Lifestyle

Suzuki Alto – What’s On Waltons Drive – March 2011

Each month motoring editor Paul Walton tells us what he’s testing. At the moment it’s something small, cheap and Japanese. Or is it…?

So what’s on your drive this month?
It’s a Suzuki Alto, a tiny five-door city car.

Why does it look familiar?
Because Suzuki also makes a version for Nissan called the Pixo…

The Pixie?
No you numpty, the Pixo. And as I was saying they’re both made by Suzuki in India.

India? Why not Japan?
Cost. Production costs are much cheaper in India.

So it must be cheap then?
Oh-uh. It starts at £8,170 for the SZ3 and it reaches to just under £9,000 for the one you see here, the top spec SZ4. In this market, that’s not cheap. Both the Fiat Panda and Kia Picanto are less money.

At least it must be well built?
You’d think. But it has a tiny three-cylinder engine that sounds as if it’s going to explode the moment you ask any kind of performance from it while the interior uses so much cheap plastic it looks as if a box of Lego has exploded.

That all?
No. Despite being a five door, the rear windows don’t wind down but rather pop out like they do in a three door.

Is there anything you do like about it?
It has five-doors so rear access is good and there’s more legroom than you’d think in the back (although the pay off is a small boot). Plus it handles quite neatly too, not being too pitchy despite its size. And a mouse on a wheel might produce more power than the Alto’s three-cylinder, but it’s no slouch. I used it to take family home to Milton Keynes and back and it wasn’t as hard work as I thought it would be.

So will you be sad when it finally leaves your drive?
No.

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