Maruti Suzuki A-Star

How is the design?

With high-mounted headlamps and a low-mounted grille, the A-nose star is rounded and adorably adorable. The car's designers have also given prominence to the wheel arches and the rising window line, which results in the rear window being almost triangular. "Pop up" turning lights encased within the headlight cluster stand out. This, along with the tiny shallow boot (129 liters), strongly suggests that rear passenger comfort and luggage space are not areas of priority. The rear doors are also small, barely wider than a cupboard door. Although many people don't like how the car looks from the rear and other people are still not fans of the front, the design can grow on them.

How does it perform?

The Maruti A-Star is a no-speed star; while people can accelerate from 0 kmph to 100 kmph in just under 20 seconds, which is impressive for a small car, the auto-gearbox has a noticeable lag that any sprinter can sense. The A-Star is tuned exclusively for taller gear ratios, so one would reach the desired speed when the scene is complete. Accelerating further with this vehicle results in growling noises that can be heard from inside the cabin. When accelerated, the front-wheel-drive automobile zooms out at a top speed of 140 km/h. Torque is around 82 to 89 Nm. The engine capacity of the car is 998 cc. Because of the small rear and windshield windows, very little light comes in, which is terrible for ergonomics. The A-Star's boot capacity is 129 Liters. This 3-pot, 12-valve automatic engine produces the same 67 PS at 6200 RPM and 90 NM at 3500 RPM as its manual version. The gearbox in the car features a slot shift mechanism rather than the standard setup. People need to hold the brakes while swiping the lever to the parking mode and cranking the motor. The engine is quiet with reduced vibration. When the knob is in the Drive position, the A-Star cruises up to 40 kmph with little to no reluctance. This car is the ideal choice for bumper-to-bumper traffic, but once they are hassle-free, they would tap sideways to enter the third mode, which helps the speedometer claim up to 70kmph. While the "L" mode enables the driver to climb any slope or steep parking zone, the "2" mode aids in driving the A-Star at maximum speeds.

How is the mileage?

The mileage, which is the primary concern for the majority of middle-class individuals, is the highlight of The A-Star. The Maruti Suzuki A-Star mileage is 16.98 to 19.00 kilometers per liter, according to the ARAI. The petrol tank on the Maruti Suzuki A-Star is 35 liters. The Maruti Suzuki A-Star can increase its mileage by maintaining a consistent speed of 60–70 km/h. Turning off the air conditioning can get you 20% more mileage in some scenarios as well. If you are concerned about the mileage then you should remember that people shouldn’t accelerate quickly and shift gears when the engine is running at 2000 RPM. It affects fuel efficiency. In the class of cars with petrol engines, it offers excellent mileage. Maruti Suzuki A-Star could run up to 200 km in one go. The Maruti Suzuki A-star versions from 2012 to 2014 are LXI, VXI, ZXI, and VXI AT. The ARAI mileage of all the versions is 19 km/l.

How is the driving experience?

The driving experience of the Maruti Suzuki A-Star is highly appreciable. This car has two variants. One is a manual five-speed transmission, and the other is automatic. As usual, the automatic version is straightforward to drive as there is no clutch. The driver doesn't need to touch the gear handle either. Although the automatic version is very relaxed to drive, it doesn't have any fun involved. Some customers who have doubts about their driving skills and those seeking a simplified automobile are generally up for buying this. On other hand, the five-speed manual transmission version is more popular with enthusiastic young drivers. The steering is light and enables quick U-turns, making it ideal for city driving. If a person lives in the city, they must have this. Even if it doesn't provide as much feedback as users had hoped at highway speeds, it does the job well. Although the brakes are soft, ABS helps the A-Star slow down immediately despite their softness. The A-star has front-wheel drive, transverse motors, independent front suspensions, and torsion beam rear suspensions underneath its skin. With ABS as a standard feature on the ZXi, the front and rear brakes—drums and discs—are in charge of stopping the vehicle. An electrical power steering system is also employed. Like the Swift, the A-star also utilizes a somewhat advanced front suspension.

What is the interior like?

According to some reviews from the users, this car lacks driver's leg space, which is one of the reasons for its evident lack of popularity. Despite this, the car is well-suited for short-height drivers. Moreover, the automatic version of A-Star has a lever for height adjustment of the driving seat, which becomes helpful when there is more than one driver in a family. Also, people above 6 feet tall have less room in the back. Due to the style of the rear windows, which seem to be a butterfly or wing from the outside, interior space is rather cramped here. The A-Star is a very comfortable car to drive otherwise; the instrument panel is rather large, and all the meters are easy to see. Additionally, it has a dash-mounted tachometer. The height of the dashboard is a minor negative that could interfere with short drivers' vision. The floating cockpit design, contoured aero-dashboard, and wrap-around console of the Maruti A-Star contribute to the vehicle's overall entertaining athletic motif. The interiors have been soberly incorporated with crimson lighting, which is easy on the eyes and has relaxing properties. The front seat headrests on the new A-Star have been somewhat modified, and the interior is now beige and grey.

Tech and infotainment

The highest model of the A-Star has a ton of goodies, including an integrated music system with AUX-in capability, airbags, an anti-lock braking system (ABS), electronic brake distribution, a smart dash-mounted tachometer, a digital trip meter, an odometer, a fuel gauge, and a clock (EBD). These are all combined to provide a unique experience. However, the Maruti Suzuki A-Star has a great infotainment system. There is a mixture of entertainment with information. USB sockets are also provided. You can get an aftermarket integrated Android system for Maps, telematics, and other functionalities with this one.

Safety equipment

The Maruti Suzuki A-Star VXI AT provides super safety features like seatbelt warning, child lock system, anti-theft engine immobilizer, and central locking system. Every version of the Maruti Suzuki A-Star car comes with good safety features and this car makes people feel very safe and comfortable. As people are concerned about their comfort zone, the Maruti Suzuki car ensures safety and a healthy journey for the user through attractive features. There are various kinds of parameters to comprehend the standard quality of the cars while it's in comparison to other cars. Interestingly, the Maruti Suzuki cars always come to the forefront with standard features. It provides dual airbags, ABS +EBD, and super protection compliance. Maruti Suzuki is the finest car company that gives a speed warning system. In short, the Maruti Suzuki A-Star is a safety-ensured car and it will provide satisfaction to the buyers.

Which variants to buy?

For Indian customers, it's very necessary to know about the variants of a car before buying it. There are so many people out there who have a lot of different choices and expectations from a car. Maruti Suzuki A-Star, being a five-seater hatchback model is also a highly attractive vehicle for Indian people who are looking for a perfect family car. Therefore it's very important to know about the variants and the different qualities of the same. There are various kinds of versions available on the Maruti Suzuki A-Star cars, namely the ZXI (OPT), VXI AT, VXI, and ZXI. There is a variance in the price of these versions of the Maruti Suzuki A Star cars. Like in the LXI version, the price ranges from 3.88 lakhs in India, in the VXI version, the price ranges from 4.18 lakh, and in the ZXI version, the price ranges from 4.44 lakh in India. Also, there are so many attractive colors and lots of customizations available. The variance of the concerned car is A-Star VXI Airbag, AT VXI, AT Vxi Aktiv, Lxi, Vxi, Vxi Aktiv, Zxi, and Zxi Optional. The variants which have AT with their model name have an automatic transmission whereas the models which don't have AT in their name have manual gearbox which includes a clutch and the gear handle have to be manually changed by pulling by hand. In the automatic transmission system, this car has only one fuel variant which is powered by petrol. The other manual transmission models are available in both diesel and petrol fuel types. Therefore the variance of this car for different choices for different people. Customers should choose variants according to their requirements.

Which cars compete in this segment?

The company's Manesar factory in Haryana is where the car is made. In some areas, A-Star has superseded the current Alto model. However, Maruti sold both models side by side in India, much as they did with the Wagon R and Estilo in the past. On January 25, 2012, Maruti Suzuki India also unveiled the "Spiced-up" A-Star. It now has new alloy wheel designs and somewhat updated front seat headrest designs. The A-Star competes with the Datsun Redi-GO, Renault Kwid, Maruti Suzuki Alto K10, Datsun GO, Maruti Suzuki S-Presso, Hyundai Santro, Maruti Suzuki Celerio, Maruti Suzuki Wagon R and Tata Tiago NRG. Every competitor has advanced features in some aspects while lacking in some. Likewise, the Renault Kwid has less engine capacity and hence less torque than A-Star. Whereas, the Maruti Suzuki Alto K10 and Maruti Suzuki S-Presso have greater mileage with almost similar features as the A-Star and possibly more advanced today.

Verdict (value for money?)

The Maruti Suzuki A-Star can be a good proposition with its reasonable price tag, colors, customization options, infotainment unit/music system, and the decent styling. The price is around Rs. 3.71-4.57 lakh. The A-Star drives reasonably well, with its engine being more suited for city traffic conditions. While modern rivals like the Renault and Datsun models or even Maruti’s own WagonR, Alto, and S-Presso may come with more features and refined driving experiences, the A-Star still manages to attract young and enthusiastic buyers looking for something unique in the segment. And of course, it does come with Maruti’s legendary reliability and lower running costs, something that greatly works in its favour as well.