Suzuki's budget-beater for SA

09/08/2008 08:20. Suzukis new Alto city car will be show locally soon after its debut at the Paris motor show in early October.

Set to be unveiled to the public on 2 October at the glitzy Paris motor show, Alto has a nearly Daihatsu Charade look about it, albeit with better symmetry. Expect to see Suzukis cute Alto make its local debut as the Johannesburg motor show rolls around towards the end of October.

A key design imperative of the car is set to be circumventing rampant emission related taxes in the EU market countries, where the 1-litre powered Alto (the engine is to be Toyota Agyo-based) will emit CO2 in the sub 110g/km range, lessening the emission tax burden by as much as 50% in certain EU markets.

Although the Suzuki Splash will not be coming to South Africa, the Alto will be available locally, where it slots into Suzukis plans to offer a sub R100 000 car in market. "It won't necessarily be the cheapest car in the country," Charl Timms, Suzuki SA sales manager told Wheels24, "but it will be a good value package."

Considering the severely competitive pricing of current local Suzuki models such as Swift and SX4, one can surely envisage the Alto priced under the psychological R100 000 barrier. // Wheels24.co.za