[Torino]

Originally Posted by Bageera

Hi Torino! I guess I spotted you on Monday around Avinashi Toll around 3-4 PM. I was on my way back from my hometown Palakkad to Bangalore.

Hi Bageera, Yes it was me and my Alto. What car were you in? I was on way to Chennai from Guruvayur. It was an amazing Chennai-Valparai-Guruvayur 1200+kms drive. The smooth twisty country side roads near Palakkad was a delight to drive

[Bageera]

Originally Posted by Torino

Hi Bageera, Yes it was me and my Alto. What car were you in? I was on way to Chennai from Guruvayur. It was an amazing Chennai-Valparai-Guruvayur 1200+kms drive. The smooth twisty country side roads near Palakkad was a delight to drive

I was in a Black XUV500. While crossing the toll, I saw your car parked on the left side. Thats when we noticed you.

[Torino]

Go-Kart: One year/25,000kms update.

Dear Mods, please change the thread title to "One Year & 25,000kms Update".
On 10 April 2016 the car completed one year of ownership, coincidently the car also crossed 25,000kms in our round trip to Kerala last week. The past one year of ownership has gone so fast and the Alto has served its purpose well by checking all the required boxes to be a perfect city car and a capable highway mile muncher. During the initial pre-booking period in February 2015, the requirements for the Alto was 95% in-city personal commuting between home and office but as time went by my work required shuttling between Chennai-Bangalore at least two times a month for the next few months. Out of this 25,000kms nearly 8000kms were done in the Chennai Bangalore highway.
So far the Alto has done a commendable job as my personal transport and I am completely satisfied with my purchase. It is tiny, easy to drive, peppy engine, fuel efficient, comfortable, and reliable and puts a smile on the face on every drive. City is the Alto’s natural habitat and visibility, manoeuvring in traffic, driving in narrow streets, tight U turns and ease of parking are some of the unbeatable traits of the Alto.







AMT- An excellent choice:
Out of all the strong points and accolades the Alto has earned so far, it is the AMT that takes it a step further. Every time I drive our Ertiga in bad traffic I begin to praise the Alto’s AMT system for its ease of not getting a sore left foot. The AMT has played a major role in my trouble free Alto ownership experience for the past one year and 25,000kms. Almost 99% of my driving was in D mode and never did I experience any false gearing or delayed gear shifts, the gear shifts between R-N-D is seamless as long as the brake pedal is pressed with the right amount of force. Driving in D at city speeds, the AMT operates smoothly, there are no jerks of any sort and the driver can do seamless gear changes by understanding the engine speed and gear shift timing. The system gives occasional slight jerk from N to 1st gear when moving away from standstill in D mode. The AMT system responds perfectly whenever the accelerator pedal is floored suddenly, it takes one second to understand the engine speed and downshifts to appropriate gear and revs the engine mad and shoots the car forward. It is interesting to notice how the AMT holds on to the gear all the way to the redline when floored, for instance, while doing 60kmph in 5th gear and you floor the accelerator suddenly, the car downshifts to 3rd builds revs and holds on to 3rd gear all the way up to 120kmph.

Hill Climb and Mountain Roads: Fun!
The car was tested en-route to Valparai, a hill top tourist destination in Tamil Nadu. With 50kms of hill climb including 40 hairpin bends with 4 people on-board, this was a real test for the Alto K10 and AMT. The first couple of kilometres of the hill climb was done in “D” mode and the AMT kept frequently shifting between the gears to match the engine speed and steep climb, so in comes the “M” mode. This is the first time I have driven the car in “M” mode for more than 5kms continuously and what a fun it was. It’s like the “M” mode is made especially for hill climbs and mountain roads, slot the gear lever in “M” mode and use the Triptronic shift to keep the engine above 2500 rpm and see the car glide across all the steep climbs and hair pin bends. The Triptronic shifts in M mode is seamless and flawless at any rev range and any gear. Driving the Alto K10 in “M mode” was way too much fun that the front tyres were squealing at several hairpin bends.

Having some fun.


Taking down a hairpin bend with four people on-board.


Engine Performance: All praises!
I am a complete fan of this K10 engine in the Alto. The linear power delivery all the way up to redline, free revving nature, ability to cruise at speeds over a ton and impressive acceleration have earned my respect for this tiny 998cc engine. There have been several instances where the K10 could easily keep up with bigger and more powerful cars and sometimes even out run them in straight line acceleration. When floored from standstill the engine gathers revs quickly and reaches 100kmph surprisingly fast. I am mighty impressed with the K10’s ability to reach speeds without breaking a sweat and also how it builds up speed in each gear. One common comment from my friends who drove the car in the highway was ‘the engine builds revs easily and never feels stressed at any speed’. No wonder Suzuki has developed the turbo Booster Jet engine out of the K10 engine. In the recent Kerala trip with four people on board the engine performed without any complaints. On one empty stretch we tested the top speed and were shocked to see the speedo needle almost touching the other end of the speedometer.

Excellent visibility and compact dimensions creates a sense of confidence even for new drivers.


Handling:
I will not completely blame the car but it is the government for laying such poor roads with sub-standard quality. On broken roads every patch work and broken road is felt in the cabin easily. Handling at higher speeds on not-so-flat roads is less said the better owing to the light weight body and skinny tyres. It is like a Go-Kart. Although nothing can be done about the weight I think wider tyres should help the car perform significantly better on bad and uneven roads. Maintaining slower speeds as possible is the best way to encounter bad/uneven roads comfortably. In highway speeds especially when the road has slight undulations it is like driving the car in cross winds, the car requires a lot of steering inputs to keep car in straight line. That said, as long as the roads are flat there is nothing to complain, the Alto K10 is composed and holds on to the road well and cruising at highway speeds is easy due to the capable engine. With four people on-board there is a significant change in handling, it is more composed and smooth over uneven roads, even the high speed manners improves significantly.

Some where near Parambikulam Reserve forest.


Smooth roads were drivers delight


Design and Build Quality:
The compact exteriors are a real boon when driving inside city and one will really appreciate how easy it is to flick the car in traffic. This small exterior dimensions also helps in cleaning the car faster. The headlights are well designed and has excellent reflector illumination to light up the road ahead with good reach in both low beam and small beam. All round visibility from the driver seat is excellent and small cabin means all the controls fall easily into hands. With low roof line, getting in and out of the car is very easy once you get used to it. After being accustomed to getting into the Alto’s front door, getting into the Ertiga’s large door area feels like getting into a local train. The driver seat offers decent support and comfort for both short and long drives, even though the front seats lacks under thigh support it makes up with the deep foot well in the front which helps you to stretch your legs and relax in comfort. The AC is a chiller and I have been using the window shades on the rear windows to block the sun’s heat and they are doing a great job. Even though the ground clearance is only 160mm the car has not scrapped any speed breaker under full load. My only complaint on the car is poor noise insulation for the cabin and lack of plastic claddings in the wheel wells. The in-cabin features are limited to the basic necessities such as chilling AC, power steering, front power windows and stereo system enough to keep the driver and passengers comfortable and relaxed.
The Alto is a decently well-built car, despite several cost cutting designs done all the panels are perfectly aligned and holding good in this one year. There are no squeaks or rattles so far and the interior plastics are hard wearing and has good design and looks pleasing. The driver door plastic panel with integrated arm rest is well designed to rest your hand in comfort when driving this automatic car. I am using SONAX dashboard protector to safe guard the dashboard from parking under the sun.

Fuel Efficiency:
The mileage is calculated by tankful to tankful method, the city mileage stands at 17kmpl when gentle with the accelerator pedal. City drive with occasional bursts translates to overall mileage of 16kmpl. In the recent 1200kms+ round trip to Kerala the overall mileage was 15.6kmpl. The reduced mileage was due to high average speed, frequent flooring of accelerator, frequent redlining, with four people on board and enthusiastic mountain drive.

Likes:
1. Impressive engine performance.
2. AMT: Ease in city & fun in mountain roads.
3. Manoeuvrability
4. Chiller AC
5. Fuel Efficiency

Dislikes:
1. Nervous handling at high speeds
2. Lack of cabin insulation

In forest road between Valparai and Athirampalli falls.


Traffic near falls area.






No complaints for four people on-board with average built.

[Wanderlust89]

Hi Torino

Congrats on munching 25000 kms on a short span. Nice review and nice updates with pictures on this thread. Your posts on the K10 was one among other strong points that convinced me to choose the K10 AMT. I exchanged my Baleno (sedan version) for an Alto K10 recently. Enough has been said about the Alto K10 and its engine performance. But the AMT is now its USP.

My Initial plan was to buy the manual one and I even zeroed in on it, since I was clueless how the AMT would shift when the driver is a newbie and doesn’t lift has leg off the gas pedal. I could only imagine the car revving to higher rpms in each shift. All I could imagine was jerky shifts and nerve wracking downshifts. I was still in the ages where there used to be a cable to control the throttle. I was even reluctant to take a test drive on that car and looked upon it like a silly thing.

One day it happened to me that I was at the showroom to get a hands-on with the Alto K10 Manual. I was in a dilemma to choose from Celerio Vxi Manual and K10 Vxi(O) manual. I lost interest in Celerio manual since it missed the Tachometer in Vxi. I would never prefer a car that has all the bells and whistles and misses out on the Tacho. The TATA Tiago has the charm in interiors and had a better build, but I felt lost when I drove it with AC on and four on-board.

So I wanted to take a test drive on the K10 AMT only just to feel how better would the MT be. When I lifted my foot off the brake and pressed on the throttle, man I was stunned how it shifted when I didn’t ease off the throttle. That’s when I remembered reading somewhere about “Drive-by-wire” technology in the new generation cars. The shifts were not super smooth, but were not irritating either. I slotted into manual mode and I have to say I was in cloud nine...

It was then I totally dropped my idea of buying MT. Now I didn’t even want to test drive a MT, since I was driving MTs for the past 11 years. I was a strong supporter of MTs and strictly against ATs. The AMT bug has blown me over that I now became a strong fan of “The AMT”. This is surely the technology of the masses if the AMT is ready to prove its reliability.
Coming to the car alone, it looks better aesthetically with the AMT unit inside, rather than the MT unit. It looks plush accommodating the AMT. The unit blends in neatly with the dark and beige interior. The engine needs a new thread for itself. In short, it is a happy experience driving it around.

Will keep updating on it further...

[pgsagar]

Originally Posted by Wanderlust89

Hi Torino

It was then I totally dropped my idea of buying MT. Now I didn’t even want to test drive a MT, since I was driving MTs for the past 11 years. I was a strong supporter of MTs and strictly against ATs. The AMT bug has blown me over that I now became a strong fan of “The AMT”. This is surely the technology of the masses if the AMT is ready to prove its reliability.
Coming to the car alone, it looks better aesthetically with the AMT unit inside, rather than the MT unit. It looks plush accommodating the AMT. The unit blends in neatly with the dark and beige interior. The engine needs a new thread for itself. In short, it is a happy experience driving it around.

Will keep updating on it further...

Good to see you convert to ATs. Like you, I was also a die-hard fan of MTs and often made fun of visiting relatives from US/Can for their "sissy" automatics. Funny, how sometimes we are made to eat our own words.

Coming to AMTs, I found them almost same as conventional ATs. I did not find any jerks some complained about. All four AMTs, i.e. Celerio, Alto, Dzire diesel and Duster that I drove were absolutely flawless. They also offer better mileage (same as MT) than conventional ATs. My next car is certainly an AMT mini-SUV. Waiting for Brezza AMT and Nexon AMT. But may go for Nexon AMT. Too yummy looking to ignore.

[Torino]

Originally Posted by Wanderlust89

Hi Torino
Congrats on munching 25000 kms on a short span. Nice review and nice updates with pictures on this thread. Your posts on the K10 was one among other strong points that convinced me to choose the K10 AMT. It was then I totally dropped my idea of buying MT. Now I didn’t even want to test drive a MT, since I was driving MTs for the past 11 years.

Hi Wanderlust89, thanks and congrats on your new Alto K10 AMT. With my experience so far with the Alto K10 AMT, I can certainly assure you that you will be 100% satisfied with your decision. The car will impress you time and again with its performance, ease of driving, manoeuvrability and fuel efficiency.

Originally Posted by pgsagar

..Coming to AMTs, I found them almost same as conventional ATs..They also offer better mileage (same as MT) than conventional ATs..Funny, how sometimes we are made to eat our own words. But may go for Nexon AMT. Too yummy looking to ignore.

Rightly said. I have been driving manuals for close to two decades now and I am so much satisfied with the ease, comfort and fuel efficiency from the AMT that my next car will definitely not be a manual.

My car has crossed 28k kms and doing its daily duties inside the city without any issues. The city mileage with 100% AC is consistent in the range of 15.5-16kmpl on every tank full, achieving 16+kmpl is easy with fairly sedate driving style. Soon I will come up with a detailed 30k report.

[Wanderlust89]

Originally Posted by pgsagar

Good to see you convert to ATs. Like you, I was also a die-hard fan of MTs and often made fun of visiting relatives from US/Can for their "sissy" automatics. Funny, how sometimes we are made to eat our own words.

Coming to AMTs, I found them almost same as conventional ATs. I did not find any jerks some complained about. All four AMTs, i.e. Celerio, Alto, Dzire diesel and Duster that I drove were absolutely flawless. They also offer better mileage (same as MT) than conventional ATs. My next car is certainly an AMT mini-SUV. Waiting for Brezza AMT and Nexon AMT. But may go for Nexon AMT. Too yummy looking to ignore.

Its good to see more of MT fans shifting sides to AMT. In my opinion, the jerkiness in K10 is very minimal (or negligible) after getting used to it. To put things in perspective, it is more like how a Volvo bus with dual-clutch automatic shifts. The driver could feel it a bit, but the passengers could never get a hint that the AMT is doing its job, if they don't listen to it keenly.

In the beginning there was a major problem for me that, since I was used to pressing the clutch pedal, my left foot without my conscience, looks for a pedal to push oftentimes and hence lands on the big brake pedal with all the force it was used to. When I took the car for delivery, when I reached the main road, I wanted to pull over for a minor inspection. What happened is my left leg pressed on the brake very hard thinking it is a clutch pedal and my right leg was clueless where to land. Luckily, the busy road was free. My heart skipped three, four beats...

[frostbite911]

Originally Posted by Torino

ICE head unit upgrade, fog lamps and rear spoiler are on hold for now.

Hey Torino,

Do you still have plans to fit a spoiler? If yes, have you been able to find Spoilers that are compatible with the K10?

Thanks

[Torino]

Originally Posted by frostbite911

Hey Torino,

Do you still have plans to fit a spoiler? If yes, have you been able to find Spoilers that are compatible with the K10?

Thanks

Hi frostbite911, my spoiler plan is shelved as of now. MASS quoted approx Rs5k for spoiler including painting and fitting but I did not see the spoiler. Right now I am contemplating on getting a 4 channel amplifier. Did you find any?

[frostbite911]

Originally Posted by Torino

Hi frostbite911, my spoiler plan is shelved as of now. MASS quoted approx Rs5k for spoiler including painting and fitting but I did not see the spoiler. Right now I am contemplating on getting a 4 channel amplifier. Did you find any?

I have seen the stock spoiler on another Alto K10. It seems alright but would like to go for something unique. Haven't had much luck online. Didn't find anything for the new Alto K10. 95% of the accessories I see online are for the previous gen K10s. Guess i'll have to go out and hunt in the real world

So far I have just upgraded my headlights to Osram Nightbreakers, Parking lights to white LEDS and upgraded my horn to a Bosch Symphony horn.
Need to do some cosmetic upgrades.

[bmuser]

Nice detailed review!!

Could someone who bought Akto K10 recently let me know what all tools comes with the car? (for e.g. hazard sign, jack, spanner, extra fuses(?) etc.)

[a4anurag]

Originally Posted by bmuser

Could someone who bought Akto K10 recently let me know what all tools comes with the car? (for e.g. hazard sign, jack, spanner, extra fuses(?) etc.)

These are what I can remember:

1) A pair of headlight bulbs (60/55W H4 type),
2) Tyre changing wrenches,
3) First aid kit,
4) Jack,
5) Hazard Triangle,
6) Fuse as spare I guess in the engine compartment.
7) Tow hook.

[Torino]

Hi All,

The little blue car has crossed 30,000kms in 15months and it has been an exciting ownership experience all the way. The car has been doing its daily duties without any issues or complaints so far. The ALTO K10 AMT has been a perfect city car and a formidable highway car for me. The car is holding well with no major squeaks or rattles anywhere, the exterior paint still has the same glossy finish and all electricals work flawlessly.

Dear Mods, please change the thread title to "My Go-kart. Alto K10 VXi AMT - 30,000 Kms update".

The car crossed 31k recently. The last 8k kms was done 100% inside the city in D mode.


30k Service Experience:
The 30,000kms service was done at MASS Wheels Auto in Adyar, Chennai. Like in the previous service, Wheels Auto has done a commendable job in listening to the customer and executing what is actually required. With no complaints reported in the car and a quick chat with the service manager on jobs to be executed, I left the car at 10am and it was delivered back by 4pm looking good as new on the inside and outside. Will rate the service centre 10/10 for courteous staff, timely delivery, well cleaned and polished car. The total service bill came up to Rs 6500.

Job done in 30,000kms service:

• Recommended grade synthetic engine oil
• Oil filter change
• Brake oil, Coolant oil top up
• Brakes cleaning
• Tyre rotation
• Washing and cleaning
• Wheel alignment (done at local tyre shop)

After the service, the car drives and rides smoother. The wheel alignment was done at a local tyre shop and the total time taken was half hour.

Not sure if the service cost is expensive since all the work done were essential. Will get the Maruti MCP package in the next service.


Ready for wheel alignment at the local tyre shop. Rao tyres in Agaram main road Selaiyur has good set of equipment, wide range of tyres, trained men and ample space to park.


Wheel alignment is done every 10k kms.



Design and Appearance:
For the past 30k+ kms the Alto K10’s exterior design has grown up on me with its strong shoulder lines, mildly flared wheel arches and those aftermarket alloy wheels. The OEM headlights have adequate brightness and spread for night drives. I have tried to maintain a Black & Blue exterior theme with black wheels and blacked front grill and I have been planning to get the headlights smoked but somehow the plan is getting postponed. The cerulean blue exterior paint still has good shine and has not faded away anywhere. Jopasu duster, micro fibre cloth and water serve as my everyday cleaning material to give the car a clean look. Visibility from driver seat is excellent and gives complete control of the car aided by light controls.

Boot has good layout. Padding on the loading lip to prevent damage.


Boot has decent space to hold weekend luggage for a small family.


OEM lights have adequate brightness and spread.


Comfort, Ride and Handling:
The comfort in all seats is decent for entry level hatchback standards. The Alto K10 is comfortable for four adults with average built, anyone close to and over 6ft tall will find difficult to sit in the car due to limited under thigh support and knee room. I am 5.8ft tall and the car suits me perfectly. Ride quality is a bit bouncy on uneven roads but the ride improves a lot with four people on board. Driving above 100kmph is a bit nervous and requires continuous steering inputs to keep the car in straight line, this can be engaging and fun if you know the limits. Will definitely upgrade to wider tyres at the time of replacement.

The dashboard is hard wearing and void of any rattles. All switches and buttons are working flawlessly. Piano black finish stereo has decent output and looks stylish.


The Cerulean blue paint still has its gloss and shine.


Exterior styling is simple with strong shoulder line and the mildly flared wheel arches to aid the looks.




The rear bumper has taken lot of scratches from careless motorcyclists squeezing past in standing traffic.


Driver seat is compact and all controls fall in hand easily. Wish it had all black interiors. Minimal storage space with tiny door pockets.


Many still give a second look noticing the automatic gear lever in the Alto.


Built Quality:
Overall the car has a decent built quality with no rattles so far. The interior plastics especially the door panels and dashboard are hard wearing and are holding on very well without any squeaks or rattles so far. The OEM stereo has been working flawlessly and is always in use when the car is driven. The additional aftermarket budget tweeters and co-axials give a decent output but definitely needs an amplifier to perform at its optimal level. All switches and stalks have good feel and serves its purpose very well. I use SONAX dashboard polish twice a month and it helps to keet the dashboard and door plastics to look good as new. The exterior body steel is thin for obvious reasons and gets bent easily with slightest of pressure but the exterior panels are holding good and have not lost the alignment. The stock Bridgestone tyres have good grip under hard braking and in rain and has life for another 20k kms.

AMT:
The AMT unit is serving its duty very well with the car being driven 100% in D mode. The shifts are timely and the AMT unit never missed a shift or never pondered during gear changes. The downshifts from 3rd>2nd>1st gears during slightly hard braking was a bit jerky around 30,000km, this is now gone after the 30k service. Driving the Alto K10 AMT inside the city is a delight with its compact dimensions, manoeuvrability and the AMT. Now a days I am seeing AMT cars more often than before, most of them are the WagonR and the TUV300.

Engine:
The K10 engine feels smooth at any speeds and it loves to be revved. The engine delivers adequate power and torque at stop-go traffic and never feels underpowered, has excellent drivability inside the city. As most of us agree the K10’s engine performance is the most impressive part of the Alto K10 aided by its weight advantage and it shows when you floor the accelerator in gears, the revs are build quite aggressively and power is delivered in a linear manner, you don’t get pushed in the seat, rather the engine pulls and pulls impressively all the way to redline with zero complaints. The engine sounds quieter with light right foot and speeds up to 80kmph, above 80kmph the engine becomes noisy along with the wind noise and road noise.

The tiny 990cc fire cracker, never ceases to amaze.


Fuel Efficiency:
The car is driven only by me and I am a fairly sedate driver inside the city and the car delivers consistent fuel efficiency in the region of 15.5-16kmpl at normal city traffic conditions with full time AC and gear in D mode. Fuel is always filled in tankful method only with unleaded petrol from Barath Petroleum.

Overall:
The Alto K10 AMT is a small, reliable, easy to drive and fuel efficient car with fun to drive engine perfect for doing daily office commutes inside the city.

The daily dose of Chennai traffic.


Likes:

• Engine
• Performance and Drivability
• AMT
• Compact dimension and Manoeuvrability
• Consistent Mileage
• Reliability.

Dislikes:

• Poor NHV levels
• Tiny storage space inside the cabin

Some more pictures:

[satanic_dude]

Originally Posted by Torino

Hi All,

The little blue car has crossed 30,000kms in 15months and it has been an exciting ownership experience all the way.

Torino,

Great writeup there as usual. Appreciate the effort taken in penning these reports. Meticulously arranged and well written. Your unbiased ownership experience thread is becoming a handbook of sorts for existing and prospective K10 owners.

Nicely composed pictures too. As stated earlier, you make the new K10 look really good. Blue and black go really well.

Thanks for the info about Wheels Adyar. Will try 'em out sometime with my F8 Alto, which is my service test mule of sorts. The K10 will go to MSM only for a few more months, as it was extensively repaired there after floods. Feels very new now. Tried the new Vishnu Cars MASS at Alandur. Got lower arm assembly replaced for the old F8 workhorse. Washing was excellent, got personalised attention, plus the place looked smaller and less crowded. They also have a robotic car wash. Is Wheels also a small place? You usually get better attention in such workshops.

You're treating the car really well, without actually pampering it. That is an excellent mile munching rate there! Glad to know it's a regular highway ride as well.

Peace.

Regards,
Abhishek.

[Torino]

Originally Posted by satanic_dude

Torino,

Your unbiased ownership experience thread is becoming a handbook of sorts for existing and prospective K10 owners..Thanks for the info about Wheels Adyar. Will try 'em out sometime with my F8 Alto, which is my service test mule of sorts.
Abhishek.

Hi Abhishek, thanks. Good to know that your K10 is back in action. I have visited Vishnu cars service centre in Pallavaram and in Medavakkam, they have excellent infrastructure and usually their sales and service is very good. However I was not satisfied with their interior and exterior cleaning during all my visits. Good to know that in Alandur it is better. I was told that Vishnu cars has bought Indus Motors in Chennai and expanding aggressively.

Wheels Auto MASS is very small, it is like a local garage, 8 cars can be worked at a time on the floor, has only two service ramps, manual water wash facility is beside the garage, office room is a small AC cabin, all employees are very courteous and the mechanics are experienced and efficient. Wheel Auto is related to Vaishali Motors MASS in OMR.