Suzuki's Newest Minicar Boasts Top Fuel Efficiency

TOKYO (Nikkei)--Suzuki Motor Corp. (7269) on Wednesday unveiled the latest version of its Alto minivehicle, which features the best fuel efficiency of any gasoline-powered automobile.

The Alto Eco can run 33km on a liter of gas, outdistancing even Toyota Motor Corp.'s (7203) Prius hybrid. The vehicle is slated to go on sale March 4.

Suzuki improved the Alto's mileage by introducing a mechanism that generates and stores electricity when the vehicle slows down, as well as a system that turns off the engine when the car's speed dips below 13kph.

The automaker also reduced the vehicle's weight by about 20kg to 710kg by using high-tensile steel sheet. The Alto Eco will be priced from 900,000 yen to 1.1 million yen.

(The Nikkei, Feb. 21 morning edition)

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