bichel
01-10-2009, 04:42 AM
Every action has an equal and opposite reaction, they say. So when Hyundai launched its ilO last year and bagged all the Car of the Year awards, you could have bet your last buck that Maruti Suzuki wouldn't be far behind in playing catch up with the Korean carmaker, Enter the all-new A-Star which, just like the ilO, will be made in India and sold across the world as the Alto. But can it be as big a hit as the ita? Let's find out.
GETTING CHEEKY WITH IT
We had a first look at the essence of this design at the Auto Expo in January this year as the Concept A-Star. But the final product, though cheeky to look at, isn't as exciting as the original concept. The huge headlamps and the oversized grille give it a unique face and plenty of character that ensure you won't mistake it for any other small car on the road.
The European version of the car (pictured here) comes with butterfly-type windows but the India-spec variant will get the regular wind-up windows. At 3.5 metres long, the A-Star is as long as the Alto, the car it replaces in Europe. The i10 at 3595mm is marginally larger. But the A-Star's width, at 16oomm, is as big as the ito's lS9smm and wider than Alto's 149smm. There is no getting away from the fact that this is a small car and feels like one when you look at it and even inside the cabin.
When Suzuki and Maruti sat down to make the A-Star, their focus was to lower costs. At 8SSkg, it is one of the lighter cars around and this clearly shows in the way the doors close, lacking the solid feel that rivals offer.
HOW ARE THE INTERIORS?
The A-Star's centre console is a funky design that should appeal to a large audience. There's one big circular instrument cluster that houses the instruments and warning lamps. The steering wheel is the same unit which has found its way on the Swift, SX4 and Wagon R.
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There's adequate room in the front seats, even for six foot-plus occupants, but the driving position could be improved by a steering wheel that adjusts for reach as well as rake. The rear is cramped, which is to be expected of a small car.
The dull grey interiors on the European-spec car look a bit boring though and we expect Maruti to sell the A-Star with beige interiors like it does with the Wagon Rand Zen Estilo.
Another area of concern is that the centre console sits high up and shorter drivers could have a problem seeing the road ahead. The AC vents also could have been placed a bit lower.
Maruti has utilised the space inside the cabin to good effect and there are plenty of cubbyholes across the cabin which aid practicality.
However, the frugal built is evident again inside the cabin. The quality of plastics though not that far from rivals could have been better.
The Euro-spec variant gets plenty of safety kit including Electronic Stability Program(ESP), Electronic Stability Program (ESP), Anti Lock Brakes (ABS) and six airbags. We hope Maruti will carry some of this equipment on the Indian A-Star as well.
THE ENGINE
The A-Star is the first Maruti to use the all-new KB-Series petrol engine. This three mcylinder aluminium unit is a state-of-the-art engine for a small car. It will be safe to assume that this engine will be more refined that the current Alto's three-cylinder unit and less obtrusive than the Wagon R and Zen Estilo's four-cylinder engines as well. Going by our previous experiences with Maruti aluminium engines, you can expect that on the move the l.o-litre unit will have a predictable shortage of pulling power at very low revs, but once you're on the roll there will be little to complain.
GETTING CHEEKY WITH IT
We had a first look at the essence of this design at the Auto Expo in January this year as the Concept A-Star. But the final product, though cheeky to look at, isn't as exciting as the original concept. The huge headlamps and the oversized grille give it a unique face and plenty of character that ensure you won't mistake it for any other small car on the road.
The European version of the car (pictured here) comes with butterfly-type windows but the India-spec variant will get the regular wind-up windows. At 3.5 metres long, the A-Star is as long as the Alto, the car it replaces in Europe. The i10 at 3595mm is marginally larger. But the A-Star's width, at 16oomm, is as big as the ito's lS9smm and wider than Alto's 149smm. There is no getting away from the fact that this is a small car and feels like one when you look at it and even inside the cabin.
When Suzuki and Maruti sat down to make the A-Star, their focus was to lower costs. At 8SSkg, it is one of the lighter cars around and this clearly shows in the way the doors close, lacking the solid feel that rivals offer.
HOW ARE THE INTERIORS?
The A-Star's centre console is a funky design that should appeal to a large audience. There's one big circular instrument cluster that houses the instruments and warning lamps. The steering wheel is the same unit which has found its way on the Swift, SX4 and Wagon R.
609
There's adequate room in the front seats, even for six foot-plus occupants, but the driving position could be improved by a steering wheel that adjusts for reach as well as rake. The rear is cramped, which is to be expected of a small car.
The dull grey interiors on the European-spec car look a bit boring though and we expect Maruti to sell the A-Star with beige interiors like it does with the Wagon Rand Zen Estilo.
Another area of concern is that the centre console sits high up and shorter drivers could have a problem seeing the road ahead. The AC vents also could have been placed a bit lower.
Maruti has utilised the space inside the cabin to good effect and there are plenty of cubbyholes across the cabin which aid practicality.
However, the frugal built is evident again inside the cabin. The quality of plastics though not that far from rivals could have been better.
The Euro-spec variant gets plenty of safety kit including Electronic Stability Program(ESP), Electronic Stability Program (ESP), Anti Lock Brakes (ABS) and six airbags. We hope Maruti will carry some of this equipment on the Indian A-Star as well.
THE ENGINE
The A-Star is the first Maruti to use the all-new KB-Series petrol engine. This three mcylinder aluminium unit is a state-of-the-art engine for a small car. It will be safe to assume that this engine will be more refined that the current Alto's three-cylinder unit and less obtrusive than the Wagon R and Zen Estilo's four-cylinder engines as well. Going by our previous experiences with Maruti aluminium engines, you can expect that on the move the l.o-litre unit will have a predictable shortage of pulling power at very low revs, but once you're on the roll there will be little to complain.