Back
in
2014,
Maruti
Suzuki
surprised
the
Indian
car
market
by
plopping
its
K10
series
1.0-litre
engine
under
the
bonnet
of
the
humble
Alto.
With
its
bigger
engine
and
more
aggressive
styling,
the
Alto
K10
proved
to
be
a
popular
entry-level
offering
from
Maruti
Suzuki
before
it
was
discontinued
due
to
BS6
emission
norms
in
April
2020.
Now
though,
the
Alto
K10
is
back
in
a
more
rounded
cheerful
shape
that
promises
to
get
India
on
the
road
again.
So
does
the
new
Maruti
Suzuki
Alto
K10
retain
the
charm
of
its
predecessor,
or
is
that
curvy
cheerful
new
grille,
the
site
of
an
own
goal
from
India’s
largest
carmaker.
We
drove
the
new
Maruti
Suzuki
Alto
K10
in
Kochi
to
find
out…
2022
Maruti
Suzuki
Alto
K10
Design
&
Features
–
Cute
&
Not
Much
More
The
new
2022
Alto
K10
features
a
very
simple
design
that
features
a
few
eye
catching
points
that
should
hopefully
draw
customers
into
the
showrooms
to
get
their
first
car
with
its
Celerio-like
design.
At
the
front,
the
new
Alto
K10
sports
a
large,
gaping
grille
with
the
Suzuki
badge
sitting
above
it.
Also
seen
are
a
new
set
of
wraparound
halogen
headlights
that
sit
on
the
edges
of
the
bonnet.
The
Alto
K10
sculpted
front
bumper
also
features
a
sleek
central
intake
that
sits
under
the
new
grille.
The
sides
of
the
new
2022
Alto
K10
feature
a
few
more
character
lines
including
a
very
prominent
shoulder
line.
The
Alto
K10
features
indicators
mounted
to
the
side
fenders
and
a
set
o
tiny
13-inch
steel
wheels
shod
with
skinny
tyres.
At
the
rear,
the
Alto
K10
sports
a
small
integrated
spoiler,
a
set
of
squared
off
taillights
and
a
high
mounted
third
brake
light.
The
rear
bumper
like
the
one
at
the
front
looks
quite
sculpted
as
well.
Step
inside
the
new
Alto
K10
and
you’re
greeted
by
a
mostly
black
interior.
There
are
a
few
exceptions
to
this
rule
in
the
form
of
silver
highlights
on
the
steering
wheel
and
around
the
new
infotainment
screen.
Speaking
about
the
new
infotainment
unit,
the
Alto
K10’s
sports
a
touchscreen
display
measuring
7
inches
across
with
support
for
both
Android
Auto
and
Apple
Car
Play.
The
infotainment
setup
is
connected
toa
4-speaker
audio
system.
The
new
Alto
K10
also
features
a
digital
instrument
cluster
on
the
top-spec
VXi+
model
ahead
of
which
sits
a
new
steering
wheel
with
the
aforementioned
design
accents
and
controls
for
the
phone
and
volume
mounted
onto
it.
The
seats
provide
the
other
contrast
from
the
dark
black
of
the
interior
theme
with
grey
central
inserts
adding
a
bit
of
excitement.
The
seats
offer
decent
levels
of
comfort
with
the
driver’s
seat
offering
height
adjustment.
Seating
three
adults
at
the
rear
though
still
feels
like
a
bit
of
squeeze.
However,
the
rear
seats
offer
decent
amounts
of
knee
room
and
headroom
for
the
regular
Indian
buyer.
However,
one
annoyance
for
those
at
the
rear
are
the
roll
down
windows,
which
just
seems
like
trivial
cost
cutting.
In
terms
of
safety
equipment,
the
Alto
K10
offers
the
basic
standards
for
this
section
of
the
car
market
in
the
form
of
dual
airbags,
front
seat
belt
pretensioners
and
ABS
with
EBD.
Maruti
is
also
offering
two
customizations
packages
for
the
new
Alto
K10
–
Glinto
and
Impacto
with
the
former
adding
all
the
blingy
chrome
that
most
Indian
buyers
adore.
The
Maruti
Suzuki
Alto
K10
is
offered
in
6
colour
options
–
Solid
White,
Silky
Silver,
Granite
Grey,
Sizzling
Red,
Speedy
Blue
and
Earth
Gold.
2022
Maruti
Suzuki
Alto
K10
Engine
&
Gearbox
Options
The
2022
Alto
K10
sports
Maruti
Suzuki’s
latest
K10C
DualJet,
Dual
VVT
three-cylinder
engine.
The
new
998cc
powerplant
offers
up
66bhp
at
5,500rpm
and
89Nm
of
peak
torque
at
3,500rpm.
Power
is
sent
to
the
front
wheels
with
the
help
of
either
5-speed
manual
or
5-speed
AMT
transmissions.
The
power
figure
does
not
excite
and
it
shouldn’t
as
the
tiny
three-pot
is
tuned
to
deliver
mileage
(hence
the
annoyingly
skinny
tyres
and
tiny
wheels)
with
the
manual
variant
delivering
24.39km/l
and
the
AMT
offering
up
24.90km/l
(ARAI
testing).
The
new
Suzuki
Alto
K10
is
3,530mm
long,
1,490mm
wide
and
1,520mm
tall.
The
wheelbase
of
the
Alto
K10
is
2,380mm
long
and
the
car
weighs
in
at
1,150
kilogrammes.
The
new
2022
Alto
K10
is
85mm
longer,
45mm
taller
and
spots
a
20mm
longer
wheelbase
compared
to
the
previous
car
that
bore
that
nametag
which
is
mostly
thanks
to
the
Heartect
platform
that
underpins
the
new
car.
The
Maruti
Suzuki
Alto
K10’s
tiny
13-inch
steel
wheels
are
shod
with
145/80
R13
tyres.
Maruti
Suzuki
Alto
K10
Driving
Impressions
–
Peppy
City
Slicker
The
Alto
K10’s
new
DualJet
Dual
VVT
engine
offers
enough
power
to
help
the
new
hatchback
navigate
the
city
streets
with
ease.
The
peppy
engine
is
responsive
when
you
mash
down
your
right
foot
and
allows
the
new
K10
to
cruise
at
triple
digit
speeds
on
the
highway.
However,
under
full
load,
the
Alto
K10
does
take
some
time
to
get
to
those
speeds
and
the
engine
can
get
a
bit
noisy
at
higher
rpms.
Of
the
two
gearboxes
we
found
the
manual
the
easier
to
recommend
for
those
looking
to
actually
drive
the
Alto
thanks
to
its
light
clutch,
though
the
shifts
sometimes
felt
a
bit
notchy.
For
those
looking
to
get
from
point
A
to
B
,
ie:
the
daily
city
commute,
without
much
hassle,
the
AMT
is
the
gearbox
to
go
for.
However,
the
AMT
does
feel
a
bit
jerky
when
shifting
through
the
gears
at
lower
speeds.
However,
if
you
do
press
the
loud
pedal,
the
AMT
is
willing
to
shift
down
a
gear
to
give
drivers
a
burst
of
acceleration
to
complete
an
overtake.
The
brakes
on
the
new
Alto
are
more
than
adequate
for
a
car
this
light.
The
brake
pedal
does
not
offer
much
travel
and
is
easy
to
operate.
The
steering
wheel
on
the
other
hand
is
a
different
kettle
of
fish.
It
doesn’t
self-centre
easily
and
drivers
will
need
to
keep
a
gimlet
eye
on
it
to
ensure
the
K10
does
not
stray
away
from
the
straight
path.
We
also
found
it
to
be
a
tad
on
the
heavy
side,
which
isn’t
that
great
for
a
car
targeted
at
first
time
buyers.
The
suspension
though
is
the
best
part
about
the
new
2022
Alto
K10.
On
smooth
roads,
the
Alto
K10
glides
along
with
ease
and
even
on
rough
roads,
the
new
hatch
maintains
its
composure
at
low
to
medium
speed
levels.
Only
at
high
speeds
on
rough
patches
does
the
new
Alto
K10’s
suspension
setup
allow
the
thuds
and
groans
to
annoy
those
sitting
inside
the
cabin.
Also
the
lightweight
nature
of
the
new
K10
ensures
that
body
roll
remains
almost
non-existent
which
allows
drivers
to
go
though
corners
and
turns
confidently.
For
an
entry-level
car,
the
new
Maruti
Suzuki
Alto
K10
offers
good
NVH
levels
with
engine
noise
creeping
in
only
at
the
higher
end
of
the
rev
counter.
In
terms
of
safety,
we
feel
that
the
addition
of
a
rear-view
camera
would
have
been
choice
for
first-time
car
buyers
looking
to
park
in
rather
tight
spots.
Thoughts
About
The
2022
Maruti
Suzuki
Alto
K10
–
The
Smiley
Faced
Everyday
Normal
Car
The
new
2022
Maruti
Suzuki
Alto
K10
sees
India’s
largest
carmaker
once
again
recycle
the
entry-level
Alto
hatchback
to
make
it
more
appealing
for
the
first-time
car
buyer.
With
its
smiley-faced
looks,
new
infotainment
display
and
fuel-sipping
engine,
the
new
2022
Alto
K10
looks
like
a
surefire
winner
for
Maruti
Suzuki.
