Suzuki Alto achieves four-star ANCAP rating

By Matt Brogan | June 15th, 2009

The sub-light Suzuki Alto has achieved an impressive four-star ANCAP rating ahead of its August 1 sales debut.

Alto offers six airbags as standard and also offers the availability of ESP on its higher specification model.

“Suzuki is proud to be the first local car company to offer a vehicle with not only the fuel economy of a hybrid at one third of the price but with such high levels of safety as well,” says Suzuki Australia General Manager Tony Devers. “Alto will be the answer for budget conscious customers who aren’t willing sacrifice on style, safety or performance. It matches the lifestyle needs of today’s motorists whilst meeting the pressing global need for environmental efficiencies”.

The Alto highlights Suzuki’s focus on safety with every passenger car in the Australia line-up now having achieved a minimum four-star ANCAP rating.

Simonsez

It’s light years ahead of the Mighty Boy in that case.
FrugalOne

Going on history, this won’t sell.

Still a big[sic] resistance to buy these Kei sized cars designed for Japan.

I think its time to raise the 5-star crash testing to at least 6 or 7, make the car makes push the bar higher.

Any news on their BIG sedan, that could well sell a storm [subject to the price]

Cheers

F-0
Will

Where is that can of Glen 20???
Alex

I think that’s perfectly respectable for a car like this. After all, they make them for town and you’d probably never crash at any faster than 30 km/h in town anyway, if you could even get up to that. That interior is a bit cheap looking though, I’d much rather a Peugeot 107.
Yianni

Isn’t this supposed to be the cheapest car in Australian when launched?

I don’t think we can expect too much from it considering the market it’s aimed at and the price it will go for.

In theory though it should be a decent city car consuming under 5L/100KM and costing under 12G.

I agree with the above poster though, the Citroen C1, Peugeot 107 and Toyota Augo would have been awesome.

Sadly though I don’t think we’ll ever see them in Australia.
FrugalOne

Won’t be the cheapest new car in Oz for long, the Chinese [GWM] are nearly hear, “under $10k” for a proper loaded vehicle, time will tell if its any good, if it had Holden badges on it the punters would buy them by the truck load!

Lets wait and see before we comment either way!

Get a old CarAustralia, ModernMotor magazine out and see how much cheaper cars are today, amazing really!

Cheers

F-0

PS../When can the Nano come here?
Yanzo

who would drive such a thing?
mikyway

well done Suzy
Jake02

I agree Mikyway, good on Suzuki. Many cheap cars get rubbish safety ratings (Barina; it doesnt even have ABS to avoid the crash and yet once you’re in there you have 4 stars) and 6 airbags as standard is great! I reckon this thing well sell resonably well (as long as the price is about $12k), and Suzuki deserves it; their new range of cars are very good!
http://carz.com/ Carz

Well it’s definitely something. An achievement for Suzuki I guess. They are improving and producing great cars lately.
Tony

just out of sheer morbid interest this is not a Kei car

according to the UK site it has a 1.0 litre

the next size up is the Suzuki Splash with a 1.0 to 1.3 litre option

it’s a tad smaller than the Fiat Panda/500

again this is like the Hyundai i10/i20 – i don’t know what the Swift can do that an Alto can’t do???

i don’t have a issue with a car like this one the market… i probably wouldn’t buy one prefering the Toyota Aygo

but I fear that they will never bring them here… Toyota and Hyundai probably don’t wish to bring in $11,990 cars that may cannibalise sales from their higher priced offerings
Warren

I don’t think Suzuki have ever claimed that it will be the cheapest car in Australia, but by its reported fuel usage and reduced carbon emissions, it stands to be one of the most economical and environmentally conscious petrol engine 5 door for its price.

If the Peugeot 107 was available here, current exchange rates would have it being in the order of $17K – a far cry from where Suzukui’s latest appears to be directed.

I saw it at Greenfest, and was pleasantly surprised that it didn’t possess the boggley eyed squishy look that so many small cars can. Like the Swift, it would appear that Suzuki have again got it right – although clearly not designed for football trips to Alice Springs.
milkyway

Suzy’s going back where it started-making good small cars. I’ve driven their 1st car and it was very good given it’s their maiden attempt in making cars. I’ve also driven their current Grand Vitara which hasn’t got ground breaking technology but it’s a car that has simple answers to our daily needs. Suzy should be praised for yet another fine effort.
Absi

I like the 107, aygo etc too, but i doubt if they would be in the same price category if and when they do make it to australia!
Mitch

If everyone else on the road was driving a vehicle of similar size then I would feel safe in this little dinky car, but 4 star, 5 star or 7 star ratings arent going to be worth much when you are hit by a large sedan or a 4wd at any serious speed in one of these.
Absi

Mitch – you could be driving a truck and hit something bigger .. that risk is always going to be there..

u could drive a car and hit a pole doing a 100kmph and no matter how many air-bags or safety features you have nothing will help then…

often people forget that cars – like most other machines – need to be used responsibly and are dangerous …

I think driving a car is now considered a right, rather than a privileged…. people take driving for granted and ignore safety.