Vikram Gour     19 Nov 2008

The Maruti Suzuki A-Star may have stirred up competition in the small car space, but at the root of the rush is the developed-from-scratch three-cylinder engine of the car. We unravel the secrets of the new powerplant.

More on the A-Star  Special Feature : Maruti Suzuki Ritz  Visit our A-Star Spl  In pics :Maruti Suzuki A-Star, from concept to reality       Read the first drive review  Maruti Suzuki Launches A-Star!  Editor's First Drive: ALTO-istically it is the A-Star!  Preview: Maruti A-Star - Blockbuster in the Waiting A-Star Vs. Competition Related Reviews   The Hyundai i20 preview  Small Cars of 2009

'All-new' is a word we are quite used to in the automotive world these days, but more often than not we end up looking at cars that are rebadged or come out wearing new clothes, but seldom have a change of heart.

View Specs & Features	Ex Showroom Delhi
Maruti Suzuki A-Star Lxi	Rs.3,46,775
Maruti Suzuki A-Star Vxi	Rs.3,74,775
Maruti Suzuki A-Star Zxi	Rs.4,11,775

Suzuki's latest baby boomer, the fifth generation Alto christened the A-Star in India, differs largely in this respect. The KB series engine is a brand new petrol engine that will join the MSIL engine family. Till date the J series engine has proved to be extremely reliable but the time has come to move forward and employ better technologies and further enhance the performance of the engine.  

The new KB 10B engine, the first of the KB series to be manufactured right now is a 998cc, 3 cylinder unit that has a high compression ratio of 10:1 and delivers 67PS @ 6200 rpm and a noteworthy torque of 90Nm@3500 rpm. Incidentally this engine is set to power the soon to be launched A-Star compact car, which will also be exported and sold under the Nissan badge.

Low engine weight has never been as important as now, not only for power and performance but also for emissions, efficiency and comfort. The new lightweight aluminium engine boasts of low NVH levels, enhanced fuel efficiency and linear performance throughout the powerband. Salient features of the new engine include an all plastic engine manifold, a smart distributor-less ignition system with dedicated plug top coils and advanced injectors plus an innovative rocker-less DOHC shaft. The engine has been further optimized by using light weight pistons and nutless conrods. All this has lead to the engine having a dry weight of just 47 kilograms.

The state of the art engine is part of a larger series, which will be introduced in India as demand requires. The KB series petrol engine encompasses a range from 1 litre to 1.4 litre engines and the KB 10B is set to be the first to do duty in Indian conditions.