[Vid6639]

Originally Posted by Furious55

The Alto & Wagon R are not receiving new engines, just engine upgrades to comply with new regulations.

Can you confirm that? Reports on the forum say that it is since the engine is already stretched. Even the swift engine is going to be replaced with the KB12 ritz engine in 2010 as per the info.

[DCEite]

Originally Posted by Furious55

We get 13 Kmpl on our Petra 1.6 in addition to the 100 BHP.

If that's the case you why not go for a Palio 1.2.
Since 1.6 is giving you 13kmpl, Palio 1.2 would give you around 15-16kmpl.

That's bang in M800 category, but with the extra advantage of Tank like build and doors which close with a reassuring thud.

[Furious55]

Originally Posted by vid6639

Can you confirm that? Reports on the forum say that it is since the engine is already stretched. Even the swift engine is going to be replaced with the KB12 ritz engine in 2010 as per the info.

The Swift may get the engine sooner than that. The Alto, Wagon R, Estilo, 800 and Omni will get the upgrade. Plans to discontinue the 800 & Omni have been shelved. That's what I read somewhere

Originally Posted by DCEite

If that's the case you why not go for a Palio 1.2.
Since 1.6 is giving you 13kmpl, Palio 1.2 would give you around 15-16kmpl.
That's bang in M800 category, but with the extra advantage of Tank like build and doors which close with a reassuring thud.

The 1.6 & 1.2 give the same milege. I know because I've used both. I would love to buy a Palio but look at the title of the thread. It's a replacement for the Activa. The Palio is a bit big for city & market trips.

[bharanidharang]

Why not the ritz ? Heard the petrol engine is very good.

[Furious55]

Originally Posted by bharanidharang

Why not the ritz ? Heard the petrol engine is very good.

The Ritz looks horrible. I'd like to rename it the Maruti Yuckz. How good the petrol is we'll have to wait and see. The 1.2 Kappa engine was also supposed to be way ahead of the IRDE. We know what happened to that. Cannot comment on the Ritz engine till we have some long term reports. Lastly the Ritz is a bit big for my requirement.

[tortoiseNhare]

A used Alto VXi (1.1 ltr) is what the doctor will order for your requirement. A brand new car to drown in the monsoon slush is heart wrenching - be it an M800 or a 3-pt starred M.

[pedrolourenco]

Originally Posted by tortoiseNhare

A used Alto VXi (1.1 ltr) is what the doctor will order for your requirement. A brand new car to drown in the monsoon slush is heart wrenching - be it an M800 or a 3-pt starred M.

The Alto VXi has the Wagon R motor. Not exactly efficient. Also it's not easy to find VXi's in good condition now.
Ultimately ever car has to go through its first monsoon. So why not from day one. And it's the best way to test the Warranty.

[Gansan]

Originally Posted by vid6639

Can you confirm that? Reports on the forum say that it is since the engine is already stretched. Even the swift engine is going to be replaced with the KB12 ritz engine in 2010 as per the info.

I also considered this a long time before booking an Alto LXi last week. Then I concluded it will only be an engine revamp and not a new engine from the A-star. Why? Because if they do that it will instantly kill the A-star,Estilo and may be Wagon-R in one stroke. Same as what happened when the Alto 1.1 VXi was brought in. Sales of the old Zen and the Wagon R went for a six and they had to discontinue the VXi model.

[pedrolourenco]

Originally Posted by Gansan

I also considered this a long time before booking an Alto LXi last week. Then I concluded it will only be an engine revamp and not a new engine from the A-star. Why? Because if they do that it will instantly kill the A-star,Estilo and may be Wagon-R in one stroke. Same as what happened when the Alto 1.1 VXi was brought in. Sales of the old Zen and the Wagon R went for a six and they had to discontinue the VXi model.

Yes it's only an upgrade. However a new engine in the Alto will not affect the Wagon R and Estilo. Different kind of buyers. Or they could put the same engine into the Estilo and Wagon R too (though I'd prefer if the Wagon R was discontinued).

[Gansan]

Originally Posted by pedrolourenco

Yes it's only an upgrade. However a new engine in the Alto will not affect the Wagon R and Estilo. Different kind of buyers. Or they could put the same engine into the Estilo and Wagon R too (though I'd prefer if the Wagon R was discontinued).

I don't think so! It was the same engine in the Alto VXi and the Wagon-R, and more or less the same in the old Zen too. The Alto greatly affected the sales of the other two.

[musicmanaman]

Originally Posted by Furious55

The time has come to buy a new car for myself. I have been driving for a while now. First dad's 800, Wagon R & Verna and now husbands Petra 1.6. Also used a Palio 1.2 for a while. After driving the Verna, Petra & Palio, I realised what I was missing with Maruti. Now I also use an Activa for the trips to the market and other small odd jobs like paying bills etc. With the monsoons almost full swing now, the Activa won't be used much. I don't want to use the Petra because inspite being so much fun to drive, sometimes parking becomes an issue. Now we're not looking to replace the Petra. I want a small car to replace the Activa. The car had to be small, fuel efficient and not too expensive. Also the AC usage will be 100%. Initially considered the Spark. But found it was not very frugal and also with the problems at GM decided against it. Next was the i10. Lovely car, but overpriced. Also read about the FE problems with the Kappa. Next was the Maruti group of 800/Alto/Estilo/Wagon R/A-Star.
800: Too old and pathetic quality.
Alto: Almost perfect for me but sluggish with the AC.
Estilo: Again almost perfect but bad FE (Wagon R Engine).
Wagon R: Bread box with a bad engine.
A Star: Liked it but a bit expensive and don't know whether it will be fuel efficient.

Based on this I think the Alto is the most suitable. I like the Bright Red colour. Planning to take a loan from SBI. Price is 3.12 Lakhs with an 18K offer which I want to use for Insurance and Road Tax. Additional items will be body coloured bumpers and Zen mirrors. No teflon, under body coating and cavity treatment. ICE will be the Pioneer from the Petra (Petra will be getting the Blaupunkt). Phase II in December will be 13" Alloys (Accelere) and Michelin tyres, Power windows, Central Locking and if budget permits a FFE, Performance Filter (K&N/Green Cotton/Ractive) and maybe a little tweak to the ECU.

Waiting for confirmation of the loan and to see how much more (than 18K), I can squeeze from the Maruti guys.

I think you have made the right choice with the Alto, as it will fit the bill perfectly and it has a powerfull AC.

[Furious55]

I just booked the Alto today. The dealer had a Red Alto Spice in stock. This model has wheel caps, body coulored bumpers, handles and mirrors (Vxi type), leather seats and body graphics. Around 3.04L OTR. How's the deal.

[pedrolourenco]

Anybody owning an Alto Spice here? Please post photos. How much was the OTR price?

[shantyrocks]

plz try out the santro too.
its a nice and zippy car and better to drive than the alto.lots of offers are going on on the santro.its marginally more spacious too , more power even with A/C on and decent mileage( 13-14).
you could also consider the i10 1.1 irde.better interiors and more space than santro.

[prince_alex]

Originally Posted by pedrolourenco

But the i10 returns a milege of 5-6 Kmpl. See the thread by Tejas. I would not want such a guzzler. Maybe the A-Star AXi will be an option when launched.

I guess this is an exception, the average i10 auto mileage I have seen on T-BHP is ~8 KMPL, I have been getting ~ 8.8 KMPL for my 1 month old i10 Auto.