[Viju]

Originally Posted by Mpower

Very interesting indeed. But the A/T version still lacks ABS and Airbags??? Just shows that Maruti has still not understood the needs of an A/T buyer.

Mpower, the A-star Automatic comes with ABS as standard (as it did, before the refresh).

Originally Posted by suhaas307

You can't price it along with the Wagon-R and Estillo and expect it to sell well, considering that it's a lot less spacious and has a smaller engine too.

suhaas307, Wagon-R, Estilo & A-Star all share the same K10B engine.

[suhaas307]

Originally Posted by Viju

suhaas307, Wagon-R, Estilo & A-Star all share the same K10B engine.

This is just not my day!

I was re-living my test-drive of the A-Star a few years ago, when the K10 had made its way into the Maruti portfolio for the first time. Back then the Wagon-R and the Estillo (correct me if I'm wrong) were powered by the older 4-pot mills.

I'd read about this update, but it had completely slipped my mind.

Thank you for nudge that brought me back to reality, Viju!

[Mpower]

Overall this is very good news for the AT buyer. One of the reasons I rejected the A-start AT was because of its dull/drab/cheap interior. Two tone black beige will do wonders to fix it.

Originally Posted by Vid6639

It's interesting that Maruti has the AT in the A-star only. If it weren't for the AT, the A-star would be a complete dud.

It kind of makes sense why they didn't get the WagonR with AT. The WagonR already sells 12K units a month.
!

It also makes sense why there is no AltoK10 A/T, what would've been the ultimate budget priced & Fuel Efficient automatic.

Another thing with the Wagon-R is that it has the 'sasta-tikau' image whereas the A-star is a bit of a lifestyle product in its own way.

Originally Posted by Viju

Mpower, the A-star Automatic comes with ABS as standard (as it did, before the refresh).

Sorry guys I wasn't more clear. I meant ABS+Airbags! The key reason why they lost my business !!

[sydras]

I recently bought a silky silver (went for the colour simply because I want better visibility of the vehicle in the evenings/night) A-Star automatic for my wife.

I was actually looking for the ZXI variant in AT due to the rear defogger since Maruti does not provide it in VXI AT. They provide ABS in the VXI AT(and I'm very grateful for that) while not providing it in the regular VXI version.

They could've provided the rear defogger in the AT VXI variant(most important options are available as accessories - MGA remote central locking, fog lamps, rear parcel tray etc.) or at least provided an AT ZXI variant in 2012.

Refreshed interiors are welcome though as the in-cabin space feels quite claustrophobic in this mini-swift like car (unlike the Alto or the Spark).

As long as the dashboard is not beige(like the Spark with crazy and downright hazardous dashboard reflections on the windscreen) it would be a good option to have in the A-Star.

[jasmeetsingh]

Originally Posted by romeomidhun

An utter waste of changes considering A-Star's current level of sales.

This car needs a thorough refreshing inside out: an extra length of 200 - 300mm which goes to rear legroom and boot area (or a sedan-like boot?), more matured head lamps, more stylish grills (at-least like that of WR), lowered waist line at the rear doors, and a bit low-set dash. Nothing else can save this car in India, though it may survive in external markets as a second / third car.

Yes actually car offers things par with the Alto but is priced too much to be value for money. The Zen Estilo offer more comfort at a lower price.

[deetjohn]

The split seats are very welcome, though not a fan of all that beige.

And I wonder why MSIL has not worked on the tail gate to liberate some more space in the boot and make the car look slightly big from the rear. They did that with the launch of the K10.

I had mentioned this earlier on this thread. http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/indian...ml#post2360174

Also, I feel the dash sits too high adding to the claustrophobia inside. Maybe they could have lowered it a bit.

That AT box is the key to sell more units. Its a great car for a city like B'lore. And I feel MSIL is not pushing it enough.

[S2!!!]

The A-star is more of an Eon competitor than an I-10 competitor IMO. The car would have sold like hot cakes had they just made it cheaper by atleast 50k for each variant. I liked the A-star as a package but is too over-priced IMO.

[mayankjha1806]

Never understood why AStar does not bring in big numbers for MSIL. To me it looks a wonderful product, haven't checked the pricing though. Drove one of my team members A Star and the is overall good to drive with decent interiors.

On the looks front some of the folks may not like it, but i kind of loved it. Hopefully this change from drab interiors to slightly better looking may bring in some numbers.

[download2live]

Those frog headlamps remain unchanged.
I still won't touch it with a 10 foot barge pole.

[supremeBaleno]

IMO good stuff to perk up sales for a nice FE car, which is highly under-rated. Interesting to know that AT sales constitutes a third of total sales for the car.

Originally Posted by suhaas307

You can't price it along with the Wagon-R and Estillo and expect it to sell well, considering that it's a lot less spacious and has a smaller engine too. It's quirky looks didn't help it either.

The engine is the same on the A-Star, Waggy, Estilo & Alto-K10 - the K10 1litre engine. Looks are subjective, but I doubt they make a difference to the consumers - else how do you explain the sales of WagonR, Dzire, i10 etc.

Originally Posted by bala80

Please say that again. For people who are short in stature (like me), this car is such a pain to drive.

The seat-height adjuster (in AT, Vxi & ZXi) helps negate the issue for short people.

Originally Posted by suhaas307

But Mpower, this has always been the trend with Maruti. The previous-generation Swift diesel did not get airbags even as an option, and neither did the Ritz! Safety is not an important aspect for Maruti, I suppose. But then again, it isn't entirely a 'Maruti' thing.

Isn't that too much generalisation there ? The i10 has ABS and Airbags only on the top-end Asta for AT or MT - atleast A-Star has ABS on mid version. Also, this is not "Maruti" as you say - till recently Honda did not have these safety features on their pricey NHC sedans (lower 2 trims). So this is something that is not company-specific, but which needs strong legislation to enforce - all cars to be sold only with ABS and 2 airbags. Period.

Originally Posted by jasmeetsingh

Yes actually car offers things par with the Alto but is priced too much to be value for money. The Zen Estilo offer more comfort at a lower price.

If you think the Alto and A-Star are at par, then I guess nothing could be further from the fact. While the Alto is a bare-minimum lightweight tinny car, the A-Star is a solid car with super handling and a good engine. Do agree that the Estilo makes ingress/egress easier than in A-Star.

[aditya101]

AStar seems laking the "mindshare" of the consumer. Should have been marketed as the new Zen.

[supremeBaleno]

^^^ While the Zen was an iconic car, I do agree that it made sense to market the A-Star as new Zen, instead of applying that brand to the tall-boy Estilo.

[ACM]

^^^
Yep the A-Star would have been the perfect Zen. The Estillo is just not Zenish enough.

And yep this does brighten up what was a dull interior. But this I believe will still not help sales, they have priced it too high for the car that it is perceived to be.

[supremeBaleno]

^^^ True. While the interiors have brightened, for sales to improve, it would need more than this - a price-cut would help, but this would need lowering prices of AltoK10, Alto800, M800 down the rung. Also while more difficult than cutting prices, it won't hurt to improve the boot and space at the rear.

[amoghchaphalkar]

Not at all surprised to see that the AT variant comprises a third of the sales of A-Star. We bought one last month and must say that it is an extremely nice car, especially for the ladies. In a market where the only other AT choice is the i-10, the A-star offers a good package.

I actually prefer the (now) old interiors. Beige upholstery is a pain to maintain. Maruti should have added the following features in the Vxi variant (at least for the AT)

1. Fog lamps
2. Rear window defogger
3. Rear window wiper
4. Alloy wheels

Funnily enough, all the above are available as "official" accessories and Maruti fits them without voiding the warranty. Don't understand why Maruti does not offer them as options from the factory itself !