Maruti Suzuki A-Wind Concept previews the YL7/Estilo replacement hatchback

The global 2014 Suzuki Alto has been spotted testing in various parts of Europe and India. The car will be showcased at the upcoming 2014 Indian Auto Expo. Code-named the YL7, the new Alto will replace the Estilo in the Indian car market. The A-Star is likely to be retained in Maruti Suzuki’s car line up. 

Suzuki has released images of the A-Wind Concept that serves as a preview of the 2014 Alto. Going by the released imagery and relatively speaking, the car looks better than the Estilo, which never found acceptance in India due to its odd ball looks and price-positioning alongside the likes of the WagonR and the A-Star.

While a tall-boy design is retained, other design details on the YL7/A-Wind Concept are quite different from the straight lines found on the Estilo. The 1 liter-3 cylinder K-Series petrol engine that outputs 67 Bhp-90 Nm will be retained, along with the 5 speed manual gearbox.

Going by the images of the A-Wind Concept’s interiors, the production version could also feature an automatic gearbox, as is the case with the A-Star. A couple of years down the line, the 2014 Global Alto/YL7 will be offered with a 1 liter-3 cylinder turbo diesel engine that is currently being developed by Suzuki Motor Corporation, Japan.

The 2014 YL7 could also feature fuel sipping technologies such as a start stop system and brake energy regeneration. The YL7 will be Maruti Suzuki’s first launch for 2014. Production of the YL7 is likely to begin in January 2014, with deliveries to follow the car’s Auto Expo 2014 launch.

Expect pricing to mirror that of the now-discontinued Estilo hatchback. Top end variants could be offered with twin airbags and ABS+EBD as standard. It remains to be seen whether Maruti Suzuki’s Manesar production facility in India will become a production hub for the 2014 YL7/Global Alto given the car’s world car credentials.