Maruti Suzuki A-Star is a A-Segment car as per the European car standards. The car is produced from the company's Manesar facility in Haryana. Designed by Rajesh Kumar Gogu and Saurabh Singh of Maruti Suzuki India, A-Star, which is a five-door hatchback; has been engineered keeping in mind the trends and standards of the European market.
A star is to be made in 200 variants and will be exported to 150 countries across Europe, Middle east , Latin America, Asia, Australia, and Africa. A-star will be exported under the name of Suzuki Alto and Suzuki Celerio. Nissan also plans to market the same car under the name Nissan Pixo in middle East and African markets.
It has an all new KB-Series 998cc engine which is Euro 5-compliant with Co2 emissions and develops 67 Bhp of power with 90 Nm of torque. It has a bold design language with strong lines and large wheelarches. The interiors of A-Star feel a bit cramped in comparison to Hyundai i10. Also the colors used by Maruti look drab unlike i10's biege n black interior trim which gives a airy and spacious feel.
The rear passengers get very small windows - thanks to butterfly/wing design as it looks from outside. Also rear legroom is less for 6' tall people. From driver's point of view A-Star is a very comfortable car, the instrument cluster is quite big and all meters are easy to read. It also gets dash mounted tachometer which is first of its kind in this segment. The only drawback is that the height of dashboard is little bit high and may obstruct view of short drivers.
Like the swift Maruti has launched A-Star in 3 variants - Lxi, Vxi & Zxi. The Zxi model is fully loaded with these features:
1) Power windows.
2) Power Steering.
3) Remote central locking.
4) Driver & Passenger Airbag.
5) Anti Lock Braking System (ABS).
6) Electronic Brake Distribution (EBD).
7) CD Player with 4 Speakers.
8) Dash-Mounted Tachometer.
9) Remote Boot & Remote Fuel Filler.
10) Rear Defogger with Rear Wiper/Washer.
11) Fog Lamps.
Prices of three variants are:
(Ex-Showroom Mumbai)
Lxi - 364500.00
Vxi - 396500.00
Zxi - 432000.00
The all-new A-star aka Alto (as it is called Outside India) builds on the strengths of Suzuki’s unparalleled knowledge of small-car development. It combines eye-catching style and easy urban mobility with great performance in terms of high fuel efficiency and low CO2 emissions. The new compact car offers lightness achieved through downsizing yet provides ample interior roominess and comfort.
For the compact body, Suzuki designer tailored a stylish, sporty and youthful look that simultaneously exudes solidity and urban energy. It is perfectly matched to European tastes and supports a low drag coefficient. With overall higher levels of quality, comfort, and safety, the all-new Alto is a response to the needs of today’s motorists.
A-star has replaced the present alto model in other countries. But in India Maruti is selling both the models side by side like they have done before with Wagon R and Zen Estilo.
A-Star is heavily toned down as compared to the Concept A-Star which made its debut in London & was also shown at Auto Expo, 2008 in New Delhi. No doubt that the newcomer is criticised for its looks since it looks as if styling has been taken of the Kia Picanto/Morning, Hyundai i10 and Citroen C1.
An estimated figure of around one lakh units of Maruti A Star will cater to the European Markets under the Suzuki badge, the rest 50,000 units will be sold within India. The A-Star is regarded as one of the most desired projects of Maruti Suzuki India. The Suzuki team has pinned a lot of hope in it.
In fact, the concept of Maruti A-Star is a first for Maruti Suzuki India's research and development team. Maruti Suzuki has entered into an agreement with Nissan to sell A-Star under the formers brand name in the US market. More detailed review soon... Watch this space....
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