Slow selling vehicles are inversely proportional to Maruti Suzuki, however the company did have two vehicles in their portfolio that could not get themselves out of the showrooms namely the Estilo and the A-Star hatchback. While Maruti had stopped producing both the models late last year, the company has now officially discontinued the same in the country. The announcement was merely official as the new Celerio hatchback that was launched at the 2014 Auto Expo replaces both the vehicles in the segment.
The Zen Estilo was Maruti’s haphazard attempt to revive the Zen nameplate. The company’s plan to bring a tall boy design instead of a peppy performer backfired. Moreover, the Estilo looked dated even before it was launched and with much more capable products in the market from Maruti’s stable, the Estilo couldn’t get things going for the company. The A-Star (Alto globally) on the other hand was a capable product, however lacked the punch for the Indian market. The rather different look also appealed to a few and in spite of an automatic variant on offer, the car could barely pick up sales.
Discontinuing the A-Star and the Estilo does not mean the parts won’t be available. Much like the iconic 800, Maruti will be providing spares for these models as well. The company won’t be producing the models anymore and will clear out the existing stock available with them. For those who want a car with good mileage, both the cars are mechanically sound and come with a 1.0-litre K-series mill also powering the Alto K10 and Wagon R.
Dealerships are already offering Rs. 45,000 – 60,000/- off on both the cars, and if you6bargain hard, the dealer will certainly sweeten the deal for you. However, the cars will suffer a dip in resale value in the future. With the new Celerio hatchback raking in 16,000 bookings within just two weeks of launch, the company would want to free up the stockyard for the new product.
