2010 Maruti Alto K10

The first thing you realise when you set off in traffic is that this motor is really free-revving, constantly urging you to get a move on. It makes the Alto feel light and agile to drive. The car’s throttle responses have improved drastically and it pulls well from most engine speeds. The engine is hugely flexible and a thrill to drive. Thanks to this, the Alto now feels at home on the highway too. Overtaking is much easier and the Alto needs only a shift or two to accelerate with gusto.

Where the 796cc engine feels strained in the mid-range, the K-series motor feels relaxed and has an adequate reserve of power on tap.  However, the motor isn’t perfect. It does get thrummy after 4000rpm and the low-speed responses from the engine are not the strongest. There is also some degree of jerkiness when negotiating stop/start traffic as the three-cylinder motor doesn’t run smoothly. And this motor has an unsettled idle too that makes the cabin shudder.

Performance figures here are quite impressive. A flat-out sprint to 100kph will take a very impressive 15.87sec, which is a whopping 4.51sec faster than the 800cc engine. Thanks to good top-end performance, it will reach a top speed of 143kph. In-gear acceleration too is much improved. 20-80kph will take 15.13sec and 40-100kph takes 22.47sec which again is much quicker than the old 796cc engine. 

On the fuel efficiency front the Alto, with its light kerb weight and efficient engine, was always expected to be great. The new Alto gave us 14kpl in the city and a decent 17kpl on the highway. Revamping the looks and putting a new engine in the Alto’s bay is Maruti’s method of making this Indian bestseller even more aspirational. The new K-series engine is leagues ahead of the 796cc motor of yore. Not only is the new engine big on power but it delivers good fuel efficiency too.