Suzuki Alto 800: An attainable alternative

By Ghaith Madadha - Nov 11,2019 - Last updated at Nov 11,2019

Photo courtesy of Suzuki

The car of choice for many food delivery operations, the Suzuki Alto 800 is among the smallest, lightest and most basic and affordable cars available in Jordan.

Built by the Japanese brand’s Suzuki-Maruti operation in India, the tiny Alto’s relevance goes beyond that of a pizza delivery runaround, and for most cases is a sensible daily driver. Particularly well-suited for urban driving, the Alto easily navigates ever busier city streets and the prevailing situation of many people’s reduced financial means.

An attainable, utilitarian and cheap to run 5-door hatchback intended for some of the most densely populated cities in the world in its home market, the Alto’s unfussy simple design, upright cabin, straight lines have their origin in Japan’s size and weight restricted “kei” car segment.

Fun, feisty and disarmingly unpretentious, the Alto is narrow, tall and with a compact footprint, level waistline and comparatively big glasshouse, to maximise what precious little acreage it has, and provide excellent visibility and manoeuvrability.

Frugal featherweight

Given that lightness begets lightness in automotive engineering, with each lighter part requiring lighter complementary components, the Alto well makes do with its tiny 0.8-litre naturally-aspirated 3-cylinder engine. Developing 47BHP at 6,000rpm and 50lb/ft torque at 3,500rpm, it allows for frugal combined fuel consumption estimated at 4l/100km, and long driving range despite a small 35-litre fuel capacity.

Eager, buzzy and with an off-beat three-cylinder engine note, it is more refined and less raucous than expected, but still thrashy towards its rev limit.

Tipping the scales at a 825-745kg the featherweight Alto accelerates through 0-100km in 15.2-seconds, and onto a 140km/h top speed.

More responsive and willing in mid-range and top-end than anticipated, the Alto’s low weight, lesser insulation, narrow tyres and less isolated driving sensations make it feel quicker than it is, and is estimated to be capable of 0-100km/h in somewhere under 20-second, with a 140km/h top speed. That said, and with an aggressive final drive, the Alto adequately keeps up city traffic flow.

Agile runaround

Driving the front wheels through a 5-speed manual gearbox with a light clutch and accurate shift action, the Alto makes the most of its small engine, which would be unsuited for an automatic gearbox.

Revving its engine hard and quickly working through gears to keep it in its higher end sweet spot, the Alto is fun to hustle along through narrow and twisting roads, where with good feedback through its narrow tyres and accurate steering, it feels brisk and engaging at lower speeds.

Driven too briefly in Amman to adequately assess high-speed characteristics and the full breadth of its dynamic ability, the Alto proved stable and surprisingly well insulated from outside noise at moderate speeds. Engaging and connected compared to heavier and clumsier cars, the alto’s driving experience offers nuanced clarity. Able to zip through with ease through narrow roads, one can always place the Alto accurately on the road, and take advantage of its excellent all-rough visibility through small gaps and narrow confines.

Manoeuvrable and supple

Comfortable and well able to absorb lumps, bumbs and cracks, the Alto’s ride is, however, slightly busy over road imperfections, yet settled on rebound. Its narrow and high sidewall 145/70R13 tyres meanwhile provide precise road feel and a forgiving ride. The Alto’s cheap, slim and high sidewall tyres are also durable and less likely to be damaged, and so go further to keep costs low. Parking is meanwhile easy in the tightest spots, while its small size allows for a highly manoeuvrable turning circle.

Offering excellent visibility, airy cabin ambiance and a fair level of standard and optional equipment, the Alto’s comparatively high 160mm ground clearance, short wheelbase and narrow dimensions meanwhile also make it capable in semi-paved conditions and dirt roads.

Unfussed, yet pleasant inside, the Alto provides an upright and alert driving position with decent front headroom. Rear room is less generous larger adults than its slightly larger Suzuki Celerio sister model, while its minimum 180-litre boot expands much more with the rear seats folded down.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Engine: 0.8-litre, transverse 3-cylinders

Bore x stroke: 68.5 x 72mm

Compression ratio: 11:1

Valve-train: 12-valve, DOHC, multi-point injection

Gearbox: 5-speed manual, front-wheel-drive

Gear ratios: 1st 3.545; 2nd 1.905; 3rd 1.28; 4th 0.914; 5th 0.757

Reverse/final drive: 3.583/4.471

Power, BHP (PS) [kW]: 47 (47.6) [35] @6,000rpm

Specific power: 59BHP/litre

Power-to-weight: 64.8BHP/tonne

Torque, lb/ft (Nm): 50 (68) @3,500rpm