Suzuki Alto hatchback (2009-2014) - MPG, running costs & CO2
The Suzuki Alto is a small and efficient car that's cheap to run
The Suzuki Alto was cheap to buy new and remains affordable to run. Capable of over 60mpg fuel economy, the manual-gearbox version also doesn't cost a penny to tax.
Suzuki Alto MPG & CO2
The Suzuki Alto was very fuel-efficient for its day. With a manual gearbox, it has an official economy figure of 65.7mpg and emits 99g/km of CO2 – so it just slips under the threshold for road-tax exemption. Going for the automatic means paying £30 a year in road tax and accepting slightly higher fuel bills. However, both versions of Alto are pretty cheap to run, especially if most of your motoring is short trips around town. Unfortunately, this wasn't unique in the class – most of the Alto's contemporary rivals were just as frugal.
Insurance group
With a group 4 rating, all Suzuki Alto models are cheap to insure, but several key rivals had a group 1 rating, so the Alto wasn't class-leading. The fact that only the most expensive SZ4 model comes with electronic stability control may have been a factor here.
Warranty
The Alto came with Suzuki's three-year/60,000-mile warranty. There was also a 12-year corrosion warranty and a year of AA breakdown recovery included. Suzuki also offered a pay-as-you-go extended warranty, which could be paid for monthly once the original three-year cover had expired.
Servicing
Basic mechanicals mean the Suzuki Alto isn't complicated to maintain. It still needs maintenance every 12,500 miles and it's worth noting that Suzuki has a relatively small dealer network, so you need to check how close your nearest garage is.
