rewrite this content with different wording and keep HTML tags

If your only concern when buying a car is fuel economy, then your attention must be on the Suzuki Alto, right? With 20-23 km/l, Suzuki Alto is the king of fuel economy, not just among PKDM cars but also among Japanese 660cc cars.

Any JDM, like the Mira, N-One, and EIS, uses the same size 660cc NA engines, but those JDMs only achieve 16-19 km/l max, while our local Alto easily does 20-23 km/l. Why is that? Here, we will declassify how Alto achieves such a good fuel average.

Lightweight Body

People call it a “Peepa” because the Alto’s body is very lightweight and made of very thin metal sheets. Suzuki designed the Alto this way for a reason: to keep the body light.

A low curb weight means that the engine needs to exert less force to move the car, resulting in better engine efficiency and, hence, better fuel economy.

On the other hand, JDM 660cc cars use thick metal sheets and sound-damping material. This improves road grip and cabin isolation but also increases body weight. As a result, the engine needs to exert more force to move the car, which decreases fuel economy to some extent.

For example:

  • Curb weight of Suzuki Alto: 650 kg
  • Curb weight of Daihatsu Mira: 870 kg.

Thin Tyres

If you ever notice the Alto on the road, its tires are so slim that it looks like Suzuki has put bicycle tires on it. Due to this, its road grip is not good after 80 km/h speed.

However, this strategy results in a good fuel economy due to the lower rolling resistance.

Rolling resistance is the friction between the tire and the road. Alto’s thinner tires have less contact area with the road, so they experience less rolling resistance. This means the engine uses less energy to keep them rolling, resulting in better fuel economy.

While wide tires used in JDM 660’s give better grip, especially at high speeds, they come with a fuel economy penalty. The wider contact patch creates more rolling resistance, forcing the engine to work harder and burn more fuel.

That’s why Suzuki uses bicycle-like slim tires in the Alto to make it as fuel-efficient as it can.

Aerodynamics

The Alto’s overall profile is short, both in width and length, so the body has less resistance against the wind as it travels. Therefore, the engine requires less effort to move the body from rest to a specific speed, which translates to the engine working less and burning less fuel.

The short wheelbase also affects fuel economy. Since there’s less physical structure needed to connect the front and rear axles, there’s less overall weight. This translates to the engine working less and burning less fuel.

Efficient Fuel Engine

Alto uses Suzuki’s iconic R series R06A engine, a generation upgrade from its predecessor, K series engine.

The new engine is one of Suzuki’s highest-compression ratio engines, e.g., 1:9.1. More compression means the engine can produce more output from lower fuel, resulting in less fuel wastage, better efficiency, and higher fuel economy.

That’s why, even though it is a 660cc car, Alto can still beat the Suzuki Mehran (800cc) in a drag race and consume less fuel than Mehran.

No Sound Isolations

JDM 660ccs often use sound-dampening sheets in their bodies, such as in the interior, hoods, trunks, and underfloor. These sheets reduce tire, traffic, and other outside noise from entering the cabin and improve AC efficiency. However, the downside is they add 100-200 kg to the car’s curb weight, thereby reducing fuel economy.

That’s why the Alto doesn’t use any sound-damping material in its body. On the bad side, it results in aggressive engine noise, tire noise, and other traffic sounds entering the cabin. However, on the good side, you get good fuel economy as its curb weight weighs less.