A wanna be Eon

This is the verdict totally upon my drive of 135 Kms on my friends new Alto 800.

Exterior Maruti was in too much hurry to compete with Eon but some how it lacks appeal. To me the older one looks better.

Interior (Features, Space & Comfort) Interiors are decent but no comparison to Eon. plastic quality has improved but could have done better when u are competing with likes spark and eon. i feel sorry looking at the old adaptation of A/C knobs and almost the same console layout though new AC vents look cool.

Engine Performance, Fuel Economy and Gearbox Engine is smooth but the same age old problem of 800 cc engine. u switch on the AC and car pick up is dead. on highways when u are overtaking other vehicles like a truck make sure u switch off the AC cos u will never have enough power to do so. gear shifts have certainly got smoother. its easier now to shift from 5th gear to 4th. milage is undoubtedly great.

Ride Quality & Handling Ride quality is decent but not advisable to take turns at high speed. engine feels cranky when passes 100 km/hr. tyres could have been R13 type. Power steering communicates good. seats are not too comfortable. could b a problem for fat guys.

Final Words Its a good car at this price tag but i would suggest go for Eon or Spark. many people will argue about marutis service but than hyundai have come a long long way in terms of service and chevrolet is giving u 3 years free car maintainance. unlike maruti hyundai and chevrolet doesnt have penetration into smaller towns but city commutors will certainly prefer eon and revamped spark over alto 800.

Areas of improvement Power, Space, looks, interiors.

Gear shift, fuel economy, a/clow power, seats, un proportional exteriors, very less boot space