New Alto promises fuel economy of 35 km/litre

Despite the falling market share of Maruti Suzuki in the Indian market, chairman and chief executive officer of Suzuki Motor, Osama Suzuki says he is happy with where the company stands in India. Speaking on the sidelines of the Tokyo Motor Show, Mr Suzuki said that they are still evaluating setting up on a new plant in Gujarat. He added this new investment will depend purely on the future market demand in terms of volumes and sales. Suzuki unveiled the new Alto Eco at the Tokyo Motor Show, which is its most fuel-efficient petrol-engine with a fuel economy of 35 km/litre. Alto Eco boasts fuel-efficient technologies such as the ENE-CHARGE and the new Engine Auto Stop Start System. ENE-CHARGE is a hybrid system that combines the Alto Eco's R06A engine with an electric motor and a lithium-ion battery to provide regenerative braking. This generates power to the engine and also runs electrical equipments of the car. The new Alto Eco has increased compression ratio and improved combustion of its engine, reduced friction resistance, and optimized powertrain control to boost fuel economy. Suzuki claims the Alto Eco strikes a balance between fuel economy and brisk driving. Osama Suzuki said this new Alto model will be produced initially only for the Japanese market.   NDTV