Why Isn't The Maruti AStar Selling Well?

amit V8 · 3rd November 2009, 00:09

it is a trashcan in terms of everything except the engine. it looks horrible, cramped interiors and an awful dashboard plus a big price tag. a revised exterior with a lower price tag might help.

just compare with its great granddad and the later still feels a lot better.

aaggoswami · 3rd November 2009, 00:21

1) Space : The rear seat is not as spacious as people seem to expect. The competition offers better space and this is the main reason for low sales. Now IMO, the real problem is that passengers in rear might feel claustrophobic as the windows are not large enough. Rather than space, the issue of feeling claustrophobic is real issue IMO.

2) About competition offering everything better, I dont agree. A-star's motor is good, though idling is not very refined as its a three cylinder unit. Otherwise A-star has best combination of ride, handling and engine. No other car offers an equally good engine, an equally good ride and equally good handling. There is a hint of sportiness in this car that is absent in i10.

3) Looks are subjective, but for me the car looks quite good as compared to others. This is one of the car that is still low slung and is good to drive. Personally I dont like the tacho.

sushanthr77 · 3rd November 2009, 01:19

A couple of months back, me and a couple of my friends into the Maruti showroom and saw this new kid - A-Star. It has an odd looking front and a neat rear.

We peeked into the rear first and were shocked!!! We could not believe what we saw. The rear was exclusively for kids. There is no way AN averaged sized person could sit there even for short journeys. This car can't be called a family car.

IMHO, the A-Star is no "star" by any means. It is poor VFM and really cramped. The competition has far better cars to offer - Spark and i10.

sunil8089 · 3rd November 2009, 01:47

Simple Answer - Astar is not Value for Money

The segment 3-4 Lakh customers are generally middle class (most of them educated and employed)) and they think 100 times before they burn their hard earned money.

Also Astar is not targeted at Indian market, but at European countries where most of the customers demands space at front seat only. Unlike in India, the sole purpose of back seat is to carry their Kids on transit.

sam_sant2005 · 3rd November 2009, 07:58

a-star overall a bad package. design, interior space, pricing - everywhere maruti got it wrong except the engine though.

sumeethaldankar · 3rd November 2009, 09:19

When the Zen was launched it was touted as the "yuppie" mobile for DINKS (double income no kids).Maybe maruti meant to target the A Star at such a segment.
Only maybe the segment has dwindled in nos for whatever reason hence maybe the poor track record.

blue_pulsar · 3rd November 2009, 09:56

IMO, there is only one problem. Price. If an A-Star LXi would have been priced 25K more than Alto LXi, it would have sold. The OTR price difference for LXi is almost 70K, ignoring Alto's offers. No wonder, common man would prefer Alto. At this price, it should have had 1.2 K-series option.

khan75 · 3rd November 2009, 10:24

Quote:

Originally Posted by nitrous

Is this sold abroad as a 3-door hatch and in India as a 5-door?

Yep, as a Suzuki Alto and a rebadged Nissan something.

penpavan · 3rd November 2009, 10:30

Space space and space.

The boot is tiny. A good motor should be enjoyed on the highways.
With this car's storage, you can hardly plan any trips.

Zero utility value because of lack of space.

blackasta · 3rd November 2009, 10:32

Quote:

Originally Posted by khan75

Yep, as a Suzuki Alto and a rebadged Nissan something.

I do not think Astar is sold in a 3 door version anywhere.
And Nissan something is Nissan pixo

rkavthekar · 3rd November 2009, 10:59

Quote:

Originally Posted by blue_pulsar

IMO, there is only one problem. Price. If an A-Star LXi would have been priced 25K more than Alto LXi, it would have sold. The OTR price difference for LXi is almost 70K, ignoring Alto's offers. No wonder, common man would prefer Alto. At this price, it should have had 1.2 K-series option.

+1 to blue_pulsar. MSIL has erred on the pricing front - both for A-Star and Ritz.

takecare & drive safely

SkyWalker · 3rd November 2009, 11:24

its cramped, its overpriced, and it looks ugly (at least to me) - do i need to say more?

passion4cars · 3rd November 2009, 11:49

Hi ,

I took the test drive , this is what I felt

Negative ( - )

- Price
- Leg Space
- Boot Space ( you cant even fit in a Medium + size suitcase , without folding the rear seats )
- Not roomy enough for people above 5.7*, gets too much cramped with 4 people inside.

Positives ( + )

+ Ride quality very good , very smooth for a small compact car.
+ amazing smooth gear shift
+ less jerky on pot holes
+ good view of traffic
+ Good Design
+ good seating position
+ very responsive engine

* for an idea.

Gilead · 3rd November 2009, 12:04

Quote:

Originally Posted by sumeethaldankar

When the Zen was launched it was touted as the "yuppie" mobile for DINKS (double income no kids).Maybe maruti meant to target the A Star at such a segment.
Only maybe the segment has dwindled in nos for whatever reason hence maybe the poor track record.

This is exactly what a Maruti salesman told me when I had gone to the showroom earlier this year. He said it was aimed at 'young, urban, single professionals'. But I think this segment wants to be seen in a Swift, not in an A Star. The Swift is the new Zen.

kcnetid · 3rd November 2009, 12:29

The front dash is atrocious - totally blocks view. Went to buy one for my mom (who is short but driving an 800 for almost 18 yrs). She complained about lack of visibility and I felt the same too. The styling also limits rear visibility - unpardonable for a small hatch. This is not a minivan. A small hatch should not have visibility issues. She preferred the Alto and almost booked it too but we ended up buying the Nano.

Rear seat is for kids OR shopping bags OR family pet but not any combination thereof.

Boot is for your gym bag (with 1 change of clothes and a towel maybe a ball but not a full cricket kit) but you can fit a laptop along with it or maybe even 2 laptops.

The overall exterior is pretty cute - I would buy it as a reward if I had a sibling who just joined a job. This might be a good 2nd if you have a sedan or actually 3rd car if you have a hatch.
Young Upwardly mobile professionals 1st car who plan to upgrade in a couple of years.
2nd car - dual income no kids.
Cities where parking is more of a premium than rear seat space and almost non existent boot.

3rd November 2009, 00:09	#31
amit V8 Senior - BHPian Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: kolkata Posts: 1,070 Thanked: 217 Times	it is a trashcan in terms of everything except the engine. it looks horrible, cramped interiors and an awful dashboard plus a big price tag. a revised exterior with a lower price tag might help. just compare with its great granddad and the later still feels a lot better.
	() Thanks

3rd November 2009, 00:21	#32
aaggoswami Senior - BHPian Join Date: May 2007 Location: Vadodara Posts: 4,982 Thanked: 2,931 Times	1) Space : The rear seat is not as spacious as people seem to expect. The competition offers better space and this is the main reason for low sales. Now IMO, the real problem is that passengers in rear might feel claustrophobic as the windows are not large enough. Rather than space, the issue of feeling claustrophobic is real issue IMO. 2) About competition offering everything better, I dont agree. A-star's motor is good, though idling is not very refined as its a three cylinder unit. Otherwise A-star has best combination of ride, handling and engine. No other car offers an equally good engine, an equally good ride and equally good handling. There is a hint of sportiness in this car that is absent in i10. 3) Looks are subjective, but for me the car looks quite good as compared to others. This is one of the car that is still low slung and is good to drive. Personally I dont like the tacho. Last edited by aaggoswami : 3rd November 2009 at 00:23.
	() Thanks

3rd November 2009, 01:19	#33
sushanthr77 BHPian Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Mangalore / DXB Posts: 280 Thanked: 5 Times View My Garage	A couple of months back, me and a couple of my friends into the Maruti showroom and saw this new kid - A-Star. It has an odd looking front and a neat rear. We peeked into the rear first and were shocked!!! We could not believe what we saw. The rear was exclusively for kids. There is no way AN averaged sized person could sit there even for short journeys. This car can't be called a family car. IMHO, the A-Star is no "star" by any means. It is poor VFM and really cramped. The competition has far better cars to offer - Spark and i10.
	() Thanks

3rd November 2009, 01:47	#34
sunil8089 BHPian Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Chennai Posts: 198 Thanked: 153 Times	Simple Answer - Astar is not Value for Money The segment 3-4 Lakh customers are generally middle class (most of them educated and employed)) and they think 100 times before they burn their hard earned money. Also Astar is not targeted at Indian market, but at European countries where most of the customers demands space at front seat only. Unlike in India, the sole purpose of back seat is to carry their Kids on transit. Last edited by sunil8089 : 3rd November 2009 at 01:50.
	() Thanks

3rd November 2009, 07:58	#35
sam_sant2005 BHPian Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Bangalore Posts: 531 Thanked: 274 Times	a-star overall a bad package. design, interior space, pricing - everywhere maruti got it wrong except the engine though.
	() Thanks

3rd November 2009, 09:19	#36
sumeethaldankar Senior - BHPian Join Date: May 2007 Location: Mumbai Posts: 3,936 Thanked: 3,312 Times View My Garage	When the Zen was launched it was touted as the "yuppie" mobile for DINKS (double income no kids).Maybe maruti meant to target the A Star at such a segment. Only maybe the segment has dwindled in nos for whatever reason hence maybe the poor track record. Last edited by sumeethaldankar : 3rd November 2009 at 09:21.
	() Thanks

3rd November 2009, 09:56	#37
blue_pulsar Senior - BHPian Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Bangalore Posts: 1,112 Thanked: 403 Times	IMO, there is only one problem. Price. If an A-Star LXi would have been priced 25K more than Alto LXi, it would have sold. The OTR price difference for LXi is almost 70K, ignoring Alto's offers. No wonder, common man would prefer Alto. At this price, it should have had 1.2 K-series option.
	() Thanks

3rd November 2009, 10:30	#39
penpavan BHPian Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Blore Posts: 452 Thanked: 227 Times	Space space and space. The boot is tiny. A good motor should be enjoyed on the highways. With this car's storage, you can hardly plan any trips. Zero utility value because of lack of space.
	() Thanks

3rd November 2009, 11:24	#42
SkyWalker Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Bangalore Posts: 1,531 Thanked: 136 Times	its cramped, its overpriced, and it looks ugly (at least to me) - do i need to say more?
	() Thanks

3rd November 2009, 11:49	#43
passion4cars BHPian Join Date: May 2006 Location: Melbourne Posts: 156 Thanked: 6 Times	Hi , I took the test drive , this is what I felt Negative ( - ) - Price - Leg Space - Boot Space ( you cant even fit in a Medium + size suitcase , without folding the rear seats ) - Not roomy enough for people above 5.7, gets too much cramped with 4 people inside. Positives ( + ) + Ride quality very good , very smooth for a small compact car. + amazing smooth gear shift + less jerky on pot holes + good view of traffic + Good Design + good seating position + very responsive engine for an idea.
	() Thanks

3rd November 2009, 12:29	#45
kcnetid BHPian Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Hyderabad Posts: 89 Thanked: 11 Times	Targeted at YUPPIES and DINKS The front dash is atrocious - totally blocks view. Went to buy one for my mom (who is short but driving an 800 for almost 18 yrs). She complained about lack of visibility and I felt the same too. The styling also limits rear visibility - unpardonable for a small hatch. This is not a minivan. A small hatch should not have visibility issues. She preferred the Alto and almost booked it too but we ended up buying the Nano. Rear seat is for kids OR shopping bags OR family pet but not any combination thereof. Boot is for your gym bag (with 1 change of clothes and a towel maybe a ball but not a full cricket kit) but you can fit a laptop along with it or maybe even 2 laptops. The overall exterior is pretty cute - I would buy it as a reward if I had a sibling who just joined a job. This might be a good 2nd if you have a sedan or actually 3rd car if you have a hatch. Young Upwardly mobile professionals 1st car who plan to upgrade in a couple of years. 2nd car - dual income no kids. Cities where parking is more of a premium than rear seat space and almost non existent boot.
	() Thanks