Suzuki Motor Corp released a new model of its "Alto" minicar Dec 16, 2009.
The company reduced the weight of the vehicle by using the same platform as the WagonR. As a result, the two-wheel-drive manual-transmission (MT) car of the new model is 10kg lighter than that of the previous model.
Only an MT car and a three-speed automatic-transmission (AT) car are available for the previous model, but the new model is offered as an MT car, a CVT (continuously variable transmission) car with an auxiliary transmission and a four-speed AT car, all of which are eligible for the tax cuts for environmentally friendly cars in Japan.
The mileage of the CVT car under Japan's 10-15 mode test cycle is 24.5km/L, which is higher than the 21.0km/L of the three-speed AT car of the previous model. And the mileage of the four-speed AT car is 22.5km/L, which is 1.5km/L higher than that of the three-speed AT car of the previous model.
What contributed most to the higher mileages is the efficiency improvement of the transmission. The CVT has a gear-ratio range as large as 7.28, and the reducing ratio can be set at a high-geared ratio in a high-speed area, enabling to lower the engine speed.
The four-speed AT car also has a wide gear-ratio range. And the rotating speed of the shaft that fastens the lockup clutch was lowered to improve the efficiency.
The lightweight of the new Alto also contributed to the higher mileages. Suzuki applied high-tensile steel plates to more parts to reduce the thicknesses of the outer plate of the body, the framework, etc. Also, the company changed the thicknesses of the bumpers.
To lower the price of the vehicle, Suzuki made efforts to equip it with only minimum requirements. For example, the company did not use power windows and employed unpainted bumpers for the most inexpensive model and a commercial model.
The dimensions of the new Alto are 3,395 (L) x 1,475 (W) x 1,535mm (H), and its wheel base is 2,400mm. The pricing ranges from ¥677,250 (approx US$7,552) to ¥1,157,100. Suzuki aims at selling 7,000 units per month.
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