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The fourth car to get the K10 series engine in Maruti Suzuki’s line-up and I had to ask the senior management —how many more engine bays are there left? Amused by the question, they just looked up, smiled and said, “You keep watching.”At first, the Alto K10 seemed improbable, even questionable, but it seems Maruti Suzuki sometimes understands market desires better than the market itself and going by the buzz this model is about to create, I wouldn’t be surprised if it would be a runaway success.
The Alto is the biggest selling car in the country and for many, it is the first four-wheeler in their lives. And that role is something the Alto does beautifully. It is compact, has an energetic engine, easy to hone your driving skills in and gives a gazillion kilometres to the litre. Its reliability and its friendly nature have made it the de facto first car for a whole host of us Indians. But the popularity notwithstanding, it’s 10 years old already.
Enter the new Alto K10 — the first major refresh since the original one went on sale. The refresh is relatively minor, but appearances can be deceiving. Maruti Suzuki has altered the length of the car to make it some 125 mm longer, but all that length increase has been achieved by creating more space for the engine in the bonnet area. The headlamps are new with amber coloured turn indicators in the receptacle, the bumper has a wider air-dam with fog lamps for the VXi model as well as a new chrome strip on the grille and slightly revised slats. On the flanks, the car gets a new side strip, new wheel caps and Zen-inspired rear view mirrors while at the rear new tail-lamps and a new tailgate with a repositioned number plate, bumper and a K10 badge make the difference.
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