Take a SPIN around Town. Review on Maruti Suzuki Alto LX

Boy does this car ?spin?. The first thing that alarmed me was the ease with which I steered out of the parking lot and believe me it was quite a tight squeeze. If your not used to the power steering, the car requires a little getting used to. Small as it is, the power steering is an added bonus especially while negotiating a tight spot in traffic jams which is a breeze.

The Alto with its high ground clearance makes for comfortable entry and exit from the car. The sitting position is also slightly upright. This in effect makes for clearer all around visibility. Though my first impression was of the car being a bit cramped, especially when I reached for something in my trouser pockets, you do tend to adjust to the insufficient elbowroom. What is lost in space is made up in comfort, which I realised on a long leisurely drive.

The Armrest on door panels makes for comfortable cruising. Of it?s road-handling abilities, well lets start with the suspension that I give cent percent. Potholes, bad patches unexpected speed breakers, well the car sailed over all of them without me feeling a thing within the cabin. Its high ground clearance yet again is a winner in this department.

The Alto handles well on turns especially if it?s a U. Both at low & high speeds the steering responds in conjunction with the car. For it?s diminutive appearance don?t be fooled, the Alto does fly. From standstill the Alto can lunge forward effortlessly, but what is the most fun is the way the engine responds in fifth gear. The range on fifth is a better half of the calibrations on the speedometer.

Of course the pick up does suffer drastically on low gears with the Air conditioning running. So with the windows rolled down, you could have the wind in your hair, which in my case most often looks like I just got the fright of my life, or then have them rolled up and be oblivious to the world outside.

All you hear with the windows rolled up is the purring of the engine and with the Air conditioning on, is the sound of the blowers, unless you?ve got some crazy truck driver blaring his power horn beside you. The Alto is as competent at coming to a standstill as it is to taking off. The brakes are extremely responsive and it doesn?t require much effort to get this car to stop, even in case of an emergency.

Well that brings me to the cabin. Normal upholstery, functional controls which makes for a very simple driving and a powerful AC - an AC that can send chills down your spine in a couple of minutes. Add to that a powerful blower and you?re talking sub zero temperatures in the cabin. What stands out in the instrumentation is the digital trip meter.

The other controls are quite the usual. Utility wise the side door pockets, ideal for road maps or magazines, the cup holders, though a bit beyond reach when you have your seat as far back as I do to accommodate my legs, are handy and the passenger side dash has ample space, again ideal for keys or other small knick knacks.

On value addition, lack of vanity mirrors on the sunshades was a bit surprising, but more than made up for by the remote fuel release. The car could do with a night vision rear view mirror. The cabin light is pretty bright, so you don?t need to worry if you dropped something on the floor of the car at night; you?re bound to find it. I liked the single unit, triple nozzle windscreen water jet; it does spray the screen pretty evenly.

Also I think all cars these days should come with a stereo as standard fitment. Entry-level cars with basic sets and as you go for the bigger cars the more expensive ones. I?m not too choose about power windows so I didn?t quite feel any loss there. All said and done at Rs. 3.19 the Alto LXi should be one of the top contenders on your list, if you are a first time buyer. The hottest little car warrants a spin around town and in its vibrant new colours should make a few heads turn too.