Suzuki Cooks Up New Alto SZ-L Special Edition for UK Buyers

A new special edition version of the Suzuki Alto has been released in Britain. Featuring various cosmetic and equipment upgrades, the SZ-L model is available in a limited number of 500 units, priced at £8,170 a piece.

Offered in either Superior White or Bright Red non metallic colours, the Alto SZ-L is based on the SZ3 mid grade model with air conditioning, pollen filter and side airbags fitted as standard equipment. Exterior upgrades include unique wheel caps, black fog lamp surrounds and black 'B' pillar trims as well as SZ-L embossed tailgate trim and black side mouldings.

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Mazda Introduces 4WD GS4 Model to JDM Carol Range

Mazda is enhancing its Carol range of micro-minis in Japan with a new four-wheel drive model called the GS4. The new version of the Carol, which is more or less a JDM Suzuki Alto with Mazda's badges and five-point lower grille, is powered by a tiny 660cc three-cylinder engine matted to a continuously variable transmission (CVT).

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Tokyo '09: New Suzuki Alto Concept Points to Production Model

Strangely enough, and even though the latest generation Suzuki Alto, which is also marketed in some regions including Europe as the Nissan Pixo with a different nose job, was introduced only last year at the 2008 Paris show, the Japanese firm has announced that it will display a near-production concept model of the next generation Alto at the forthcoming Tokyo Motor Show in late October.

The only reasonable explanation (since Suzuki did not bother to clear things up for us in its press release...) is that the production model of the "concept Alto" is destined for markets other than the ones that the current Alto is offered including of course Japan.

Euro NCAP: Q5, Jazz, i20, Soul and 3008 Achieve 5-Star Rating, Suzuki Alto gets only 3-Stars

European car safety testing body Euro-NCAP has announced its latest batch of results for six new cars. Five of these models, the Audi Q5, Honda Jazz, Hyundai i20, Kia Soul and Peugeot 3008 received Euro NCAP's maximum five star award while Suzuki's made-in-India Alto scored only three stars, its rating limited by its performance in adult occupant protection, child protection and safety assistance technologies. Euro NCAP made a special note on the Honda Jazz and the Hyundai i20 as both cars managed to achieve a high score in pedestrian safety.

"We would like to commend the Honda Jazz and the Hyundai i20 for their impressive pedestrian scores that not only meet current requirements, but also meet Euro NCAP's future requirements," Euro NCAP said in a statement.

All six vehicles were tested with Euro NCAP's new overall rating scheme that was introduced in 2009 and covers Adult Occupant Protection, Child Occupant Protection, Pedestrian Protection and a new area of assessment, Safety Assist. Under the new testing regime, vehicles are awarded a single overall score from one to five stars with the overall rating being based on the car's performance in each of the four main areas and the scores are weighted with respect to each other.

Suzuki Alto Priced from £6,795 in the UK

On the 1st of March, Suzuki's all-new Alto mini will go on sale in the UK with an on the road price starting at £6,795. The five-door Alto hatchback is powered by a three-cylinder 67HP 1.0-litre engine and has a combined fuel consumption of 64.2 mpg UK with CO2 emissions of just 103 g/km. Not that buyers will care, but the Alto is the first European-specification model to be exported in three years from the firm's Maruti Suzuki plant in Delhi, India, which is celebrating its 25 year anniversary this year.

New Suzuki Alto Lapin: Mini-Me Nissan Cube...

Suzuki's all-too feminine Alto Lapin microvan has received a modest aesthetic facelift that brings it a "little bit" closer to appearance to the third-generation Nissan Cube that was unveiled at last week's LA auto show. The boxy-shaped "kei-car" that was initially introduced in 2002 is available only in Japan where it is offered with a choice of two powertrains, a naturally aspirated 0.66-liter unit that produces 54HP and a turbocharged version of the same engine with 64HP. Buyers can also opt between 2WD and 4WD variants.