SUZUKI'S new little car is an absolute fuel miser.
The Alto, which was a highlight of the recent Brisbane Greenfest, arrives in Queensland showrooms next week costing from $12,490 to $16,490 plus on-road costs, and boasts official economy figures of 4.6 litres/100km. However, Queensland Suzuki importers Suzuki Auto Company felt so confident about the fuel-economy credentials of the car, they tested it in real conditions at the state launch this week.
Sending motoring journalists to test a car's fuel economy is like a red rag to a bull.
In the wake of one newspaper motoring journalist being caught doing more than 200km/h in a Ferrari in Western Australia, you can imagine how some motoring writers might treat test cars.
I'm not suggesting the 10 journalists attending on the Brisbane Alto launch drove like lunatics, nor that they did a Hans Tholstrup and drove with imaginary eggs under the accelerator.
However, the journalists certainly proved the Alto a real-life fuel frugalist.
While I did not attend the launch drive, I can report that the five one-litre-engined cars returned a jaw-dropping average fuel consumption figure of 3.52L/100km (or 80mpg in the old school).
Now bear in mind that the journalists were not sent out to do an economy run, although they were told that the fuel economy of the launch drive would be tested.
At least one pairing of journos decided to drive under normal conditions with the airconditioner on and leaving the car running while stopped at traffic lights.
Their fuel economy was the worst at 3.56L/100km. Still well below the official figures provided.
And with a fuel tank capacity of just 35 litres that's a range of almost 1000km.
Each car had two people on board and did a 132km circuit of the river city on Monday from 9.30am leaving the company's headquarters at Eagle Farm and heading through the central business district to the St Lucia university campus, around the back of town over the hilly suburbs of Indooroopilly, Bardon and Albany Creek all the way to Redcliffe and then down the Gateway Motorway back to HQ.
Suzuki spokesman John Daffy said the equivalent fare in a taxi would cost about $209, but based on the average fuel usage on test, it cost just $5.44 in fuel at $1.17 a litre.
While the car takes a minimum of 95 RON, Suzuki Auto Company did themselves a disservice by fuelling with E10.
The 10 per cent ethanol blend fuel is 95 RON but actually produces slightly worse fuel economy than 100 per cent 95 RON ULP.
Suzuki Auto Company general manager Keith Carroll said the only problem he could see with the economical Japanese-designed and Indian-built Alto was supply. "There will be about 150 cars in dealers with about 72 coming in the next shipment, but we think we could sell more than we're getting," he said.
Carroll said that with European demand high and production coming from the one factory in India, numbers may be capped. "We didn't know we would have a supply problem until about a month ago; with the currency problems we thought we better ask for more and they simply said no," he said.
"Every dealer wants more cars. It's not just a city car. It's also good on the highway. I believe we will sell them right up the state.
"In the country, they (dealers) are talking about it being the perfect car for a regional area.
"However, some country dealers will get only one each so there will be a few more available in provincial and metropolitan dealerships."
Suzuki Auto Company has 42 dealers statewide, with eight in Brisbane.
PRICE IS NOT THE BE ALL
NEW government laws that force car dealers, importers and manufacturers to advertise only driveaway prices present Suzuki with an opportunity.
Queensland Suzuki importers Suzuki Auto Company general manager Keith Carroll said price wasn't the only factor in selling the new Alto.
"The (advertised pricing) restrictions make advertising a bit difficult for us, but I think it's about time anyway that we started to talk about the build quality and the specifications of our cars rather than just the prices," Carroll said.
While the base model, five-speed manual GL is listed at $12,490, Carroll said on-road costs would bring it up to about $14,990 drive away. He expected the GL would be their big seller.
The GLX manual is listed at $14,490.
The four-speed auto adds $2000 to the prices of both models.
On-road costs include government duties, plus delivery charges which can vary with distance from the distributor, and dealer charges to get the car up to hand-over condition.
Carroll said the price difference was only about $100 across the state because they had averaged out the cost of freight and charged every dealer the same for delivery.
"Effectively the people of Brisbane are subsidising the people of places like Mt Isa," he said.
"It would cost thousands of dollars for freight to Mt Isa.
"Before the days of freight equalisation people flew to Brisbane to buy a car.
"It isn't a 100 per cent industry wide practice, but it's fairly common."
However, Carroll said one of the biggest factors affecting different drive-away prices were the dealer's labour costs in getting the car up to hand-over condition.
"For example, in Mount Isa BHP pays so much for labour, mechanics get paid really well so that forces up the wages dealers have to pay for mechanics."
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