Suzuki Australia today made the nation’s cheapest car – the Suzuki Alto – better value and even safer by making electronic stability program standard in the entry-level GL model.

The Alto GL now features ESP, ABS, six airbags, body-coloured door handles and external mirrors, and a height adjustable driver’s seat as standard, and all from $12,490 ($13,990 automatic) driveaway.

The other model in the line-up, the GLX, also benefits from a specification upgrade, with alloy wheels and fog lamps now standard. The price – $12,990 driveaway for the five-speed manual, $14,490 for the four-speed automatic – remains unchanged.

Suzuki Australia general manager, Tony Devers, said there was no car that matched the Alto’s combination of four-star safety and value.

“Unlike some of our competitors, we have included the potentially life-saving technology at no extra charge to customers,” Me Devers said.

“With a fuel economy of just 4.7 litres/100km, Alto has always been one of the cleanest cars on the planet. Now with the addition of ESP as standard across the range it’s also one of the safest.”