[a4anurag]

Originally Posted by Torino

I noticed something which I do not understand. There is a plastic pattern stuck right behind the IRVM on the front windshield.

Originally Posted by Dry Ice

The pattern helps to prevent the glare from the Sun when it falls between the sun shades on either side. At least, that's the purpose of it.

While browsing for the query, found this article.

The black band along the periphery of the windshield, this is called the frit.

The*frit*is a black enamel band that is literally baked into the edges of the windshield glass, accompanied by the border of black dots you are wondering about. The purpose of the frit is to provide an etched surface that allows adhesive to bond to the glass. When a manufacturer installs a new windshield, the glass is bonded to the vehicle with the frit as the contact point between the glass and the frame.

There is a dual purpose here, though. While the inward facing side of the frit allows adhesive to bond to the glass, the outward facing side of the frit acts as a shield against UV radiation in order to protect the adhesive bond, which would otherwise be weakened by continual exposure to direct sunlight.

Cosmetically, the frit also nicely conceals the adhesive used to install the windshield and provides a more "polished" appearance.* The dissolving/shrinking effect of the black dots provides a more visually appealing transition from the black border of the frit to the transparent glass, and also provides a small amount of heat dissipation. The dots do provide some level of sun shade as well.

http://www.dedona.com/the-purpose-of...-on-windshield

Originally Posted by Torino

There is also a removable small rubber tube supported between the IRVM and the pattern.

+

Originally Posted by Dry Ice

The rubber tube was present in the older Alto as well. Must be for some kind of support to the mirror.

AFAIK, the driver give acts as both a support and also decreases the vibrations at the IRVM.

Resonance would be happening at a particular band so the rubber tube should prevent it from vibrating.

[satanic_dude]

Hi Torino,

Nice review and great pictures! The car is very tastefully done, whilst keeping it almost stock with only subtle touches. I like the idea of the blue and black combo, goes very well together.

I spotted you yesterday morning on Sardar Patel Road (Guindy Road) opp. Anna University. I must say, that is the best looking new Alto K10 I have ever seen. Though I like the new design, I must admit I was a bit apprehensive while comparing it with the old classic. However, your car has changed my perception. Never knew that the new design can look so stunning! Crisp colour, excellent choice of wheels, and those aesthetically placed minimalistic stickers only add to the looks. I too am not a fan of chrome, and the blackened front grille slat looks neat, and I think I also will do that on my K10.

While crossing Raj Bhavan, I saw only the rear wheel and a bit of the blue body, and knew instantly (from memory of this review) that it had to be you. I was in a silver 1st gen Alto K10 and was driving behind you for a while. Was on your left for some time in the parallel lane and was turning back to look at the car in admiration. I did not wave but tried to catch your attention when our lanes stopped moving briefly. You were focused on the road ahead (very good!) just like I drive. I then had to move to the far left lane as I needed to turn into Kotturpuram.

Very glad to hear the real world mileage figures, and that too with AC on in Madras city traffic. My 1st gen K10 MT returns around 14 while driven only within the city. I am sorely missing the automatic feature, but one can never regret the K10 experience, in any form!

Oh, and thanks to you, I got to know of the Maruti Care app. Nice to have all the online info at one's fingertips.

Congratulations, and all the very best for the thousands of kilometres to come.

Regards,
Abhishek.

[Leoshashi]

Originally Posted by Torino

Dislikes
Glaring IRVM and Bumpy ride over uneven/bad roads. The only annoying feature in the car is the glaring IRVM. The car does not come with antiglare function in the IRVM and hence during night driving the headlight reflection from the vehicle behind on both the IRVM and ORVM is intense and disturbing. Can anyone suggest any ideas to reduce this glare? I am thinking of installing sun film on the rear hatch window.

You can consider swapping your IRVMS with those on the Swift V & Z variants. They come with a day/night setup knob and really reduces the glare to a great extent. Cost is Rs. 500 and it fits most Maruti cars directly, starting from Maruti 800 to Wagon-R.

Here is a DIY link for the same-
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/modifi...ml#post3291765

Regards

[vin11]

Originally Posted by Leoshashi

You can consider swapping your IRVMS with those on the Swift V & Z variants. They come with a day/night setup knob and really reduces the glare to a great extent. Cost is Rs. 500 and it fits most Maruti cars directly, starting from Maruti 800 to Wagon-R.

Do you know of any other car's IRVM which would fit on the Swift? I have a D/N type from the Zxi and still feel that it is a tad small.

I had used a clip-on type also but it used to vibrate a lot and didn't have D/N setup. Looking for something that could replace the entire OEM unit as a whole.

[a4anurag]

Originally Posted by Leoshashi

You can consider swapping your IRVMS with those on the Swift V & Z variants. They come with a day/night setup knob and really reduces the glare to a great extent.

Sorry buddy. It will not fit the Alto K10. I have already replied this option.

Reason:. Different mount and holder. See pictures below:

Mounting points of Swift IRVM:


Mounting points of Alto K10 IRVM:


The problem is the cabin light is separate in Swift so the mount is just two screws whereas in the K10 the cabin light is included in the IRVM mount.

[Torino]

Originally Posted by satanic_dude

Hi Torino,

Nice review...and all the very best for the thousands of kilometres to come.

Regards,
Abhishek.

Hi Abhishek,

Thank you for the compliments, good to hear a first hand observation comment from a fellow enthusiast. I remember seeing a silver Alto K10 beside me for a brief moment right opposite Anna Univ on that day, hope it was you. Even I was subjective with the new K10's tall body looks, I like the original K10's short and small dimensions, eventually the new looks grew up on me. I usually drive on the right most lane when ever possible just to prevent two wheeler riders from squeezing themselves at least from right side. The K10 engine is a cracker, efficient performance and impressive acceleration brings smile every single time. The car has done close to 9000kms and soon I will come up with the 10000kms review update, do check it out.

How many kms your K10 has done? Can you share any major observations in your overall ownership experience, especially with the engine and service centers?

Originally Posted by Leoshashi

You can consider swapping your IRVMS with those on the Swift V & Z variants. They come with a day/night setup knob and really reduces the glare to a great extent. Cost is Rs. 500 and it fits most Maruti cars directly, starting from Maruti 800 to Wagon-R.
Regards

Hi Leoshashi, thanks for your suggestions and comments.

Originally Posted by a4anurag

Sorry buddy. It will not fit the Alto K10. I have already replied this option. The problem is the cabin light is separate in Swift so the mount is just two screws whereas in the K10 the cabin light is included in the IRVM mount.

Hi Anurag, thank you for your observation and the pictures, I will use it to find a alternative IRVM.

[Torino]

5 months / 10000kms update:
It has been a while since my last update and to start with the car has crossed 10000kms and completed its 3rd free service recently. The last 5000kms was exciting with few interstate drives and lots of in city driving. The car has gained a bit of fan following among my friends, colleagues and even complete strangers for its looks, especially the combination of bright blue color, alloys, small dimensions and peppy drive. The car is my primary daily office driver covering 60kms a day both ways. For me the Alto K10+AMT is a perfect combo for any kind of city conditions, be it crawling traffic, narrow streets, tight parking spaces, reverse parking and quick overtaking. The engine has settled well with refined idle, linear power delivery under acceleration and ability to cruise at speeds over 100kmph for hours. I still find people surprised to hear that my Alto K10 is an automatic and they comment that automatic cars have poor fuel efficiency. Well, I have been proving them wrong all this time.





I highly recommend the Alto K10 AMT to anyone who loves to drive and does a lot of city driving and occasional highway stints without spending much from their pocket.

The AMT:
The Auto Gear Shift system is performing flawlessly with precise and quick upshifts and downshifts consistently. Almost 98% of my driving was in D mode because of the ease and convenience it offers in city as well as in the highway. The D mode is very well suited for the highway and the M mode is not really required to hold the engine in a gear or downshifting. Understanding the engine speed and engine sound is all that is necessary to predict the gear changes and accordingly work on the accelerator pedal to get a smooth gear shift. I would say, under normal driving in D mode the gear shifts are smooth and feels slightly quicker than a manual gear box. My daily office route has five large flyovers and two of them always tends to have stop and go traffic and the car does not roll back more than an inch even in the steepest condition and the best part is the engine cannot be stalled!.





Engine performance:
I have done couple of Chennai Bangalore trips and one Chennai Pondicherry trip. A special mention about the worst patch work done on a toll road between Chennai and Ranipet covering almost 80kms. This stretch of bad road is there to test your patience when you are coming from a smooth wide road all the way from Bangalore. During the Bangalore trips I safely maintained 110 to 120kmph whenever possible and the engine performance was impressive. The engine accelerates cleanly from low rpms. Only let down was the intruding road noise inside the cabin but the wind noise is controlled effectively.



Built quality:
Even though the body panels are made from thin sheet metal, the overall body shell and plastic parts are holding good. There was one squeak coming from the front left interior panel, it was eliminated after did a DIY of removing and refitting the panel. There is no rattling issue which is usually related to light weight Maruti cars at least for now. The body paint gives an excellent sheen even after a good wash with cloth and water. All the plastic interior parts including the indicator stalks, AC knobs, power window switches, dashboard and door panels has good feel and easy to operate. The stock headlight set up is doing an excellent job in illuminating the road ahead.

3rd free/10000kms service: The car completed 10,000kms in 5 months and 15 days. The service was done at Vishnu cars in Medavakkam on Sept 26. I reached the service centre at 9:00am and there were couple of cars before me. The service manager was able to quickly identify me and my car since I had the 1st service done with them and quickly assigned a service advisor. I did not have any complaints and the service advisor went ahead with the usual 3rd service routine. Overall service cost was Rs4182. Next service is at 20000kms.

1. Mobil1 0W40 synthetic engine oil
2. Oil filter
3. AC filter



The service advisor promised to deliver the car by 12:00 noon and I waited in their lounge. The car was ready for delivery at 12:30pm. There was lot of dirt between the door frame and body in all four doors and a cleaning guy was called and cleaned in the delivery area. Before giving the car for service I noticed tar like dirt on the lower body, splashed from the front wheels. The cleaning guy in the service centre said only diesel can remove the dirt and they don’t have it. I was not convinced with their lazy answer and took delivery of the car. Overall the service experience was good except for the washing/cleaning.

Went for a drive after the service and the engine felt a lot smoother and quieter. After the third free service I had the wheel alignment and balancing done at a tyre shop near my place. During my Chennai Bangalore trips I noticed that there was a considerable vibration in the steering wheel and seat creeping after 100kph. Just as I thought the aftermarket alloy wheels required weights and now the drive at higher speed is smooth and comfortable.





Positives:
>Easy to drive: The AMT makes driving easy and relaxed. Driving in heavy traffic is very relaxing.
>Engine performance: Quick acceleration, addictive linear power delivery after 2000rpm till 6000rpm, fuel efficient, feels reasonably comfortable even at 120kph at 4000rpm. Power to weight ratio of 91bhp/ton is equal to VW Polo TSI.
>Easy to maneuver: Small dimensions and excellent driving position makes driving in tight spots and reversing easy. Good all round visibility.
>Good tyres: The OEM Bridgstone tyres provide excellent grip even under hard braking and the tyre noise is acceptable.
>Powerful AC: Cools the cabin quickly even on hottest summer days.

Negatives:
>Cabin insulation: Excessive road noise due to lack of proper insulation. Pot hole thuds and small stones hitting wheel arches are highly intrusive.
>Brakes: Even though the wheels doesn't lock up during hard braking the brake feels spongy and lacks bite.
>No anti glare in interior and exterior RVMs.

Impressive bits:
Flared wheel arches: Though it is not that prominent, the wheel arches in the Alto is a neat design element in the otherwise simple side profile. The flared wheel arches compliment the offset wheels to a fair extent by improving the looks of the car.

Offset wheels:
They are the only aftermarket mods which prominently enhances the stance of the car. I have attached few pictures for this. Personally I like flared wheel arches and positive offset wheels with lowered ride height which gives the best stance for any car. The main drawback is when driving over water, excessive dirt from the front tyres reaches the side of the car.

Driver Ergonomics: Accessibility to all features inside the cabin from the driver seat is an advantage. Be it opening the passenger side ORVM, winding the rear windows, slide the driver's seat all the way back to reach stuffs from the rear parcel tray. The driver seating position and visibility is excellent.

Fuel Efficiency:
I don't drive with fuel efficiency in mind and I always drive with the AC not because I need AC always but to keep the interior clean from the outside dust. I prefer driving when riding bike is a simpler task. I always do tank full and I am getting an average of 16 to 16.5kmpl inside city. On the Chennai Bangalore trips the average was 18.2 to 18.5kmpl due to constant triple digit speeds and quick accelerations.

I like Ambi pur, it gives nice refreshing smell and I have tried all the fragrances except this Vanilla flavor. Vanilla smells, well too much Vanilla, its not that bad but every one entering the car gets puzzled with the smell for the first time. The smell is not refreshing, smells like a perfume shop. I don't suggest this flavor unless you already like it.


The old school antenna gets the job done.


The sculpted space in top of the dashboard has not much use unless if you are using a antislip mat.






The front seats provide good support even in long journeys.


The stock headlight assembly has good output both in terms of reach and brightness.


The OEM stereo has good finish and easy to use functions. It works overtime in my Alto. The aftermarket Pioneers and Ground Zero gives decent output.


The IRVM does not have anti glare function. Reflects a lot of bright light from tail gating vehicles at night.


The ORVMs are from Celerio. They are large and give good view of the rear.


Wish list:
1.Better cabin insulation.
2.Better handling and cornering capability.
3.More power. Well, more power is always a welcome.

Future accessories:
1.Rear roof spoiler.
2.Fog lamps.
3.Paint the headlamp bezels black.
4.Touch screen audio head unit. I checked the Pioneer MVH AV179 and still deciding on it.
5.Trumpet horns.

Dear Moderators: Please update the thread title as 10,000kms update.

[vin11]

The journey to the 10k km mark was quite fast, I must say. Nice to hear that you're happy with your purchase. The bright body colour and small dimensions give it a pleasing and attractive stance, with the alloys and blackening of the grill showing a sportier side. Kudos on the choice of alloys and your modification taste!

I would suggest an extra IRVM (Clip on type) with a light black tint film (or headlight/taillamp taping film) applied on it to solve your glare problems at night. You can use it during night time and stay with the stock during the day. For completing the look, you can paint the bezels (as you've planned) and tape the taillamps (indicators if not full). Avoid trumpet horns, they are very very common, 'Pressure Horns' are in!

What would you say about maintaining this bright blue colour? Does it show a lot of dirt? And, from where did you get the warning sticker for the front bumper?

[Torino]

Originally Posted by vin11

The journey to the 10k km mark was quite fast, I must say. Nice to hear that you're happy with your purchase. The bright body colour and small dimensions give it a pleasing and attractive stance, with the alloys and blackening of the grill showing a sportier side. Kudos on the choice of alloys and your modification taste!

I would suggest an extra IRVM (Clip on type) with a light black tint film (or headlight/taillamp taping film) applied on it to solve your glare problems at night. You can use it during night time and stay with the stock during the day. For completing the look, you can paint the bezels (as you've planned) and tape the taillamps (indicators if not full). Avoid trumpet horns, they are very very common, 'Pressure Horns' are in!

What would you say about maintaining this bright blue colour? Does it show a lot of dirt? And, from where did you get the warning sticker for the front bumper?

Hi Vin11, Thank you for your appreciation. I am still searching for the correct irvm to completely replace the current one. Clip on type is good idea and I will check it. Even I like pressure horns but they are illegal right?. One of my friend has pressure horns in his Swift and it sounds too intimidating. Thats why i am inclined towards Skoda type trumpet horns.

The Cerulean blue is a bright color but it is pleasing to look at. Black and Yellow colors are excellent support colors for the blue. Maintaining this blue is not easy like maintaining a silver or white color car. The dirt and dust settlement is easily visible. The only advantage is the small exterior size and hence it only takes few minutes to wash the car. I have not tried any professional exterior detailing shops till now, may be on completing one year.

I have a duster to clean the layer of dust on the exterior every morning. I do the two bucket and soft cloth method when ever the car becomes too dirty. Once the exterior looks clean the blue color gives excellent sheen and is eye catching.

Guys, I got this tar like substance on the lower body sprayed from the front tyres. I think it is some kind of slack oil or tar from a leaky tanker truck during my Chennai Bangalore trips but I could be wrong here. It takes a lot of rubbing with wet cloth to remove each speck. Can I use diesel to remove it? Any other DIY suggestion?

[vin11]

Originally Posted by Torino

Even I like pressure horns but they are illegal right?. One of my friend has pressure horns in his Swift and it sounds too intimidating. Thats why i am inclined towards Skoda type trumpet horns.

I have been using pressure horns since some time now in my Swift. If you are shying away from them only because of the legal aspect, then there's one solution - you can add a toggle switch to change to the stock disc type horn and revert back to trumpets when you need.

Placing of the switch and additional wiring would be a concern for a new car. Otherwise for trumpet horns, stick to Roots windtone for the kind of sound you're looking at. Roots has a sharp yet pleasing tone, Minda trumpets would be too loud for your taste.

Originally Posted by Torino

Guys, I got this tar like substance on the lower body sprayed from the front tyres. I think it is some kind of slack oil or tar from a leaky tanker truck during my Chennai Bangalore trips but I could be wrong here. It takes a lot of rubbing with wet cloth to remove each speck. Can I use diesel to remove it? Any other DIY suggestion?

Get a tar remover from the market, it is very effective. I haven't tried diesel but had borrowed tar remover from my friend to wipe off similar tar marks from the bonnet (and lower bumper). Guess it was from Turtle or some similar known brand.

[a4anurag]

Originally Posted by Torino

The IRVM does not have anti glare function. Reflects a lot of bright light from tail gating vehicles at night

Congrats on hitting the 10K mark.

I am frantically trying to get this issue solved on my K10 too. If I succeed, I'll post it so that you can do the same to your K10 too.

[Torino]

Originally Posted by vin11

I have been using pressure horns since some time now in my Swift. If you are shying away from them only because of the legal aspect, then there's one solution - you can add a toggle switch to change to the stock disc type horn and revert back to trumpets when you need.

Placing of the switch and additional wiring would be a concern for a new car. Otherwise for trumpet horns, stick to Roots windtone for the kind of sound you're looking at. Roots has a sharp yet pleasing tone, Minda trumpets would be too loud for your taste.

Get a tar remover from the market, it is very effective. I haven't tried diesel but had borrowed tar remover from my friend to wipe off similar tar marks from the bonnet (and lower bumper). Guess it was from Turtle or some similar known brand.

Thanks Vin11, I understand the concern on wiring. Good suggestion, I think I will go for Roots windtone. I will check the Tar remover.

Regarding the triangle warning sticker, I made it myself through vistaprint. This is set I made and received.

Originally Posted by a4anurag

Congrats on hitting the 10K mark.

I am frantically trying to get this issue solved on my K10 too. If I succeed, I'll post it so that you can do the same to your K10 too.

Thanks Anurag.I appreciate your effort.

[vin11]

Originally Posted by Torino

Regarding the triangle warning sticker, I made it myself through vistaprint. This is set I made and received.

How much did the set cost you? Even my friendly sticker shop guy is very innovative and will make similar sets, but I would like to order via Vistaprint if their price is justified for the sticker quality. He would have taken 350 bucks easily for the picture you posted.

[Torino]

Originally Posted by vin11

How much did the set cost you? Even my friendly sticker shop guy is very innovative and will make similar sets, but I would like to order via Vistaprint if their price is justified for the sticker quality. He would have taken 350 bucks easily for the picture you posted.

Thanks. One more thing, double check the specification mentioned by them to avoid clipping along the margin.

Got the first car care accessory. The car is parked under direct sun in office and to protect the dashboard plastic I got this Sonax interior plastic protector from Amazon, will be applying it twice a month. The usage directions says to spray on a microfiber cloth and rub on the plastic area. It leaves a non sticky dull shine.

Dear Mods, please rename the thread as 10,000kms update.

[Torino]

Hi Guys,

Uploading the 10000kms/3rd free service bill and wheel alignment & balancing bill. I opted for adhesive wheel weights to clip-on lead weights. The car has just crossed 11300kms and going great. They have used Mobil1 0W40 but the owners manual recommends 0W20 and it is perfect for my kind of usage and environment.

Dear Moderators, Please change the threat title to 6months/11000kms update.





Few pics taken inside MEPZ.