The return of the poor man’s pocket rocket!
The Alto K10 is where the Indians who were seeking “fun on a super-tight budget” went. I mean, it really was “a poor man’s pocket rocket”, that was until Maruti Suzuki decided to discontinue the model in early 2020, apparently to promote a strange new contraption at the time called the S-Presso. The S-Presso had problems right from the very beginning; it was marketed as a “mini-SUV”, and it looked, well, weird. I mean, its styling was nowhere near as thoughtful as that of the Kwid; it looked as if something that was designed overnight to beat the competition.
And I think it was in November 2020 when the S-Presso failed the GNCAP crash tests, MSIL realized that it made a mistake discontinuing the K10, and probably started working on a new one right away. The S-Presso still exists, but no one really gives a f*** anymore, and so, there’s no better time to re-introduce the K10 brand isn’t it? Well, here it is then, with prices starting at INR 3.99 lakh, ex-showroom, Delhi.
| Trim | MT | AGS (AMT) |
| Standard | 3,99,000 | – |
| LXi | 4,82,000 | – |
| VXi | 4,99,500 | 5,49,500 |
| VXi+ | 5,33,500 | 5,83,500 |
And BTW, the new Alto K10 will be sold under the regular Maruti dealerships (Maruti Suzuki Arena) and not NEXA.
As for styling, the new Alto K10 certainly looks a lot better than the S-Presso. Which means, those who don’t like the looks of the S-Presso can pick this one, because, you know, it’s the same thing with just a different body. The thing I don’t like, however, is that the designers didn’t care enough to make a provision for front fog lights or at least some small running lights. But hey, at least they made a huge grin on the face, and hopefully, the car puts a huge grin on the driver’s face too. Other exterior highlights include honeycomb grille pattern and honeycomb-themed wheel covers.
Inside, depending on the trim, key features include a 7-inch SmartPlay studio infotainment system with smartphone connectivity; steering-mounted audio & voice controls; manual AC with heater; front power windows, and a digital speedometer. Safety kit includes dual front airbags, ABS with EBD, front seat belt reminder, and reverse parking sensors.
The new Alto K10 borrows its engine from the S-Presso. It’s a 1.0L (998 cc) 3-cylinder naturally aspirated petrol unit with 49 kW (67 metric hp) and 89 Nm (66 lb-ft) of torque. The engine can be coupled with either a 5-speed manual gearbox or an AMT.
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