19 Nov 2008

Suzuki's fifth World Strategic Model is all about its Indian subsidiary and more. Adil Jal Darukhanawala gets behind the wheel of one of the first A-Stars to shine on Indian roads.

More on the A-Star  Visit our A-Star Spl  In pics :A-Star : Concept to reality       Read the first drive review  Maruti Suzuki Launches A-Star!   A-Star engine special: The Star's firepower  A-Star Vs. Competitors  Preview: A-Star - Blockbuster in the Waiting Related Reviews   The Hyundai i20 preview

Was I starry eyed after driving the new Suzuki A-Star? It's a good question to ask but the A-Star concept at Auto Expo did make many drool but I felt more of the substance than the concept's glitz after the drive in the latest Indo-Japanese mini last week.

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

So if its starry eyes you are after, let's wait for a few months and see how the competition is faring for by that time the A-Star (Alto all over the world if it is a Suzuki and Pixo if you want the Nissan version) would have done the dazzling bit or otherwise.

There is a lot riding on the new car and while on form and function it might not realistically move the goalposts from a design and proportion aspect compared to previous small Suzukis, there is enough substance underneath its tautly stretched curvy skin panels to denote it as a significant step forward.

The A-Star is to be built exclusively in India for both domestic consumption and for the export markets. With Europe fastidious on safety and the environment, it is in these areas that the A-Star takes the small car game forward mightily. An all new monocoque structure, coupled with a sub-frame mounted front suspension layout, unique for a car in its class but now rather a necessity, gas-charged dampers and optimized electrically assisted power steering mean that the car is geared for snappy handling with a modicum of pliant ride quality. Getting the structure stiff on such small cars does bring with it a weight penalty but Suzuki has worked this well through good design and choice of materials.

Add in ABS (brake set-up consists of ventilated discs up front and drums at the rear) and airbags as standard fitment form the word go, for all editions around the world including India and you begin to see where this car is headed. Steering the market to new equipment usage is the job of a leader and we see Maruti Suzuki playing that role in a subtle but correct manner yet again. It might not be the most natural thing in the world to us Indians and not many A-Star users would be aware of the car conforming to the Euro ELV norms but it is great that the car could be recycled to the tune of 85% of its material content.

Let's move on to whether the car can move India and others as effectively as previous Altos and the answer to that is a clear YES. The onset of an all new engine - the K10B (some Maruti Suzuki boffins at the press drive had already christened the engine in the vernacular as "kappa ka boss") is the key not just for the driveability but also the initial cost of the car plus the overall operational costs in the car's lifecycle. The new 998cc triple features double overhead camshafts operating four valves per cylinder and while 67PS and 90Nm of torque are pretty good power and torque outputs, the car features a load of tech to cut frictional and pumping losses, has excellent low levels of NVH plus comes with driveability which translates into good speed and thrust when and how you want it along with a fine turn of generosity to your wallet which in this day one just can't emphasise enough. Suzuki claims a 19.59 kmpl consumption figure based on ARAI's tests but we will surely reflect on that once we have tested the car thoroughly but having driven it on the billiard smooth Noida roads and experienced the in-gear driveability at very easy engine speeds, it is not impossible for many not to get close to this figure in everyday operation.