Suzuki Alto SZ2 Car Review

Facts At A Glance
Car: Suzuki Alto SZ2
Prices: £7,495 – on the road
Insurance Group: 1E
Emissions: 103g/km
Performance: 0-60mph 13.5s / top speed 96mph
Fuel Consumption: (urban) 51.4mpg, (extra urban) 74.3mpg, (combined) 64.2mpg
Safety: twin front and side airbags, ABS
Dimensions: length/width/heightmm 3500/1600/1470

VISUAL BASIC

Our Rating: 5.9 / 10

Suzuki’s entry-level Alto SZ2 has a lot riding on it. Steve Walker reports.

A lot of very clever people have thought long and hard about the future of the automotive industry and the consensus seems to be that cars are going to have to get smaller. That must be music to the ears of Suzuki, a company with half a century of experience in producing small cars. With the age of the gas-guzzler apparently all but up, the market should be moving in the Japanese marque’s direction and the Alto city car could be a major beneficiary, particularly in entry-level SZ2 form.

Check out the advertising campaign being run for any new car and the quoted prices should be taken with a pinch of salt. It’s certainly true that you will be able to get the model in question for the measly sum that leaps off the page or out of the TV screen at you but it’ll be the car at it’s most disappointingly Spartan. Equipment levels that would be outshone by a wheelbarrow and the wow factor of a boiled potato will be major turn-offs in the showroom but it matters not because by this stage the entry-level car has done its job. Some customers will buy at this basic point but only a few because, as the sales staff will delight in pointing out, for only a few pounds more, they can get the plusher, higher spec model that looks and feels so much more satisfying. In the Suzuki Alto range, things are a little different, it’s the SZ2 model that acts as entry-level bait but despite the low price, it’s not the empty shell you might imagine.

All Suzuki Altos get the same 1.0-litre 3-cylinder engine. It’s a modern unit boasting four valves per cylinder and aluminium construction which helps to keep weight down. It generates 66bhp at 6,000rpm and although it can struggle on inclines or when there’s a heavy load on board forcing you to stay on top of the gears, it’s adequate for travelling one-up around town as most city cars tend to do. The engine noise is quite prevalent but it’s not unpleasant and even sounds mildly sporty at higher revs. When cruising, it settles down well and only the wind noise is really noticeable.

The Alto isn’t a particularly slick operator on the road, the gear box has a nice short throw but there’s a notchy quality to the shifts and it sometimes seems reluctant to slot into reverse. The steering lacks precision when you’re making small adjustments around the straight ahead and, although it’s well weighted to inspire confidence through corners, it can feel heavy during low speed drills. The suspension doesn’t respond well to poor surfaces but is comfortable enough on good roads and the Alto turns neatly without too much body roll. We’ve come to expect quite a lot from our city cars where driving dynamics are concerned and the Alto doesn’t quite match up to the class leaders but customers in a market for a nippy urban runabout shouldn’t be put off.

It’s no longer enough for city cars to be space efficient wheeled boxes. Customers have come to expect a certain cheeky style and the likes of the Fiat 500, smart fortwo and Toyota iQ have delivered it. The Alto isn’t in this league in terms of its cute factor or its price but it’s a far from unappealing proposition with its big teardrop headlights and rising side window line. The C-pillars are rather large and this doesn’t help rear visibility but the five-door body style offers decent practicality. With a couple of six-footers in the front, there’s adequate space for a couple more to squeeze into the back seats. Head room is good and there’s a boot behind of a reasonable but not spectacular 129-litres that can increase to 367-litres with the seats folded flat.

The interior design of the Alto is rather less successful than the exterior. The grey plastics that used to be the staple of budget small cars a few years back no longer quite cut it and some of the Alto’s aren’t of the best quality. The controls are chunky and simple to operate in the best Suzuki traditions and the stereo is well designed with nicer finishes than you’ll encounter elsewhere. A wide, deep pocket on the passenger side takes the place of a