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Japanese-designed but manufactured in India, the Suzuki Alto is currently one of the UK's cheapest cars to buy, making it the perfect first car.
Beginning life as a no-frills three or five door hatchback, Suzuki Alto cars were first officially sold in the UK in the 1980s, but only really took off in 1997 with the release of the mark two version. This had only one engine - a 1.0 litre 53bhp four-cylinder engine with a choice of manual (five-speed) or automatic (three-speed) transmission - and one trim level: the grey and basic GL.
Suzuki Alto sales were boosted when the car underwent a makeover in 2003. At this point, Suzuki added extra trim options, including power steering, central locking and electric windows in the front. However, they did away with the three-door body altogether, and developed a new 1.1 litre 62bhp petrol engine, boasting excellent fuel economy: around 57.6mpg.
With the growth of the supermini car market, Suzuki decided to revamp the Alto in 2007. Partnering with Nissan, they developed a futuristic body set on the Nissan Pixo chassis, with a slightly friskier 67bhp 1.0 litre petrol engine. Customers now had a choice of three trim specifications - the entry level SZ2, the middle range SZ3 or the higher spec SZ4, designed to compete with the Ford Ka and Renault Twingo.
Suzuki decided to give the Alto a facelift in 2009. The new body was more compact than before, whilst the 68bhp 1.0 engine offered excellent fuel economy (64mpg) and impressively low CO2 emissions. It also got a Euro NCAP safety rating of three stars. Features designed to attract younger buyers, including an MP3-compatible stereo, pollen filter and adjustable seat height, were also added.
Today, nearly new and secondhand Suzuki Altos are quite scarce, with most buyers choosing to buy new because of competitive prices.