The first time I drove Suzuki's new Alto mini hatch I thought it didn't feel too bad for a 1.2-litre car. I somehow had that wrong cubic capacity figure in my head until I was reminded that the Alto's motive force is in fact supplied by a 996cc engine.
Then I was pretty impressed.
Seems that, against all my instincts as a power-hungry petrolhead, I'm becoming quite a fan of one-litre city cars after being similarly smitten by Peugeot's similarly-engined 107.
It's all about expectation, you see. Because what you expect when you twist the ignition key is a wheezy little Noddy car that sounds like a mosquito on steroids and isn't powerful enough to pull the skin off cold coffee.
However, like the 107, the Suzuki Alto punches above its weight. Not anything that will emasculate a hot-hatch driver at the lights, you understand, but perfectly acceptable commuting performance that pulls much more than chilled coffee skin.
The 50kW/87Nm figures might not cause much of a blip on the power radar but the Alto's superlight kerb mass of only 895kg is what gives it a useful power-to-weight ratio. Enough to make it scamper through the suburbs in an easygoing, free-revving way while its freeway cruising performance isn't half bad either - you even sometimes get to flash your lights at slowpokes in the fast lane.
Not that they'd move out of your way as the diminutive Alto's about as intimidating as a Maltese poodle.
Like a Maltese, the little engine is acoustically exuberant, but not unpleasantly so, and I grew to appreciate its rather sporty three-cylinder thrum. It spent much of its time being revved, which is why our fuel consumption averaged 7.2 litres/100km but put a non-petrolhead behind the wheel and it'll probably achieve its claimed 5.7.
The engine of our test car also idled roughly but I suspect it's nothing that can't be fixed by a quick twist of a screwdriver. Despite its low mass, the Alto doesn't feel cheap or nasty; on the whole this baby Suzuki seems well screwed together and reasonably refined. There's a lot of hard plastic in the cabin - none of the fancy soft stuff - but the fit is neat and tidy.
The spec sheet is also fairly generous with even the baseline Alto GL getting standard items such as power steering, aircon, two crash bags and an immobiliser. Not bad for R104 900.
FLEET-FOOTED AGILITY
The higher-spec Alto GLS we tested also has alloy rims, front power windows, anti-lock brakes with electronic pressure distribution, remote-controlled central locking, a radio/CD, tilt-adjustable steering, front fog lights and a rev counter (mounted frogeye-style on the fascia) - features that make the R119 900 sticker price easier to swallow.
Both cars come with a three-year or 100 000km warranty.
The ride's choppy, as you'd expect from a small car, but the springs aren't overly firm. The Noddy size gives it fleet-footed agility in the urban jungle and it has a zippy, squirrel-like nature.
The Alto's downfall is a lack of rear legroom and the back seat is just about right for squirrels. So too the tiny boot that won't take much more than a couple of briefcases unless you fold down the rear seats. But at least there's a full-sized spare wheel.
VERDICT
This is Suzuki's fifth model range in South Africa since the Japanese car company returned in 2008. Two of its cars, the Swift and SX4, were among the eight finalists in the 2009 Car of the Year competition, which is a vote of confidence in the brand.
The Alto does little to change my perceptions of the marque. It's compellingly affordable and throws decent features and safety into the deal. On top of that it's a fun-to-drive city car with some charisma.