[chbpreddy]

No further issues with heating seen. Not sure what was the issue earlier. Been on a couple of 50 km runs. So far great. Compared to Spark, I'm missing the great ergonomics in the driving seat (I'm 5' 6''), space in rear seat (can seat only two in Alto K10 while Spark easily accommodated three). I gained performance (this car is amazing after 2100 rpm with / without AC ) , feel of a solid build, great control. Overall, happy with the switch from Spark. I'm still not sure about the high speed stability and confidence. If someone is planning similar move (Spark -> Alto K10) , I could help with any queries.

[shreyan_k10]

Originally Posted by chbpreddy

No further issues with heating seen. Not sure what was the issue earlier. Been on a couple of 50 km runs. So far great. Compared to Spark, I'm missing the great ergonomics in the driving seat (I'm 5' 6''), space in rear seat (can seat only two in Alto K10 while Spark easily accommodated three). I gained performance (this car is amazing after 2100 rpm with / without AC ) , feel of a solid build, great control. Overall, happy with the switch from Spark. I'm still not sure about the high speed stability and confidence. If someone is planning similar move (Spark -> Alto K10) , I could help with any queries.

Good to know that. Great to see someone jotting down his Spark -> K10 experience. As far as ergonomics go, you will soon get used to it. Both are entry level A segment hatches and there's marginal difference between the two. Since you are 5'6" there shouldn't be any problem. I'm 5'10" and I've managed to find a comfortable driving position. As far as rear seat space is concerned, I don't think any B segment hatch even will be able to sit three comfortably (except the Indica et al). The marginal better space that cars like Eon, Spark, i10, Beat, etc. provide hardly matters, atleast to me.
Happy motoring.

[saadat1992]

Hello!
I was thinking of getting a small hatchback that is reliable, fuel efficient, low on maintenance and must have decent driving dynamics.
I zeroed in on the Alto(pre-owned), Spark, Eon, K10.
I didn't like the Alto 800 so, i included a pre owned prev gen Alto in the list.
There is a Liva diesel at home that i have been driving for the past 9 months.
The Eon is good all round but the not so refined engine and Hyundai's service costs are deal breakers.
Spark is good but, i felt the engine does not have enough power.
Alto(prev gen) is outdated but, it was good for a car having 800cc plus Maruti's low maintenance costs are plus points!
I haven't driven a K10 but, i'm pretty curious about the car's power and capability after reading many reviews!
Since i have been used to driving a turbo diesel, driveability is something what i really want and also, the turbo pull after 1800rpm in my Liva is pretty addictive!
So, the K10 having a good power to weight ratio wont be much of a disappointment i believe! Also, how is the high speed stability of the car??
K10 owners! Can you please throw some light on the stability, leg space, FE and maintenance aspects??

[chbpreddy]

@Shreyan_K10,
I know there is marginal difference in terms of space in width between Spark and Alto, but somehow I feel the space is managed very well in the rear for Spark. Same cannot be said about Alto K10. I'm getting used to the driving position and it isn't all that bad after getting the seat covers and some wooden beads on the driving seat. I guess it gave me the necessary height.

@Saadat1992,
Since you already have a Liva, I guess space is not important to you in the second car. Between Spark and Alto, if performance is the main criteria, Alto K10 wins hands down. Spark has the 3 year hassle free zero maintenance which is really great. Unless you wanted a top end Spark with airbags and ABS, there are not too many significant points favoring a Spark over Alto K10.

[shreyan_k10]

Originally Posted by saadat1992

Hello!
I was thinking of getting a small hatchback that is reliable, fuel efficient, low on maintenance and must have decent driving dynamics.
I zeroed in on the Alto(pre-owned), Spark, Eon, K10.
I didn't like the Alto 800 so, i included a pre owned prev gen Alto in the list.
There is a Liva diesel at home that i have been driving for the past 9 months.
The Eon is good all round but the not so refined engine and Hyundai's service costs are deal breakers.
Spark is good but, i felt the engine does not have enough power.
Alto(prev gen) is outdated but, it was good for a car having 800cc plus Maruti's low maintenance costs are plus points!
I haven't driven a K10 but, i'm pretty curious about the car's power and capability after reading many reviews!
Since i have been used to driving a turbo diesel, driveability is something what i really want and also, the turbo pull after 1800rpm in my Liva is pretty addictive!
So, the K10 having a good power to weight ratio wont be much of a disappointment i believe! Also, how is the high speed stability of the car??
K10 owners! Can you please throw some light on the stability, leg space, FE and maintenance aspects??

Stability: Good till 120. You won't dare to go beyond that on most of our Indian highways, at least in this part of the country where I live, even if you are in a Gallardo. Haven't taken it beyond that, no problems faced. Aroy sir might be able to shed more light.
Space: Nowhere comparable to your Liva. But not far behind the likes of i10 and Spark.
Fuel efficiency: Returned 21.52 kmpl without AC on my recent 260 km round trip from Dhanbad to Durgapur and back on NH2. Within city with 80% AC usage, FE varies between 13 to 16 kmpl.
Maintainence: Should be easy on pocket and reliable simply because it's a Maruti Alto Mine's just over a year old.
Performance: Man, I swear, this baby monster has a lot of grunt. Initial acceleration is awesome. Even new age 150 cc bikes like FZ and all find it hard to keep pace. Believe me, this car has the potential to leave some cars from higher segments in dust.
So I would say this ticks all your boxes, Performance, reliability, maintainence and fuel efficiency.

[hothatchaway]

second Shreyan's sentiments completely, my K10 is also just over a year old with all 3 free services done and the engine is smoother than ever, especially for a 3 pot. Let me contribute my own 2 cents on the 'pocket rocket'

Pros - Engine, engine and engine!
Great FE - Get about 16/17 in the city in Bangy traffic w/o AC and 20+ in the highways
Compact dimensions mean that one can zip in and out of sticky situations
Low cost of ownership

Cons - Really a two seater, not pleasant for passengers in long drives, never mind the enthusiastic driver!
Ride could be a little bumpy since its super light
fellow bhpians have complained of poor steering feedback and vague steering at high speeds, although IMO she handles quite well and havent felt nervous at high speeds
[COLOR=black]Build quality - Maruti, stop making cars out of dalda cans! Seriously, they make you feel that you are on the wrong side of 4 lakhs[/COLOR]

That said, one should be very clear before opting for such a car which is really pretty much all about the gem of an engine and little else. I knew the heft (or lack of it!) of my wallet and yet wanted something which can put a grin on my face and was not overtly concerned about the lack of space since we are a small family. Most B segment hatches are not significantly better in terms of either space or build quality. I like the K10 for the character it has and IMO is not a ‘dinky’ car as some of the tall boys are

[Mpower]

I convinced 2 of my friends install K&N filter for their K10s.

Both have reported huge improvement in low rpm lugging and crawling in traffic.

[hothatchaway]

Originally Posted by Mpower

I convinced 2 of my friends install K&N filter for their K10s. Both have reported huge improvement in low rpm lugging and crawling in traffic.

This sounds interesting Mpower! Can you please elaborate for ignorants like me what this is, where can this be sourced and fitted, any negative impact on FE and any risk of warranty being voided?

Thanks

[Mpower]

Originally Posted by hothatchaway

This sounds interesting Mpower! Can you please elaborate for ignorants like me what this is, where can this be sourced and fitted, any negative impact on FE and any risk of warranty being voided?

Thanks

No problem on that front. In fact the part is stocked/sold/fitted by Bimal/RNS themselves.

Do a search in the K&N thread to learn more

Its a special air filter that allows the engine to breathe better and thus improves performance. Cost 3.5K approx

[chbpreddy]

Dalda cans ? Hmm. I felt the build is in the leagues of Spark (not that Spark has a great build) if not better. Sure there is a feel is lightweight but compared to new Alto 800, or old Alto I think K10 at least feels solid. Also, I think Alto K10 has surefootedness traded for the plush ride. I felt safer and confident while being little less comfortable.

[shreyan_k10]

Originally Posted by hothatchaway

second Shreyan's sentiments completely, my K10 is also just over a year old with all 3 free services done and the engine is smoother than ever, especially for a 3 pot. Let me contribute my own 2 cents on the 'pocket rocket'

Pros - Engine, engine and engine!
Great FE - Get about 16/17 in the city in Bangy traffic w/o AC and 20+ in the highways
Compact dimensions mean that one can zip in and out of sticky situations
Low cost of ownership

Cons - Really a two seater, not pleasant for passengers in long drives, never mind the enthusiastic driver!
Ride could be a little bumpy since its super light
fellow bhpians have complained of poor steering feedback and vague steering at high speeds, although IMO she handles quite well and havent felt nervous at high speeds
[COLOR=black]Build quality - Maruti, stop making cars out of dalda cans! Seriously, they make you feel that you are on the wrong side of 4 lakhs[/COLOR]

That said, one should be very clear before opting for such a car which is really pretty much all about the gem of an engine and little else. I knew the heft (or lack of it!) of my wallet and yet wanted something which can put a grin on my face and was not overtly concerned about the lack of space since we are a small family. Most B segment hatches are not significantly better in terms of either space or build quality. I like the K10 for the character it has and IMO is not a ‘dinky’ car as some of the tall boys are

+1 regarding the dalda tin can thing. The car's too tinny. I for once left my thumb impression (a thumb tip sized dent) on the bonnet while pressing it because the left part of the bonnet showed an abnormal panel gap (reason still unknown and it developed just after 3rd service). Very true that other B segment hatches also have very limited rear space except possibly the New Wagon R which again has it's limitations because of being a tall boy, which is NOT AT ALL ACCEPTABLE to me.
And regarding the K&N filter, I'm interested but don't think I'm going to get them installed before I start earning, because my father's going to raise some serious suspicion about me becoming a boy racer. I'm the only petrolhead in a PURE NON PETROLHEAD family :-P
Keep 'em revving!

[redline9500]

From the past two weeks I am noticing a clattering sound from the engine between 2000 and 2500 rpm. Sounds like engine knocking but its only within this rpm range. What could be the probable reason?

[volkman10]

Maruti Suzuki introduces Alto 800 VXi variant with airbag for Rs 3.31 lakh.

The VXi variant was launched on the 17th of June and has all four power windows and central locking as additional features over the LXI variant. The addition of the airbag for this variant was expected to happen soon and is most likely a step to make the car more appealing to a wider range of buyers

http://www.carwale.com/news/10964-ma...-331-lakh.html

[avishar]

Originally Posted by chbpreddy

No further issues with heating seen. Not sure what was the issue earlier. Been on a couple of 50 km runs. So far great. Compared to Spark, I'm missing the great ergonomics in the driving seat (I'm 5' 6''), space in rear seat (can seat only two in Alto K10 while Spark easily accommodated three). I gained performance (this car is amazing after 2100 rpm with / without AC ) , feel of a solid build, great control. Overall, happy with the switch from Spark. I'm still not sure about the high speed stability and confidence. If someone is planning similar move (Spark -> Alto K10) , I could help with any queries.

I have done highway runs with Ac 4 people and luggage and she does 100-110 all day without much effort.

Below 2,000k the engine is dead,very bad low end grunt.But cross 2k and she pulls like a terrified terrier between 2-4k.I have done shifts at 6K quite a few times and its a engine which enjoys to be revved.But the meat of the torque is between 2.5-5K.In third you can top out at 100kmph at 5.5 and that sweet shift to 4th can be done superfast,but its no use holding till redline,because the torque tapers of very fast.

Fastest i have been is is 140kmph and it reached here without feeling as if the engine was being strangled.It was a early sunday drive and i got on a 3km long dead straight highway here in kolkata.Seeing that highway was almost devoid of traffic,rolled windows up,downshifted to third and floored it.I saw 140 kmph came up soon and held it there,there was still some more to go,but i backed off.Engine was sounding sweet,not gruff and car composed.No vibrations,no steering judder.Only problem is if there are strong crosswinds you will feel buffeting.Other than that it wont jump around at high speeds.

Chassis-wise its a good car.Nothing great.No swift dynamics here.I have chucked it around corners at 40-50kmph and you can feel the car tending to understeer.Steering feedback is a bit numb,it does not weigh up much even when you are doing fast direction changes,but its accurate.Much better than an i10.Body roll is not that bad.

My only problem is sometimes the gearbox gets a bit recalcitrant.Especially the 1-2nd shift.

[vinu_h]

Originally Posted by avishar

Below 2,000k the engine is dead,very bad low end grunt

Being a low rpm driver, I'm usually under 2k, meaning that I engage the 5th at around 40kmph speed. The K10 takes it quite well. When in 1st gear, do you notice an unusual jump, when going by 0.9k RPM ?

Originally Posted by avishar

My only problem is sometimes the gearbox gets a bit recalcitrant.Especially the 1-2nd shift.

It's the 4th to 5th for me. I shouldn't, but, I sometimes end up taking my eyes off the road to ensure that it actually is in 5th.