Positives are
> The car felt very responsive and nice to drive
> Throttle response is best in its segment
> Noise and Vibration is much refined compared to old Alto
> Powerful A/C
On the flip side
> Gear shift is not very smooth
> Plastic quality bad
> Had problem with one door not shutting properly. I was told it will be corrected during first service. If only, I knew I had bigger shock coming my way during first service (read on.).
The question that every Indian asks.mileage kithni hai? Well, I estimate milage to be about 12Km/L.Given that it is the initial run in period and I drive during peak hour traffic in Chennai, I guess it is OK. I am keeping my fingers crossed to see the real milage after the run-in period.
In one months time I have driven about 800Kms. After about 300 Kms I felt jerkiness while shifting gears from neutral to first and first to second(I found out that many other Alto K10 owners have complained about this). I could here a knocking sound inside the bonnet. If the vehicle is moving at around 15KmpH on second gear, I have to shift the gear down to first before I accelerate. If I try to accelerate on second gear, the vehicle vibrates. Ideally one should be using first gear only from stationary position(while moving vehicle from dead stop level).
Gave my vehicle for first service with list of all the initial niggles and problems. However, I was not prepared for the shock when the service person called me and said there is a noise in the gear box and he has to rip it open to assess the problem and reassemble after checking with Maruti Suzuki. Further, he said since they have to consult Maruti, it will take minimum 3 days to deliver my vehicle back.
While I cannot blame the dealer for Maruti Suzuki's bad product quality, I just cannot imagine how a brand new Maruti Suzuki Alto K10's gearbox have problem.* What does that say about Maruti's much touted'quality'? I feel terribly disappointed and let down by Maruti Suzuki.
I have asked the dealer to ensure that the whole gearbox assembly is replaced instead of ripping it open and reassembling. I am not sure what problems I will face in future.
We all know that Maruti Suzuki cars are much in demand and they are not able to keep up with demand. Is Maruti Suzuki speeding up production at the cost of poor quality?
Jury is out.
Would I recommend a Maruti Suzuki Alto K10 to anyone?
Based on my current experience till date.Emphatic NO
I shall keep you updated if I change my opinion.depending on how Maruti Suzuki resolves the issues and my future ownership experience.
While I do not expect a Mercedes Benz for the money I paid, I definitely expect value for my money and most importantly I expect peace of mind. I guess that is what most buyers in this segment expect.
UPDATE 19TH OCTOBER 2010:
Guys, after more than one week at service station, got my car back. They have replaced clutch plate and clutch cover and engine mounting.
Three days later, I noticed oil stains in the car parking area, under the bonnet. Took the car back to service station. Now they say the oil seal is malfunctioning and need to be replaced. Since it is a brand new model they do not have spares and need to procure it from Maruti Suzuki. Need to wait for couple of days more to get the issue sorted out.
I had shortlisted Alto K10 and Spark. Chose an Alto K10 because, Maruti cars generally command better resale value in used market. My friend owns Spark and I must say it is a fantastic car both in terms of fit and finish and quality. But resale value is low compared to Altos(now I wonder why). I decided to go for first hand car because I wanted hassle free first three to four years. Off late I am wondering if I would have been better off going for a second hand Spark instead of first hand Maruti Suzuki Alto K10.
I have taken photograph and video of oil leaks. I will upload photos and video shortly.
Update 23rd October 2010:
Got the gearbox oil seal replaced. After all the problems faced, I am not sure as to what to expect next. All the excitement associated with purchasing new a car has vanished. Written a detailed mail to General Manager - Cusomer Care & After Sales, Maruti Suzuki Limited. I will upload the letter shortly.
Update 30th January 2011:
Vehicle has clocked around 3700 Kms as on date. Recently I went on a long drive from Chennai to Mysore and back. Average speed on high way between 80 and 110 kmph. Since the engine is very responsive, drive was very pleasurable. However, I found little bit of sluggishness and vibration between 60 and 80 kmph and again when I tried to cross 110 kmph. Not sure if it is wheel balancing issue or something else. Car is planted firmly upto 80 Kmph. Beyond 80 Kmph the car is not very stable. But still it is fun to drive. Though the dealers have tried to work on gears, I am still not very happy with the feel. The gears are not assured and the feel is not right. Some times reverse gear does not engage properly(I need to try a couple of times before it engages). Issues with fit and finish is showing now. I can hear squeaks and rattles inside dash board(though I have driven only on decent city roads and highways). What can I say about plastic quality. I can already see scratches on speedometer and some Chinese toys are made with better quality plastics. Recently I found that drivers seat cover was slightly loose at the bottom and tried to fix it and the metal cut the skin on my index finger like a blade. That is the kind of'attention to detail' Maruti Suziki has given while manufacturing the car. They do not have the sense to ensure that the metal parts are filed properly to prevent injury to users.
In short, the Maruti Suzuki Alto K10 can be described in one word: "COMPROMISE". Compromise on quality, gears, fit & finish, Plastics and everything else.
except for the following two
1) fantastic and responsive engine
2) great mileage. On my long drive to Mysore and back I got 19.50 Km per ltr of petrol
Update 5000 Kms: Crossed 5250 Kms. Got second service done from different service agency. First gear jerkiness and reverse gear problem still unsolved.
Update 10000 Kms: Past warranty period. Clutch is still hard. The service person said cable needs to be changed. I asked him to look at the cars service history first. This problem is there from day 1. Gear changes not smooth. Often the reverse gear does not engage easily.
Went on a 500 KM long drive for 3 days. Drive was good. Car is stable up to 80 Km/hr. Beyond 100 Km/hr speed the car feels very light and is not very stable. Speed beyond 100 Km/hr is not recommended, except when you are driving in straight stretches of roads. I have crossed 145 Km/hr on straight stretches. Optimum and Safe speed for the car is around 80 Km/Hr. If you ignore unrefined gear and clutch, the drives are fun. But still, If I could reverse the clock, I would go back and buy some car other than a Maruti Suzuki Alto K10. The car is more suitable of first time buyers who will not mind or be able to notice refinement issues with Gear box.
