Hyundai Eon Vs Maruti Alto– Which Is a Better Small Car And Why?

Hyundai Eon is the latest entrant into the small car market in India launched by Hyundai India on 13th of October 2011. We will soon be coming with some videos of this car. In continuation to our Car Comparison Series on Car Blog India , today we will compared the newly launched Hyundai Eon with the king of this segment, Maruti Alto. The Maruti Suzuki Alto comes in two different models with various trims. One of these is a 800 CC Alto which is priced lower and another one is the Maruti Alto K10 which is an Alto with higher displacement 1 Litre K-Series engine. Lets compare these two cars on various aspects and find out which is a better bang for the buck.

image- Hyundai Eon (Left) and Maruti Alto K10 (Right)

Hyundai Eon Exteriors Vs Maruti Suzuki Alto Exteriors

Hyundai Eon Dimensions

Overall Length : 3495 mm
Overall Height : 1500 mm
Overall Width : 1550 mm
Overall Wheelbase :2380 mm

Hyundai Eon is a small form factor car with smaller length when compared to Alto K10 (but same as Alto 800 CC) but it slightly wider and more tall as well. In terms of exterior visual appeal, the Eon looks way better than the Alto. The Eon exterior design is based on the sculpted design language of Hyundai. From all angles, it looks more modern, sporty and more enthusiastic car compared to the Alto. The build quality and plastic quality of the Hyundai Eon seems better than the Alto.

Maruti Alto K10 Dimensions

Overall Length : 3620 mm
Overall Height : 1460 mm
Overall Width : 1475 mm
Overall Wheelbase :2360 mm

Maruti Alto 800 CC Dimensions

Overall Length : 3495 mm
Overall Height : 1475 mm
Overall Width : 1460 mm
Overall Wheelbase :2360 mm

Alto is a contemporary and old design by Maruti which is known for its subtle elegance and pleasing looks in its segment. With Alto K10, Maruti Suzuki did add some good elements in the front fascia and improved it quite a lot in terms of appearance, but overall, the Alto looks quite plain in front of a Hyundai Eon. Eon is smaller in length, but makes up for the loss if length by having a smaller engine compartment in length compared to the Alto.

So our vote goes to Eon in terms of exterior looks.

Hyundai Eon Interiors Vs Maruti Suzuki Alto Interiors

image- Hyundai Eon Interiors

Hyundai Eon interiors don’t seem to belong to a 3 Lakhs rupees car, they look better than that, for the price segment, the quality, visual appeal and aesthetics on the inside of Eon are much better compare to simple and subtle interior styling of the Alto.

image – Maruti Alto K10 Interiors

Alto has simple and sensible Interiors, but the quality of the material is just about average, but good enough for the entry level segment, but when we compare it with Eon Interiors, they seem quite plain and too subtle.

In terms of Interiors, Hyundai Eon is better compared to Maruti Alto and Alto K10.

Hyundai Eon Petrol Engine Vs Maruti Suzuki Alto Petrol Engine

Hyundai Eon Petrol Engine Specifications

3 Cylinder MPFI Petrol Engine
Engine displacement 814 CC
Max power of 55.2 BHP @ 5500 RPM
Max Torque of 75 Nm @ 4000 RPM
5 speed manual transmission
ARAI Certified Mileage of 21.1 KMPL

Marti Alto 800 CC Engine Specifications

798 CC Displacement
BS IV Complaint Engine
Maximum power of 46.4 BHP @ 6200 RPM
Maximum Torque of 62 Nm @ 3000 RPM
5 speed manual transmission
ARAI Certified Mileage of 19.73 KMPL

Marti Alto K10 Engine Specifications

All aluminum Light Weight K108 Petrol engine
998 CC Displacement
BS IV Complaint Engine
Maximum power of 67 BHP @ 6200 RPM
Maximum Torque of 90 Nm @ 3500 RPM
5 speed manual transmission
ARAI Certified Mileage of 20.20 KMPL

Comparing the engine specifications, Eon seem to much better in terms of power, torque and mileage for the 800 CC Engine when compared with the Alto 800 CC. The mileage of Eon is also better than that of Maruti Alto as per the ARAI data. For entry level car, the Eon is much more peppier than the Maruti Alto.

On the higher price segment, if we compared the engine of Alto K10, it performs better than the Eon engine in terms of power and torque with slightly less fuel mileage. However, the K10 starts at Rs. 3.07 Lakhs, so if you are looking for a 3.1 Lakhs Plus car, then Alto K10 engine seems to be a netter option in terms of engine specs.

Hyundai Eon Petrol Handling and Performance Vs Maruti Suzuki Alto Petrol Handling and Performance

In ride and handling department, Hyundai Eon is a comfortable car to drive. The power steering is light and has been tuned for city driving, the feel of the steering weight is kind of consistent and the Eon is quite stable at cornering. The Suspension has been tuned keeping a balance between the ride and handling characteristics.

Maruti Alto on the other side is also quite comfortable for city driving, slightly soft suspensions, good ride comfort and decent handling with slight body roll at high speed cornering. For an entry level car, Alto does quite well.

For an entry level car, both Eon and Alto have got good ride and handling characteristics which make them comfortable for city commuting.

Hyundai Eon Petrol Features and Price Vs Maruti Suzuki Alto Petrol Features and Price

Hyundai Eon Price In India

The ex-showroom Delhi price of Hyundai Eon in India is as follows:

Hyundai EON D-Lite is priced at Rs.2.69 Lakhs
Hyundai EON D-Lite (O) is priced at Rs.2.92 Lakhs
Hyundai EON Era is priced at Rs. 3.11 Lakhs
Hyundai EON Magna is priced at Rs. 3.37 Lakhs
Hyundai Magna (O) is priced at Rs. 3.47 Lakhs
Hyundai Sportz is priced at Rs. 3.71 Lakhs

Maruti Alto Price In India

The ex-showroom Delhi price of Maruti Alto and Alto K10 (Metallic Colours) in India is as follows:

Maruti Alto 800 STD (without AC) is priced at Rs. 2.35 Lakhs
Maruti Alto 800 LX is priced at Rs. 2.67 Lakhs
Maruti Alto 800 LXi is priced at Rs. 2.84 Lakhs
Maruti Alto K10 LXi is priced at Rs. 3.07 Lakhs
Maruti Alto K10 VXi is priced at Rs. 3.20 Lakhs

Maruti Alto 800 STD Vs Hyundai Eon D-Lite

Maruti Alto STD and Hyundai Eon D-Lite are the base variants of Alto and Eon respectively and do not provide power steering and AC. In terms of features they both come with no frills and ride on tubeless 145/80 R12 tyres. But in terms of interior and exterior looks, engine power and mileage, Hyundai Eon is much more attractive than the Alto, but it comes at a considerable price difference od about Rs. 34,000 higher than Alto. So if you want a low cost car, Alto is a better choice, but if you want a better looking car, Eon will be better for the base variant.

Maruti Alto 800 LXi Vs Hyundai Eon D-Lite

If we consider the price as primary criterion, the Alto Lxi and D-Lite comes very close. If we compare these two variants in terms of features, Alto with power steering and AC will be a better choice to go for. Alto does however has lower engine specs, less attractive interiors and exteriors compared to Eon.

Maruti Alto 800 LXi Vs Hyundai Eon D-Lite (O)

Maruti Alto Lxi is about Rs. 25,000 cheaper than the D-Lite O which gives it a lot of advantage for price sensitive buyers who want a car with power steering and AC and don’t bother much about engine specs and power. For practical use, Alto seems a better choice with power steering, but D-Lite O Does look much better, delivers more power and offers better looking interiors with good space, but lags on Power steering which is not so pleasing.

Maruti Alto K10 LXi Vs Hyundai Eon Era

The Alto K10 Lxi and Hyundai Eon Era are priced very closely and compete better with each other compared to the lower end variant. One of the area where Alto is better is the engine performance as at the same price, the Alto K10 has got a more powerful engine which delivers better power and torque without compromising much on the mileage. Also Alto K10 Lxi rides on larger R13 tyres compared to the R12 of the Eon Era. The Eon Era and Alto K10 Lxi both have body coloured bumpers, both lack power windows and other frills, but offer power steering and AC for a comfortable drive. If you are looking for a more powerful engine, then Alto K10 maybe a better choice, but if you are looking for better fit and finish, better interiors and exteriors, Hyundai Era will be a better choice.

Maruti Alto K10 VXi Vs Hyundai Eon Magna

The Alto K10 Vxi adds front door power windows, fabric inserts in the door, rear parcel tray, vanity mirror, central locking, internally adjustable outside rear view mirrors and front fog lamps. The Hyundai Eon Magna compared to Era adds passenger side outside mirror, full wheel covers, micro roof antenna, front doors map pockets, moulded door trims, alternator management system, tilt adjust steering, internally adjustable outside rear view mirrors, front power windows and front door full size arms rests. Considering the price difference of Eon Magna being priced higher by about Rs. 17,000, it seems like Alto has a more attractive price tag. But if you consider the interior and exterior quality of Eon, it looks better. This is a tough pick, but I will pick Eon for better fit, finish and sporty looks.

Maruti Alto K10 VXi Vs Hyundai Eon Magna (0) and Sportz

The Maruti Alto Vxi is priced much lower compared to the high end Magna (o) and Sportz variants of Eon. The price difference is because of the equipment and features added to Eon in these trims like Integrated Audio System with two speakers with AUX and USB support, metallic finish inside door handles, body coloured outside door handles and outside rear view mirrors, keyless entry and driver side airbags for improved safety. All these features do come at a price premium. The top end variant of Eon offers some better features than the entry level variants of Maruti Wagon R which is placed one segment above the Alto K10. These top end variants are targeted to those customers who want premium feel and compact size with high mileage, as the petrol prices in India is becoming a vital factor in buying decision to go for a better fuel economy car. We expect that the sales volume of the top end Sportz variant may not be too high, but it will help Hyundai capture a new segment of customers who want premium features in a fuel efficient car.

Car Blog India verdict – Hyundai Eon Petrol Vs Maruti Suzuki Alto Petrol

If you are buying a car on tight budget, Alto gives much more lucrative pricing compared to the Hyundai Eon, but if you are looking for a better looking and more premium looking car by spending some extra money, Hyundai Eon is a better choice because of much better interior feel, exterior looks and design.

check out more-