A brilliant Japanese small car, nothing pretentious, nothing "cutesy", a car firmly aimed at the motorist on a budget who didn't have a large family to transport. Take note people, lots of cars on the road today with one occupant, stupid big SUVs (for example) who could do the journey in a tiddler like this. Want to make a difference to inner city pollution? Think small!
If you drive one of these, you are poor. If you are driving one of these, you do not give a cent about the crunch zones that may protect you. If you drive one of these, you are stuck in the past, you do not follow fashion. Ohwait. (Drive one of these, you'll most possibly won't even get to a stealership - no need to do repairs, it will not expire).
@@forresten if you drive these you will get rich. How many times have you totaled a car? Cars with less then 100hp are much less likely to get in a serious accident
I think 40hp sounds ample for this kind of car. The fiat 500 had 13, fiat Uno was available with 45 and was 400 kilos heavier and the Passat MK1 had 55. Proportionally this is a veritable powerhouse. :)
Base model Uno 45 was 710kg, Alto with the bigger engine in UK was 570kg. Uno was only 140kg heavier, 45 BHP engine from the 1960's but good enough to win European Car Of The Year. Alto is definitely cute though.
@@neilwalsh4058 I wasn't sticking it to the UNO and fiat has made some stonking engines over the years. Was just a comparative study of other cars that were available at the time. Fiat and Suzuki have both consistently made great tiny cars since forever. I'd have a UNO over a Lupo any day.
My Fiat 127 is 800kg with 45hp, and she loves to rev! And also works awesome in the city, highway is a little bit difficult for her but it's not meant to be use on the highway anyway haha
Oh by the way I'm 18 years old and I daily drive a Citroën DS3 cabrio 82hp and when I drive my fiat for pleasure I don't feel like I'm lacking horse power, it feels pretty fast even if on the outside it's slow asf ahahah
I had one with a different badge for years. Was an agile little puppy. 40 hp for a car that light was more than enough. Had a precise acceleration: pulled readily when you pushed the paddle, and abstained promptly when you lifted the foot.
That’s just an amazing little car! Love it! And that’s quite an impressive tea shelf. Small cars are so much fun to drive, less is definitely more. Great drive Matt!
Suzuki have always made brilliant good value little cars, unfortunately due to lack of sales in this country due to the rise in demand and popularity of the pretend Stupid Utility Vehicle style, complete opposite of the K class standard ( apart from 3 cylinder 1 litre engines been the vogue ) Suzuki have now stopped importing the last version of the Alto - the Celerio - shame, super little runaround
Indian Alto is still sold, and it's not exactly the same car but it's still have that feeling, lightness and powerful-enough - lovely sounding three cylinder engine.
over here in india, there are 3 models of the alto as of right now, there's an 800cc one called the alto 800, a 1000cc one called the alto k10 and the celerio. the celerio over here looks the same except for a few missing features like no rear fog lights, only two airbags, etc
Totally agree, what the hell is happening to car design and variety?! Everyone in Australia drives an SUV or a Twin Cab Ute, because our tax system encourages these huge cars. You can make a tax claim back if you use your vehicle for your own business or work. So if you're an architect for example and you have to go "onsite", like perhaps you'll have to drive through mud and ditches, then you get a VW Amarok (or as big & expensive as possible) and the taxman reimburses you. This kind of craziness is driving the size of cars into the monstrosities you'll now see on our roads. BTW I have a Fiat 500 TwinAir and it's absolutely perfect - even if i had to go "on a work site"... I'd park it and walk over with gumboots.
Hakan Koseoglu Maturi ? Suzuki sees a healthy market demand for such vehicles with inherent low cost and practicality in India, here is n the U.K. it seems the majority of car drivers are obsessed with bigger and more impressive cars more intent on impressing the neighbours and spending unnecessary cash, Britain it seems is a nation of car snobs more interested in gadgets than value for money, very few own cars, most are on a ‘3 year lease’ and so are not bothered about longevity and value, they just replace every 3 years with new and continue the large monthly outlay considering it as a monthly necessary living cost like a mortgage or tax bill. Don’t get me started about electric vehicles and their cost............
I had the Suzuki Samurai with the one litre engine when I was living in Australia in the 90’s and it was brilliant. Of course I never took it 4 wheel driving. These cars are like tiny houses, some love them and most wonder why.
My son Donovan in Australia bought a Suzuki Alto brand new in 2012 and it is still his daily driver! He lives in Newcastle New South Wales and works in the northern suburbs of Sydney. His round trip is over 200 km daily and the little car has served him very well with very few repairs required over all that time. By the way it is a 4 speed auto and much of his daily drive is on the freeway where the speed limit is 110 km/h. Suzuki cars are so reliable! I owned two Suzuki Grand Vitara 4x4 (a 1998 5 door and a 2016 3 door) as well as a 2015 Suzuki S- Cross. None of them gave me any trouble. The 3 door Grand Vitara 4x4 is still the daily driver for a young relative of mine who I sold it to when I remarried and retired and moved to the Philippines in 2017. A big thumbs up for Suzuki!
GOT, that one started off in my neck of the woods near Portsmouth. They were very popular with the older generation here and there were quite a few around. But they all pretty much disappeared overnight not even being seen in breaker's yards. They did have the old Japanese propensity to dissolve badly in unseen places... The Suzuki blanking plate in the middle next to the cigarette lighter is where the optional quartz clock would go in vehicles so equipped...
@@furiousdriving Yes, they only salt the roads in northern Japan, and then only really in the most severe conditions. That's why you're always strongly advised to get a Japan import thoroughly rust proofed before driving it on UK roads...
I absolutely love you for videos like this. Remember reading car magazines back in the day featuring road tests of these & other curious Japanese vehicles and thinking they were some kind of joke. How little I knew!
That gear linkage should either tighten up or just get some bushes made up for it, the fuel filter is a cav one that's used on tractors and industrial equipment and something that someone has put on, it should be capable of handling massive amounts of fuel through it before it needs changing so it would probably never need to be changed on that little car with what will be going through it, but I would definitely have a go at doing something with that gear linkage to tighten it up 🤗
Great to see this car! I have a 2010 Alto too, it used to be my daily driver. Hands down, it is one of the most reliable cars I've ever had with the most minimal running cost and decent fuel economy. Here in India, this model, the SS80 was lauched as the Maruti 800 (for it’s 800cc engine) with the F8B Carded engine. 15:30, you said that wrong. Maruti is an Indian company running on collaboration with Suzuki. In Pakistan it is known as the Suzuki Mehran, made by PakSuzuki.
This was actually my very first car, its amazing. Also for the owner of this car, I can assist in providing parts of all categories (engine, body, accessories) for this car. feel free to get in touch.
You need to review a daihatsu domino, they were just as tiny. My favourite though was the Toyota Starlet mk1, amazing little cars that fetch a lot of money in this day and age!
I miss the mechanical sounds of 80's motoring, cars these days cosset too much. Even my 20 year old S3 is too refined, the sounds from this wee Alto remind me of my Mk1 Fiesta Pop+ days 👌
Nice to see more Alto's still around, I love my 83 model, down here in Aus they were just called a Suzuki Hatch, I have the 4 speed 2 door 543cc, and she's quite happy around 80-90 KPH, keep up with the great reviews :)
This was the maruti 800 in India and it was sold for 30 years with many updates small and big over the years . The car which brought India to the modern age of motoring because otherwise we only had old cars from 60s with steering column shifter till this arrived ❤😍😎. Most indians back then learnt driving in this 🚗 . They stopped the production of this car only because they couldn't get it to meet the safety norms which were getting stricter otherwise the demand was still there . Long lives the legend of 800 🙌.
Maruti is from Gurgaon, INDIA and it was assembled as the Maruti 800 between 1984 and 1986 before it was replaced by the SB308 (released as a Maruti 800 facelift). These were iconic small hatchbacks back then and we had it at home when I was born. It was sold only when I was 5. There are lot of memories in the RED SS80.
Japanese cars had synchromesh on all gears in the 60's. Love how you open the bonnet. A lesson for modern cars. My 70's Mazda has an 8.6m turning circle and it's a much bigger car than this. Never seen a 4 door. These also came as vans and you could get them with an auto gearbox. 2 speed I think. Please show more 70's Mazdas, Datsuns and Hondas if you can.
Enjoyed this video massively. These are so rare nowadays, so cool that some people treasure these little gems. We had a Suzuki dealer in the region, and I saw these a lot in the 80s and early 90s. Like all cars of this era they all rusted away. But technical wise they where indestructible. I think that Suzuki plate next to the radio was for a clock, probably a option on this model and standard on the top of the range model. Keep doing these uncommon cars!
Suzuki SS400 (Alto) was a huuuuge success in Greece back then, due to low taxes (as were also Daihatsu Cuore, Subaru Rex etc.). Alas, rear spring leafs (in combination with small wheels) made it rather uncomfortable on bumpy greek roads...
Thanks for the memories 👍 we had one of these as our family car when I was a kid, it was metallic blue/purple with a tan interior I believe it was a B reg 1985 Remember going on holiday in it with parents and 2 brothers on the motorway in the slow lane being overtaken by everything
I still own one of these now. It's a 1985 model, known as the Suzuki FX 800. Here, people still use it, due to fuel efficiency, low maintenance costs and availability of parts!
Too be fair, that's a really tiny car and that's the biggest tea mug I've seen.. Maybe its a UK thing. Always loved these, great fun to drive but very small inside. Here in Holland most of them had vinyl seats and always cracked very badly at the seems.
Nice video. There were many of these here in Greece. Probably some still existing. If you could find one and make a video for the Peugeot 104 would be great!
Awesome little thing Matt! The Japanese always know how to make a fun, but small little car! Also....that is one of the best-sounding turn indicator flasher noises I've ever heard! :D
I'm absolutely in love. If I ever have the opportunity to buy one I will 100% go for it. There's an automatic one on marketplace and I'm sorely tempted to sell a kidney
Well guess what. i am using same Suzuki car in Pakistan it is 2012 Suzuki Mehran or Suzuki maruti 800 it has same engine no safety but fuel economic. it is discontinued since 2019 now Suzuki Alto has replaced it.
Small engine yes but same hp as say a Triumph Herald in a much lighter body. Surprised to see a toughened windscreen for the year, good luck finding a replacement. Wouldn't like to be inside if T boned by a Range Rover 😯
@@RussEdgar445y7tlfj Thanks for the link, scary stuff, that one had a laminated screen which people don't realise are structural on modern cars. Imagine an old rusty one, doesn't bare thinking about. I'm of the age when All screens were toughened, had to punch one out on the motorway once, glass everywhere, pouring with rain ! Modern drivers never had it so good lol.
What an amazing response you have had in the comments section for this little car, having owned many cars including a plethora of small cars over the years I am a now retired and run a Suzuki Celerio, I smile wryly at the money been poured away by the ‘owners’ , leaseholders really, of the majority of other car drivers. No car tax, 55mpg, £200 insurance, now that is luxury !!
I remember borrowing my uncle’s Alto in the mid to late 90’s when I worked at Nissan, fantastic fun to drive, only trouble it used to run hot because the radiator was knackered so I wired the cooling fan up to the horn (horn disconnected) so I just pressed the horn when it got hot at the traffic lights (temporary measure) Love little Suzuki’s especially the Swift. P.S There’s no live rails at road crossing’s just a gap in the 3rd rail (safety reasons) because it’s about 750v dc, the only time the running rail becomes live is if there’s a return fault I think ?
In 1981 the Alto FX was the cheapest car in its class, costing just £2,675, making it cheaper than either a Mini HL (£3,122) or a Ford Fiesta Popular (£3,336). Even a Fiat Panda 45 cost marginally more (£2,860). The marketing at the time claimed the Alto could do 0-60mph in a yawning 17.6 seconds from its 39.5 bhp engine, which delivered 43.4 lb ft of torque. 1980s motoring on a far eastern shoestring.
I remember seeing an Alto at the NEC during the British Motor Show in the early 1980s. It was a metallic brown car and I was amazed by its small dimensions and attention to detail. Always a fan of those early Suzukis, the SC100 was a favourite too. A great review.
I love this car so much more than the hideous blob you reviewed a week ago (Grande Punto). I love the way Suzuki manage to get so much space inside a small car, the visibility looks to be excellent, I can tell just by watching that the steering is very responsive indeed. There is also the argument that modern cars isolate the driver too much making it difficult to appreciate the speed you are traveling at, although this one might get a bit tiring on long journeys (but, to be completely fair, it is not a touring car!). Love the car - love the review. Thank you. :-)
Maruti in karachi is an easy way to start a war 😂😂😂 maruti is an indian company set up by the indian government and patterned with suzuki of japan and then in the late 2000s it was sold to suzuki. As for suzuki in Pakistan they have their own assembly with partnered from pakistan based companies as india and pakistan are obviously not friends. These cars were sold like hot cakes cus it was so so cheap. Major export market was nepal. When i was in nepal i had driven this car as a kid in the mountains 😂 i mean this car is so small that even kids don't have issues driving this. And u will still a few of them on road , just few blocks from my home someone has this car and it's extremely well maintained in better condition than the one u reviewed.
I learn driving on it....here in pakistan its been assambled locally in karachi by pak suzuki motors from 1880 to 1988 and its called suzuki fx .....here it came with same engine gear as yours ..... also come with ac ...... and it was the most fuel efficent cars of his time.....and its all parts available locally including that rear windshield strunt.....u can still find lot of these cars on roads and now all of them are used as a taxi car.....it tends to rot with rust very very easily but still a very reliable car....
Very cool. Only three left? Shame. There was also an auto versio. You can imagine how slow that was, but perfect for a town car. Suzuki do small really well.
A wonderfull litle car. I owned one while I was studying in Germany. I drove every weekend back and forth between Netherlands (home/girlfriend) and Germany and in the summer to the south of France. It max cruising speed was 105 kmph. This was a little slow on the Autobahn /Autoroute but it performed outstanding. Only overtaking was a ordeal. Seeing big BMW,s appearing in your rearmirror, flashing their lights while driving over 200 kmph was not so relaxt. But I remember it was a very comfortabele car for it's size and age. Nostalgia!
Lovely video. Good research. BTW, a little correction, Maruti was manufactured in India and Suzuki FX (later renamed as Suzuki Mehran) in Karachi, Pakistan.
15:31 Maruti Suzuki is India, not Pakistan. In India this was badged Maruti 800. In Pakistan it was called Suzuki Mehran and I think they still manufacture it there with updates. Maruti 800 was introduced in India in late 1983, and had a lottery system to deliver cars as the demand was high. People were willing to pay twice the sticker price of 55k rupees then, as it was a breath of fresh air (easy to drive front wheel power, air con, disc brakes up front, did not rust like hell, very reliable) for Indian motorists, who till then were used to driving license made copies of Fiat 1100, Triumph Herald, Morris Oxford and Willys Jeep(those were all a 'common' Indian could buy as imports were restricted to VIPs, celebs, moviestars etc). Maruti 800 was quickly revamped in 1987 to a better looking design which I believe was the next generation Alto.. However from then on it stayed pretty much the same until its demise in 2006!.. Thank Satan India introduced pollution norms back in 90s which not only gave us fuel injection in this tiny little car but also five speed gearbox in a special limited model sold after 2000s..
This perticular model (not the next generations though) is NOT made to look like a "city-box", or a "cute lil' thing", but rather a proper car - only in very small dimensions. The whole styling could be also applied on a larger scale, w/o significant changes. From a design's prospect, it's something really difficult to achieve - but Suzuki made it! I thing this is part of this model's appeal.
You have left out where this car had its biggest impact - India !!!....It introduced generation of Indians to car ownership, It was launched back in 1983 as Maruti 800 in India and was a run way success...until then most Indians were used to seeing derelict models like Oxford morris and Fiat 1100 manufactured locally...Maruti 800 with its modern looks, almost zero maintenance and world beating fuel economy was a strong attraction for first time buyers. Suzuki entered into a joint venture with the Indian government and its success spurned other manufactures to enter India in a big way.
For a brief period I owned a 1997 Daihatsu Cuore (Mira) TRxx Avanzato R4. Bloody brilliant wee thing to drive around the city and the equipment levels would have embarrassed any supermini of the time (electric windows, electric sunroof, air conditioning, electrical and folding door mirrors and, what would have been at the time, an ok stereo). It was also reasonably refined too. I really wish we still got Kei cars like this original Alto and the Mira here in the UK.
Maruti was for India. For Pakistan it was the suzuki fx800. This particular generation was never assembled in India. All of them were exported from Japan
My brother's first car was a 1980 two-door. Fitted 7 fit, young people. Taught my brother the valuable lesson of changing the engine oil by seizing and blowing. Shame really.
I had a 1990 LX Alto my first car lt only got to 60mph it was shocking.😆you have a very romantic view of this little tin can. My Alto engine suffered with restricted fuel and would stop up on the road.
You seriously have to ask yourself what more you need for just bumbling around in town. I think I'd be happier with a laminated screen rather than that very obvious zone-toughened thing. And premium tyres are always nice.
I used to have a 1.1 litre version from 2005 it revs to 10 thousand rpm LOL so fun to drive but very dangerous in the wet due to the tiny width of the tyres lol
All other things being equal, wider tyres have to shift more water because of the bigger contact patch, than do narrow ones. Once the tyre reaches the limit of its water moving capacity, you're more likely to aquaplane than with narrows tyres. The vehicles weight is spread over a larger contact area, which means, all other things being equal, wider tyres don't 'push down' in to the road as much as narrow ones. Think of a knife going through butter, but turn the knife so a flat side is pressing down and see the difference. For everyday driving, sometimes, narrower is better. 😁
