The tiny Suzuki Alto is one of the best mileage cars to be released. It is also one of the cheapest new cars you can buy, so saves you money in two ways.
Car makers these days are desperately trying to convince us that they've always been green companies and Suzuki are no different: 'Weaved throughout the rich 100 year history of Suzuki is the story of a company that has dedicated itself to environmental awareness and sustainability'. I'll let you decide whether you believe them or whether you think their interest in best mileage cars is because theres money to be made in them. Its interesting how car manufacturers have never previously told us about their devotion to the environment, but suddenly they're all saying they're green companies. Don't get me wrong I think its good news if they start being friendlier to the environment, just don't try and feed us junk that you've always been environmentally friendly.
Anyway, thats my rant out of the way, lets get back to the new economical car - the Suzuki Alto. Interesting name for a car. I don't think it exactly rolls off the tongue and is it supposed to be pronounced 'Al' as in 'Altitude' or 'Al' as in 'All'? Suzuki say their primary target market for this best mileage car is the over 45's. This is interesting because I, like most people, thought that mainly young people bought these cheap, small and fuel efficient cars. However Suzuki says that although the advertising themes are young, most buyers are over 45 years old. The remaining buyers are split between 18 to 25 year olds who want a practical city car and cost conscious buyers who would otherwise be thinking about purchasing a used car. Within all these groups there will be a percentage of people who will be buying an economical car for the planets sake (hence Suzuki's claim of green credentials).
As far as fuel efficiency goes the Alto is certainly one of the best mileage cars. It returns a fuel mileage of only 4.8 litres per 100km and kicks out just 113g of CO2 per km. These fuel efficiency and emissions figures are very low indeed. Although not quite as good as the Prius figures, the Suzuki Alto is a third of the price and this will be a big selling point in its favour. The fuel economy and emissions jump by 15% if you opt for the automatic gearbox which is a shame however the figures are still pretty low. Suzuki claim the lowest total running costs of any vehicle on the market (big claim!). One disadvantage in terms of running costs though is that the Alto requires premium fuel. It won't damage the car straight away if you use standard fuel, but performance and fuel economy will suffer and the engine will wear out quicker if you continue to use standard fuel. Suzuki have said that you may also void your warranty.
The base model Alto includes air conditioning, electric windows, MP3 compatible stereo, remote central locking, anti lock brakes and 6 airbags. Pretty good for a budget car. Although its a very small car it does have 5 doors, but only 4 seatbelts. The Alto is not able to carry 5 adults so if this is important to you, you should look elsewhere. Stability control is an optional extra, as are alloy wheels and fog lights.
The car itself, while not as fun to drive as some other best mileage cars, such as the Mini, has perfectly acceptable driving dynamics. It feels solid and the handling is good. The engine is an eager 1 litre 3 cylinder petrol unit that can be noisy at times but is lively. Considering it only produces 50 kW of power it doesn't feel slow although if you're carrying 4 adults you'll need to keep the revs right on their optimum level or you'll be falling behind the traffic. Gearbox options are either a 5 speed manual or 4 speed auto. The manual gearbox does feel a bit clunky.
The Alto is only 3.5 metres long and weighs just 880kg. Its a pretty car that should appeal to buyers. Build quality is neither the best or the worst - its probably somewhere in the middle. Theres enough luggage space for two good sized bags but if you need more space than this the rear seats fold quickly and easily. Theres no glovebox in the front.
Overall the new Suzuki Alto should be good competition for its rivals - other small and cheap best mileage cars, such as the Hyundai Getz. You should definitely consider taking the Alto for a test drive if you're in the market for an efficient car of this size.