[Deep Blue]

Originally Posted by SankalpDesai

Great review.

Wish I could say that for the car. I don't understand how do I describe this car. Let me take the help of a dictionary.

*Looks up the word Hideous in the dictionary* Aah, here are the right words -

hideous, grisly, grim, repellent, detestable, odious, monstrous, dreadful, appalling, ghastly

And as they say 'a picture is worth a thousand words', i will ask people to look at this car to understand the meaning of these words.

To prove my point, showed these pics of the new Alto 800 to my wife, and she exclaimed, "CHHEEE". Hence Proved.

I agree, it looks terrible. Additionally, the raised stance on those puny tyres make it a positive disaster. The old Alto had nice clean lines, a good stance and looks much better than this one.

[sumathindra]

Good and detailed review, good job.

Well the car is an absolute disaster in terms of styling. I drove an M800 for 7 years and loved every bit of it thought it was a basic car compared to the others that was available then. I always thought the M800 was a bit more spacious than the Alto. It did remind me of my M800 however for some reason I am not really happy with this product. Sorry I guess it is just me

[W.A.G.7]

Very nice review! I never fit in comfortable in the old Alto in any seat, (I have driven my sister's car) but it would be interesting to see how much space this one has, as compared to the old one. For me, it would be a very practical city car. Fill it, run it in the city and forget it. And that's what I feel would make it sell in large numbers inspite of many features missing. Not many people are bothered about things such as airbags, left rear view mirrors, power windows etc. For highways or intercity travel, it's best to opt for public transport or another car if you have one.

For first time buyers, it makes perfect sense; what I feel. The design of this car reminds of this pic - http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/attach...e-dscn1226.jpg, everything compact, functional, fuel efficient

[Utopian]

Excellent review. The new model would definitely help in boosting sales for Maruti. Not a very big fan of the exterior styling, must say that interiors have improved. And with the improved mill under the hood, the car has the potential to be a hit with the masses.

[turbo_delight]

Originally Posted by informmaha

.. Same way maruti will also be challenged by some company in the future.. possibly hyundai since they are very close in terms of service backup and have competitive products as well. I do not know how many wil agree to this but there will be time when crash regulations become mandatory and we will come to know about the best products by then.

In this segment, what matters the most is the name, product and the kind of advertisements. We have seen products from other companies and from the scoops and the information available online, I can think of one product which will give very tight competition to Maruti is Tata Nano "Diesel".

If priced and advertised well, it will be a definite success for Tata. Probably, then everyone would have 2 cars in his home, one for daily commute to office in jam-packed roads(probably maintained in not so good condition), and the other, their favorite car which will be used for weekend trips (absolute factory condition).

[Gansan]

I went to see this car at the ABT Maruti Showroom during lunch time. I somehow like my regular Alto Lxi better. I somehow feel it has cleaner lines, and a lower stance. I think this will feel skittish at high speeds, though I have not taken the TD due to paucity of time. This aspect is better in the outgoing Alto with the same size wheels/tyres, perhaps because it sits lower on the road?

[girimajiananth]

Well this car has more room inside compared to the old alto.

The front seats are a bit comfortable , but the rear seats are way too uncomfortable. The cushioning is not at all adequate .

The ground clearance wont be a problem and i dont think it will pose any stability issues.

[CANPUSH]

If you compare Alto 800 with K10 difference in price is almost 33k and after discount (on K10) it may be almost same cost. (I trust Maruti is not offering any discount on 800 as yet!)

I wonder if K10 will be better VFM than 800. Experts may please opine.

[Swanand Inamdar]

Wonderful review of an all important car in the Indian Auto Scenario, Anshuman!
Lovely pics, and elaborate description. Oh, crisp pics to boot too.

Now, coming to the car:
Do I like it? NO. There, I said it. I much prefer the older version. At least that had some straight lines and clean looks. This looks like an orgy took place between various other cars in the segment.
But looks can be subjective. Agree wholeheartedly.

This is one car, that will sell and continue to sell regardless of the looks. I mean, when I read the bookings already done, i was actually . 32000 in ~ 2 weeks time?? Ridiculous!

Trust MSIL on how to deliver a VFM peoples car.

[mail4ajo]

Nice to see Maruti offering Airbags on the Alto. Welcome move. Now the industry should take a cue and offer the safety feature on all cars.

[IndianGuardian]

Originally Posted by xotiq

Excellent review, great photos as well.
As a second car, we had booked the Alto800 couple of days back. Which would you suggest between the Alto800 and Alto K10, mainly for city drives.

If one's budget is under 4 lakhs, I would rather go for the top variant of Alto K10 as compared to the top variant of Alto 800. The difference is about Rs. 20,000 (ex-showroom). Differences:

What the Alto K10 has that the Alto 800 does not:
- K10 Engine
- 13" tyre (as compared to Alto 800's 12")
- Body side moulding
- OVRMs' on both sides of the car
- Tachometer
- Rear headrests suitable for adults (which I feel is very important to prevent whiplash and spinal injuries during accidents).
- Central locking
- Side impact beams
- Child lock
- Front fog lamps
- Key-off reminder
- Tinted glasses (now more useful with the new sun film rule)

What the Alto 800 has that Alto K10 does not:

- Driver side airbag
- Additional height of 15mm
- Additional width of 15mm
- Better fuel efficiency of about 2-3 km/l

[Harshal.Bhosale]

^ True.
We are slowly but surely moving towards an era when all cars sold in our country will get safety features that are considered basic in Europe or America.

If only our government could bring in safety legislations so that instead of voluntarily (due to competition etc), the manufacturers will have no choice but to bring in these features by default. This would greatly speed up the arrival of that era!

[Arkesh]

Thats a nice review.
I like the car better than the older version. Fun and very easy for city driving.
I feel the 'Lets go' tagline matches alto pretty much.

[satanic_dude]

Though I had already read a review elsewhere (CarWale), I've been refreshing the T-BHP main page a couple of times every day since this car was launched, just to check if this review has been published! In my opinion, nothing comes closer or more hands-on than a Team BHP review. Thanks again for the expert review and the fantastic photographs!

My first impressions of the new Alto 800 weren't really positive. When I saw the first pictures, I felt it looked weird and I did not like it. But I must admit that the overall design is winning me over now, and I'm beginning to feel it actually looks cute. This (dislike) was my initial reaction to the old Alto F8D upon its launch, but I started liking the car over the years.

Looks wise, I still prefer the updated classic design of the Alto K10, which I drive. The low, aggressive stance, the muscular front overhang, side profile, rounded off rear with a clean bumper - all scream 'Let's Go!' like no other Alto model! It is now the true successor to the old Zen, a position it won from the underrated A-Star. Er.. the K10 could do with an airbag or two, ABS and heavier steering at high speeds.., but it is nevertheless a powerful hot-rod-pocket-rocket that will simply take your breath away with its insane power to weight ratio.

On the other hand, the new Alto 800 looks conservative but cute! While being not so powerful, the F8D has shown that it has still got some untapped potential in it. The Alto has matured, and grown up. Maruti's intentions seem pretty clear. This product seems like almost exactly what they were planning to conceive as a worthy successor to the legendary 800, if not to the classic Alto F8. The car has got the right stuff to carry on the baton.

Those looking for an economical, low cost, no-nonsense city car that is completely hassle free to maintain, please do consider the new Alto 800. For a little extra, you can get the Alto K10 to satisfy your hunger for power and quench your thirst for pure adrenaline.

- Abhishek.

[junkishya]

Saw a few of these last week running between Chandigarh and Manali as Taxis. The front might look OK but the rear looks butt ugly !!

BTW, I was surprised to see large number of Tata Nanos being used as Taxis in and around Manali. Saw atleast 3 of them carrying passengers running ahead of Altos in Ghats right till Rohtang Pass !!

Regards,
Kishor Shinde