Suzuki Alto 1.0

Our little Alto has been battling through the winter as bravely as it can, but there are some concerns about build quality.

The first war wound followed from a back-end shunt and now what must be a torn hose means that when the rear windscreen washer is engaged, the driver gets their feet wet.

It’s this sort of issue that could cause problems for dealers with unhappy customers, but it’s also a chance to show just how professional they can be.

Many UK consumers would still show some snobbery over the fact that the Alto is built in India.

It would be interesting to know whether any sales executives mention it within the sales process.

Dealers will have to capitalise on the attention the scrappage scheme has brought to the brand on what was Suzuki’s most affordable model under the discount.

The extra sales the Alto has added through the scrappage scheme has boosted Suzuki’s market share from 0.68% in November 2008 to 1.36% in the same month this year, with 1,471 extra new car registrations in November alone.

The Alto has sold 6,000 units since it went on sale in March this year.

The Alto is an attractive package at an affordable price and one area that sales executives can highlight is the car’s participation in the MPG marathon across Australia ,where it returned an average of 72mpg.

Carbon dioxide emissions of 103g/km mean buyers only have to pay £35 for their vehicle excise duty.

Customers should not underestimate the space in the Alto when the seats in the back are put down. It swallowed up a dining table “like the Tardis” with the available 367 litres.

The Alto is subject to a recall so there will be an update on that in the next report.