Maruti Suzuki A-Star with new features launched at Rs.3.66 lakh!

Maruti Suzuki has given its A-Star small car some new and useful features like alloy wheels, optional ABS and Airbags on the top-end, ZXI variant.

On the inside, the A-Star gets 50:50 split rear seats and beige interiors.  The front seats of the new A-Star feature integrated headrests and the car now comes in two new colors: “Pearl Metallic Brown” and “Glistening Grey”.

Prices of A-Star variants have been increased by Rs. 7,000 – 17,000 depending on the variant and the revamped A-Star starts at Rs. 3.66 lakh, ex-showroom Delhi. Given below is table with the updated prices.

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Competition

The A-Star competes with the Chevrolet Beat and the Hyundai i10. The Beat has an edge over the A-Star in terms of rear room space and boot space. Most importantly, the Beat is available with a diesel engine option at a competitive price range while the A-Star comes only in petrol.

When compared to the i10, the A-Star, once again lacks rear legroom and headroom. The i10 also has an edge over A-Star in terms of performance because, the i10’s engine puts out 79 bhp of power while the A-Star’s 1-litre, K-Series engine puts out only 66 bhp of power. However, A-Star surges ahead of the i10 in terms of real world mileage which is pretty close to the ARAI-certified figure of 19 kmpl.

Sales of the A-Star have been pretty low in India. However, Maruti Suzuki exports majority of the A-Star’s produced in India. So far, the company has exported 2.81 lakh units of the A-Star since its launch. Export markets for the A-Star include Netherlands, UK, Spain, Italy, Spain, South Africa and Australia.

The new A-Star with the minor updates will still have a hard time attracting small car buyers due to poor rear space and a tiny boot. With many new models expected to invade the small car segment in the coming years, it’s going to be a tough road ahead for the A-Star.