Maruti’s A-Star is not only an important car for Maruti but even for Hyundai. After the launch of the Hyundai i10, Maruti hasn’t had swift sales. However the A-Star is set to change that. The Maruti A-Star has been priced very well and we won’t be suprised if it becomes the car of the year either. However its not all that good as it appears.
Surely the A-Star looks cute and uses the latest K series engine but Maruti seems to be missing the point. Well almost. They already have 4 cars in the same segment and they plan to launch the Splash as well. How many small cars will Maruti launch? They should phase out the Wagon R and Zen Estilo.
The A-Star surely is a good car and has the capabilities to take the fight to Hyundai’s i10. It looks cute and built quality is better than the Swift. The mid range VXi comes with integrated audio system with remote. However tachometer is only present on the top model. A bit disappointing and looks like an afterthought.
Rear legroom is nothing to talk about either. But then remember this is a small car and targetted towards unmarried bachelors :P aka the youth and people who want a 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th car in their garage.
Boot space is good for a small car and the interiors seem to be a control + c and control + v job from the Swift. The steering, AC vents, gear lever are a few things which are straight lift from its elder sibling. Not that its a bad thing but Grand Vitara owners will feel a bit upset about same.
The A-Star ZXi at Rs. 4.9 lacs OTR, Mumbai is not only expensive but makes me wonder why would i buy a small A-Star for that much money when i can get a Maruti Swift VXi. The VXi variant is going to be selling the most. Overall the A-Star is a car in the right direction for Maruti but it might just not be able to dethrone the i10. Test Drive review to follow, stay tuned.
