Suzuki Alto: Plain And Desirable sirable

MANILA, Philippines — Simple and plain, these were the words that initially entered my mind when I first saw the Suzuki Alto K10 at the Suzuki Philippines vehicle depot in Pasig City.

Parked in a lonely corner alongside a big fleet of newly-assembled Suzuki motorbikes, I immediately thought that this subcompact car deserves a better place in this society that is plagued by greed and excesses.

As bubbly as its size (3,620 mm overall length, 1,495 mm overall width, and 1,460 mm overall height), its bright Sunlight Copper Metallic skin was enough to make me smile to push the Monday blues away.

While holding the ignition key, I took time to walk around the Alto to check its exterior. And for P439,000, this babe doesn’t look bad at all.

On a closer look, the Alto’s fascia dominated by a smiling grille opening and the sparkling aura of the headlamps invites drivers for a joy ride.

Though the design is simple, there are “icings on the cake” such as the side-door moldings and tail gate garnish that make it appear like an energetic kid ready to learn gymnastics. 

The large, highly visible tail lights with integrated reverse and signal lights are perfectly fitted beside its plain yet well-styled back door.

Once inside the Alto, there is that certain “high” on embracing the car’s simplicity. Most of the gauges were analog and the only digital part was the odometer/ tripmeter reading. They’re simple yet readable. On the center console are buttons and switches on air condition temperature and emergency light. Even the size of the glove compartment is proportional to the car size.  

For an average-sized Filipino like me with a height of five feet-six inches, the headroom and legroom for both the driver and front and rear passengers are enough to prevent claustrophobia.  There are no power adjustable seats, no power side mirrors, no multimedia display system in the Alto yet it is equipped with power steering for the driver.  

More about being straightforward, the Alto has a two-speaker stereo system with AM/ FM, CD and MP3 with options for other auxiliaries.

The best surprise of the Suzuki Alto emanates under the hood with its three-cylinder, DOHC 12-valve, 996cc tiny powerplant. Although it charges only with 68 horses, it is capable of pushing to 140kph.  I myself was astonished that the Alto remains stable even in high speed.

But when I pulled over to the emergency lane to attend to a phone call, the wind rush from passing vehicles shook the little Alto a bit.

Employing regular driving style, the Alto was on a strict diet of 15-16 kilometers to a liter. With a full tank capacity of 35 liters, push your skills in fuel economy driving and the Alto can take you some 500 kilometers of road – like Manila to Baguio City and back.  

However, there’s a little hitch – the Alto’s power band experiences a slight lag during times when recovering rpm. But I did surely appreciate the Alto’s four-corner visibility with its big panoramic windows.

It may have small 155/65 rubbers on traditional 13-inch steel rims but it floats well on MacPherson strut on front suspension and 3-link rigid rear suspension. The rear cargo space is small for a family man like me but there's the 50/50 split-folding rear seats in case of extra baggage.

After letting go of the complexities of high-tech vehicle equipment that often times are of less importance, the new Suzuki Alto can be the equivalent of “peace of mind.” Complexities in systems, just like in life, are often prone to breakdowns.

With the rising cost of fuel and difficult times, the Alto clearly sends a ‘big’ message.