Before the S-Presso became Suzuki’s most affordable vehicle in the country, there was the Alto 800. First launched in the late 2000s, it came with a small yet fuel-efficient 0.8-liter three-cylinder engine that was mated to a 5-speed manual gearbox. Paired with a lightweight hatchback body, the Alto 800 catered to those who need a tiny five-door that won’t break the bank and is easy on the fuel bills.
Seeing that it was a popular vehicle (at the time), Suzuki also decided to launch the Alto K10. Instead of an 0.8-liter inline-three powering the wheels, it was equipped with a 1.0-liter K10B that puts out 68 PS and 90 Nm of torque. Sadly, it only stayed in the market for a short time as the 1.0-liter engine was soon only available on the Celerio. When the S-Presso finally arrived, it replaced the Alto as Suzuki’s entry-level model and is also powered by the K10 series engine.
While the Philippine market had to say goodbye to the Alto hatchback, over in its home market in India, the automaker has just revealed the all-new Alto K10. Now in its third generation, the Alto K10 sits above the standard 800 models and below the Wagon R and Celerio hatchbacks.
Like most hatchbacks Suzuki is selling today, the all-new Alto K10 features a retro-inspired design. However, Suzuki decided to give the new hatchback a more modern appearance that’s complemented by soft curves and sleek lines. The front fascia features a huge grille, larger headlights, and restyled bumper. The rear, on the other hand, now comes with a new pair of taillights and a restyled tailgate. Despite being all-new, the Alto K10 continues to come with 13-inch steelies fitted with hubcaps.
The variants will dictate the exterior accents. The Impacto features colorful touches while the Glinto has more chrome than usual. Size-wise, it measures 3,530 mm long, 1,490 mm wide, and 1,520 mm tall. The Alto K10 also has a 2380mm wheelbase which makes it 85 mm longer than the previous Alto model.
Moving inside, the 2023 Alto K10 gets a redesigned cabin that looks similar to the one found in the S-Presso. But unlike the S-Presso where the instrument cluster is mounted in the middle of the dashboard, it’s actually placed in front of the driver’s seat in the Alto K10. It also gets a large multi-function steering wheel borrowed from the Celerio, a touchscreen audio system with Apple CarPlay & Android Auto, ports for the USB, Aux, and 12V power socket, and dashboard-mounted power window switches.
From its namesake, the 2023 Alto K10 is powered by a 1.0-liter K10C three-cylinder that makes 67 PS and 89 Nm of torque. Power is then sent to the front wheels via a 5-speed manual gearbox or a 5-speed automated manual transmission (AMT) dubbed Auto Gear Shift (AGS). Aside from that, the new Alto K10 now sits on Suzuki’s Heartect platform which makes it safer than its predecessors.
Speaking of safety, the Alto K10 comes with anti-lock brakes with electronic brakeforce distribution, dual front airbags, reverse parking sensors, and automatic door locks.
With the all-new Alto K10 now on sale in India, will it make its way to the Philippine market? While it’s true the automaker currently sources several models from Maruti Suzuki (S-Presso, Celerio, Dzire, and the Jimny), the S-Presso has essentially replaced the hatchback in the country. But would you get one should Suzuki actually bring it here?
