Suzuki Alto, the “kie-car” launched in Pakistan, will PH get it?

MANILA: The Suzuki Alto we have here in the Philippines is part of a much bigger history than we think. While the Suzuki Alto 800 that the Filipinos drive was brought out not so long ago in 2012, the name Alto carries with it a history of good 40 years. In the bid to celebrate the 40th anniversary, Suzuki Japan has even launched a special edition of the Alto in Japan. However, it is as soon as we peek inside the Japanese portfolio that we encounter something else with the title Alto.

Unlike the 800cc or even bigger 1.0-litre engines in some countries like India, the Suzuki Alto in Japan gets its juices from a much smaller 660cc motor. Not only the engine but the overall structure and form factor of the Japanese Alto is much smaller than its siblings retailing in other markets globally.

The reason? It’s simple, the Suzuki Alto in Japan is a “kei-car”. The “kei-car” is a special category in the Japanese automobile market that permits cars to have a size equal to or less than 3,400 mm in length, 1,480 mm in width, and 2,000 mm in height and house an engine with a displacement of less than or equal to 600cc.

While the Suzuki Alto, the “kei-car” has been ruling the Japanese roads for decades now, the automaker believes that the time has come for the icon to step out of its hometown. With that said, Suzuki has launched the Alto in Pakistan with the same 660cc engine.

Furthermore, Suzuki will also assemble the car in Pakistan. In its eighth generation now, the Suzuki Alto measures 3,395 mm in length, 1,475 mm in width, and 1,490 mm in height. The engine here is a 660cc R06A motor with a claimed fuel efficiency of 37 kmpl thanks to the “Suzuki Green Technology”. The small hatchback gets both five-speed manual transmission and Suzuki's Auto Gear Shift (AGS).

With Pakistan becoming the first country to get the Alto kei-car after Japan, will it be the beginning of a new journey for Japanese kei-cars? Let’s see whether or not Suzuki Philippines offers the much smaller hatchback in the country in the near future.

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