Introduction
When Maruti Suzuki launched the 800 in 1983, it was a revelation for the Indian car buyer who until that time had never known that small cars could be reliable, strong and tolerate anything that could be thrown at it. It has managed to carry on this formula for well over 30 years now in the form of the Alto 800 as well as the Alto K10; the latter as an option for someone looking for something a bit more powerful.
However, no reign can go unchallenged and in the last six years, the competition has arrived in the form of the Hyundai Eon, Renault Kwid and now the Datsun Redigo which has been launched for Rs 2.38 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi). It is priced similar to that of the Alto 800 and is the second serious competitor from the Renault-Nissan alliance to challenge the Alto range.
Exterior
Firstly, both cars are evenly matched in terms of proportions. The Alto 800 is 3.43 metres long and has a wheelbase of 2.36 metres while the Redigo is 3.42 metres long and has a wheelbase of 2.34 metres. However, the Redigo is taller thanks to its height of 1.54 metres as compared to the Alto’s 1.47 metres and as an added bonus, the former has highest in segment ground clearance of 185mm. In the looks department, the Alto embodies all the design bits that define a classic budget hatchback while the Redigo is a fresh approach in a segment constrained by cost and to a large extent size. Its bright colour range and funky design should help it stand out in the crowd.
Equipment
It’s a bit of a level playing field when it comes to the equipment list for both the cars. The top-of-the-line models for both cars get front power windows, 2-DIN music system and foldable rear seats. Though in terms of the last one, the Datsun’s seatback can be detached completely expanding the space from the standard 222-litres which is far higher than that of the Alto 800. The Redigo ups the ante when it comes to customisation as it offers five kits made of various accessories including rear parking sensors and LED DRLs. The Alto 800, however, has an ace up its sleeve as it offers a driver’s side airbag as an optional extra for every variant that it sells as compared to the Redigo which only offers this on the T (O) and S variants.
Performance
Both the Redigo and Alto 800 are offered with 800cc three-cylinder petrol engines that produce 54bhp/72Nm and 48bhp/69Nm respectively. These engines power the front wheels through a five-speed manual gearbox. The Alto 800’s power comes in at a higher rpm (6000) while the Redigo peak torque comes in at 4400rpm as compared to the Alto 800’s which comes in at 3500rpm. The Alto 800 can also be had with CNG which is available only in the LXi and LXi (O) variant and is priced Rs 61,000 more than the standard model.
Price (ex-showroom Delhi)
The Alto 800 is priced in the range of Rs 2.45 lakh to Rs 3.72 lakh while the Redigo is priced in the range of Rs 2.39 lakh to Rs 3.34 lakh. The Redigo undercuts the Alto 800 across all standard variants except the top-of-the-line models where the Redigo is Rs 10,000 more expensive. The T (O) of the Redigo is Rs 8,000 more than the LXi (O) variant of the Alto 800.
