b traffic much. It's mostly on open roads within the city with very less jam. Anyways, 13kmpl is actually quite awesome in itself. Just a Maruti so expected even more . Gives about 18 kmpl on highways. Anyways, I'm not a sedate driver, so its actually awesome mileage.

The experience has been niggle-free till now. Hope it remains so in the future.

[Phantom 510]

Originally Posted by ItsMeTheCarBoi

Not really that I face b2b traffic much. It's mostly on open roads within the city with very less jam. Anyways, 13kmpl is actually quite awesome in itself. Just a Maruti so expected even more . Gives about 18 kmpl on highways. Anyways, I'm not a sedate driver, so its actually awesome mileage.

The experience has been niggle-free till now. Hope it remains so in the future. A shot of my car:

Yes, indeed! That's a great number even after driving spiritedly. That's a lovely colour by the way and have fun with it. Great car!

[indivic]

Originally Posted by ItsMeTheCarBoi

Have a Alto K10.

Mileage- 13 kmpl in city. Very less for a Maruti, eh?

Verdict- Brilliant for city, okay for highways.

Just curious, what is your usual commuting route ? I am looking to buy a beater car , considering the metro work ongoing in the city , taking my City out on a daily basis is just waste of fuel. It would help to understand the type of traffic you go through. Thanks

[saion666]

Originally Posted by ItsMeTheCarBoi

Not really that I face b2b traffic much. It's mostly on open roads within the city with very less jam. Anyways, 13kmpl is actually quite awesome in itself. Just a Maruti so expected even more . Gives about 18 kmpl on highways. Anyways, I'm not a sedate driver, so its actually awesome mileage.

The experience has been niggle-free till now. Hope it remains so in the future. A shot of my car:

Thats strange. I have the A-star with previous version of the k10 engine and it consistently gives above 15 in city. Am quite light footed driver though, but still 13kmpl for modern iteration of the same engine seems pretty low.

Whats the tyre pressure you maintain? I keep it at recommended 32.

[ItsMeTheCarBoi]

Originally Posted by indivic

Just curious, what is your usual commuting route ? I am looking to buy a beater car , considering the metro work ongoing in the city , taking my City out on a daily basis is just waste of fuel. It would help to understand the type of traffic you go through. Thanks

I commute through normal Chennai traffic- not too high really, keeps going kind of. Occasionally though, during rains, the traffic remains at standpoint for nearly 1 hour. Hope that helps.

Originally Posted by saion666

Thats strange. I have the A-star with previous version of the k10 engine and it consistently gives above 15 in city. Am quite light footed driver though, but still 13kmpl for modern iteration of the same engine seems pretty low.

Whats the tyre pressure you maintain? I keep it at recommended 32.

I keep it at the recommended 32 psi.