To be sold side by side with the popular Alto, the A-star is targeted at a younger, more style conscious customer. A buyer who wants a more attractive-looking car and one that is better to drive, without actually sacrificing anything by way of fuel economy or price. A tough ask says AutoCar (Dec. ’08) but finds the car funky and fun in it’s First Drive…
What is immediately obvious in the A-star design is the departure from the existing Alto’s basic boxy shape. There’s no traditional grille, the inlet to the radiator is placed really low down and the headlights are mounted high up and then the turning lights pop out like machine gun pods which is pretty cool thinks AutoCar (Dec. ’08). Also the A-star’s glass area tapers like a leaf towards the rear, an effect achieved by raising the beltline, using a steep kink in the rear door and dropping the roof down towards the rear. The rear windscreen is shallow and looks almost slot-like and the basic shape reminds you of the Swift; a compact cabin area with wide haunches. The sole reminders of the Alto are the taillights and the thick C-pillar.
What is absolutely fresh is Suzuki’s new KB series engine. This thoroughly modern all-aluminum motor is a marvel of Japanese miniaturization and will power all manner of Suzuki small cars of the future. A twin cam, four valves per cylinder unit, it uses a maintenance-free chain drive system, low mass pistons (with short skirts), distributor less ignition as well as rocker-less camshaft actuation. As a result it feels as or more responsive than even the i10, is light to drive, the brakes are well-weighted and the gearbox is actually better than that on the Swift but not as good as the i10’s. The wheelbase is similar to the current Alto, Wagon R and Zen Estilo which means it is slightly shorter than the i10. Tyre size however is identical; a narrow 155 that has a high 80 profile. This means the new Maruti has a substantial cushion of air and generous sidewall rubber to handle our worst roads.
The A-star is perfect for city travel. At low speeds the motor is pretty smooth and hugely responsive even just off idle; this means the A-star feels alert and ready to skip forward. Says AutoCar (Dec.’08), you can sort-shift and the motor will still yank you forward in traffic even with just an inch of throttle travel. The big surprise is that the car is light-footed through rough patches, well-composed over large bumps and skips very happily over broken stretches of tarmac, thanks to its stiff new chassis, Swift-like front suspension and tall springs.
The onlt thing that detracts from the A-star’s urban driving manners is the car’s tendency to lurch and jerk a bit when one is off the throttle and crawling in traffic, especially at low engine speed.
On the highway unfortunately much of the smoothness of the motor, so evident at lower speeds, is lost. Acceleration continues to be strong and AutoCar’s V-box testing equipment showed the A-star to be just as quick as the regular i10. While grip from the 155 tyres is limited, the car is agile and fun to drive hard. The Electric Power Steering System is column mounted and does not give you the same feel as a rack-mounted or hydraulic unit but it is light and nice to use in traffic.
Like the exterior, the cabin is a step forward too for a small Maruti. The driver’s seat is really quite comfortable even for six-footers. And though there is no seat height adjustment or adjustable steering, there’s plenty of travel on the front seats. According to the company, the rear seats in this segment are used very rarely in India and as a result space and comfort is only just about enough in the new car. Headroom is tight, the rear seat is only slightly wider than the Alto and the back rest is short too. The high sides of the car and the large headrests up front also make the rear seats pretty claustrophobic. However under thigh support is not too bad. The A-star is well specified on the safety front with two airbags and ABS.
What is immediately obvious in the A-star design is the departure from the existing Alto’s basic boxy shape. There’s no traditional grille, the inlet to the radiator is placed really low down and the headlights are mounted high up and then the turning lights pop out like machine gun pods which is pretty cool thinks AutoCar (Dec. ’08). Also the A-star’s glass area tapers like a leaf towards the rear, an effect achieved by raising the beltline, using a steep kink in the rear door and dropping the roof down towards the rear. The rear windscreen is shallow and looks almost slot-like and the basic shape reminds you of the Swift; a compact cabin area with wide haunches. The sole reminders of the Alto are the taillights and the thick C-pillar.
What is absolutely fresh is Suzuki’s new KB series engine. This thoroughly modern all-aluminum motor is a marvel of Japanese miniaturization and will power all manner of Suzuki small cars of the future. A twin cam, four valves per cylinder unit, it uses a maintenance-free chain drive system, low mass pistons (with short skirts), distributor less ignition as well as rocker-less camshaft actuation. As a result it feels as or more responsive than even the i10, is light to drive, the brakes are well-weighted and the gearbox is actually better than that on the Swift but not as good as the i10’s. The wheelbase is similar to the current Alto, Wagon R and Zen Estilo which means it is slightly shorter than the i10. Tyre size however is identical; a narrow 155 that has a high 80 profile. This means the new Maruti has a substantial cushion of air and generous sidewall rubber to handle our worst roads.
The A-star is perfect for city travel. At low speeds the motor is pretty smooth and hugely responsive even just off idle; this means the A-star feels alert and ready to skip forward. Says AutoCar (Dec.’08), you can sort-shift and the motor will still yank you forward in traffic even with just an inch of throttle travel. The big surprise is that the car is light-footed through rough patches, well-composed over large bumps and skips very happily over broken stretches of tarmac, thanks to its stiff new chassis, Swift-like front suspension and tall springs.
The onlt thing that detracts from the A-star’s urban driving manners is the car’s tendency to lurch and jerk a bit when one is off the throttle and crawling in traffic, especially at low engine speed.
On the highway unfortunately much of the smoothness of the motor, so evident at lower speeds, is lost. Acceleration continues to be strong and AutoCar’s V-box testing equipment showed the A-star to be just as quick as the regular i10. While grip from the 155 tyres is limited, the car is agile and fun to drive hard. The Electric Power Steering System is column mounted and does not give you the same feel as a rack-mounted or hydraulic unit but it is light and nice to use in traffic.
Like the exterior, the cabin is a step forward too for a small Maruti. The driver’s seat is really quite comfortable even for six-footers. And though there is no seat height adjustment or adjustable steering, there’s plenty of travel on the front seats. According to the company, the rear seats in this segment are used very rarely in India and as a result space and comfort is only just about enough in the new car. Headroom is tight, the rear seat is only slightly wider than the Alto and the back rest is short too. The high sides of the car and the large headrests up front also make the rear seats pretty claustrophobic. However under thigh support is not too bad. The A-star is well specified on the safety front with two airbags and ABS.
There’s a lot of Swift in the interior, things like the steering wheel, gear lever and knobs and buttons but what is funky and a far cry from regular Maruti small car austerity is the pop-up tachometer, red glow at night and tall central console. Storage space is good in the central console and above the glove box but the door pockets are slender and only good for things like writing pads. Plastics take a hit as base plastics like the dashboard and door pads feel hard and cheap plus what is horrendously insufficient is the boot. Barely large enough for a couple of soft bags, this tiny boot can only hold two full-sized suitcases if you fold the rear seat.
So to sum up, the A-star is ideally suited to urban conditions, looks funky and is well specified too. Added to all this is the fact that Marti claims this is its new fuel champion, not something to be taken lightly. It isn’t perfect with its cramped interiors and some iffy interior plastic, but there’s no doubting the A-star is very good where it matters. Priced competitively, AutoCar (Dec. ’08) thinks the A-star should be the next ‘big’ small car.
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