[ACM]

I think to postion an internationa Alto update model "A-Star" a half segment higher with the I10 in pricing in India was the biggest mistake that maruti could have done. If they had skimped a bit on features and price it close to the Alto and forgotten the higher model altogether then they would have succeded, It is actually the ritz that can compete with the I10 and actually beat it, but not the A-Star.

[GTO]

^^ 100% agreed with that! Maruti has tremendous product overlap in the 3 - 5 lakh segment. Not that they care....to Maruti "Anyone who walks into a Maruti showroom should find something that he likes". The A-Star has had terrible positioning. For the price, you can get a 4 cylinder car (A star is 3), roomier interiors and an established product (e.g. WagonR, i10).

[SkyWalker]

Originally Posted by ACM

I think to postion an internationa Alto update model "A-Star" a half segment higher with the I10 in pricing in India was the biggest mistake that maruti could have done. If they had skimped a bit on features and price it close to the Alto and forgotten the higher model altogether then they would have succeded, It is actually the ritz that can compete with the I10 and actually beat it, but not the A-Star.

AGree on the first part. I dont think Ritz can compete and beat i10 though.

[faridsahmed]

It seems that new products that Maruti Suzuki bringing in are only for small families i.e 2 adults and 2 kids !! why so ? We still love to move along with our families. These new cars are literally very cramped in rear zones ( rear seat + boot space). I recently opted for Tata Vista over Ritz for the very same reason.

[skumar]

Originally Posted by GTO

^^ 100% agreed with that! Maruti has tremendous product overlap in the 3 - 5 lakh segment. Not that they care....to Maruti "Anyone who walks into a Maruti showroom should find something that he likes". The A-Star has had terrible positioning. For the price, you can get a 4 cylinder car (A star is 3), roomier interiors and an established product (e.g. WagonR, i10).

I was in market few months back to buy my first hatch with budget of 4+Lakhs. I am more keen to go for Maruti product since my family had 2 Zens (old) and had overall satisfying experience, but the current hatches (Alto - looking for a spacious one, Wagon R - Too old, Zen Estilo - we all know about it, and A-star - No boot and cramped back seat space) and finally ended up in buying i10. Maruthi should soon uplift WagonR or launch other new hatches that live up to common man's expectations. Being in the market for 25 years, I think Maruti should come with the products that define bench marks on the segments.

[CoolFire]

Originally Posted by faridsahmed

It seems that new products that Maruti Suzuki bringing in are only for small families i.e 2 adults and 2 kids !! why so ? We still love to move along with our families. These new cars are literally very cramped in rear zones ( rear seat + boot space). I recently opted for Tata Vista over Ritz for the very same reason.

No wonder. That was the case with most marutis. How many marutis have you found having plenty of leg room, especially rear, compared to their segment?

[ACM]

Originally Posted by SkyWalker

AGree on the first part. I dont think Ritz can compete and beat i10 though.

Dear Sky

Based my view on the fact that: I know of a relative and a friend who both in the last month have just selected the Ritz over the I10. After all the due deligence and

Yeah i know the I10 sells more than the ritz but then the Swift canobolizes the Ritz sales due to internal competetion itself within the Maruti Brand.

[longhorn]

Originally Posted by ACM

Dear Sky

Based my view on the fact that: I know of a relative and a friend who both in the last month have just selected the Ritz over the I10. After all the due deligence and

Yeah i know the i10 sells more than the ritz but then the Swift canobolizes the Ritz sales due to internal competetion itself within the Maruti Brand.

This hold true when you compare the i10 Kappa with the Ritz. But when the vehicle in question is the i10 1.1 irde, this is where the problem crops up for Maruti. Agreed the i10 is overpriced by atleast 30k. But when want to choose a vehicle from either the Maruti or Hyundai stable your options are limited, assuming you don't live in a large city and don't want to drive 100 km one way to service your car.

Alto - i'm looking for a 1 litre pot
Santro - too old
WagonR - too old
Estilo - the less said the better
Spark - will GM be around when I need spares say 10 years from now?

That leaves us with the i10 and AStar. It is here that the Hyundai outshines the AStar -in the practicality part. For a one car family, the AStar just does not cut ice with its limited rear legroom and inexistent boot. The AStar should have come with a 50bhp 660cc engine as a replacement for the Maruti 800.

[faridsahmed]

Originally Posted by longhorn

Alto - i'm looking for a 1 litre pot
Santro - too old
WagonR - too old
Estilo - the less said the better
Spark - will GM be around when I need spares say 10 years from now?

+1
I agree with longhorn on these justifications . These are the exact hings which crosses your mind when you think about above mentioned product.

[ACM]

Actually GM and hence the spark would be around, it is in financial terms still better off than suzuki globally and there is too much riding on it to for it to shut down. but then in india nothing except maybe TATA can beat maruti in terms of likelyhood of being there as a company in 10 years time.

[gitartha]

Originally Posted by rohan_iitr

Last December, I was in the market for a hatchback in the Rs 4 lakh range. The A-Star was just launched at that time and I was really excited about this car as this was the first to be offered with the Maruti's revolutionary K-series engine.

My requirements were typical for a first time car buyer:
1. Decent power (1000 cc or more)
2. Decent mileage (13-14 kmpl in Bangalore city and 16-17 on highways with AC)
3. Good all round visibility (I was a learner at that time)
4. Space for 4 adults to be seated comfortably (even on occasional long drives)
5. Decent boot space for accommodating 2-3 suitcases/bags (without obstructing rear view)
6. Decent brand reputation and A.S.S.
7. External and internal appearance and overall build quality
8. Ease of ingress and egress, especially for elderly parents
9. Ride and handling
10. Preference for new models (resale value)
11. Discounts/freebies

I considered A-Star, WagonR and Santro only. Spark, Palio and Vista were ruled out because of #6.

A-Star started as number 1 on my list, but ended up as the loser after the test-drives. It ticked only #1, #2, #6, #9 and #10.

My heart was telling me to go for the A-star because of its power, mileage, handling and Maruti badge (cheap maintenance and good resale). But my brain was telling me that A-Star is not value for money and it ticks only 5 boxes out of the 11. I would be making a great mistake if a bought a car that meets 5/11 of my requirements.

Then I came across the i10 1.1 ERA. I could not believe that it was priced almost the same as A-Star Vxi, and I was also getting year end discount worth 17.5K on the i10 1.1 ERA.

Gave some thought to the i10 1.1 ERA, it ticked all the 11 boxes for me.

My verdict is that A-Star is a good vehicle to have as a second car (if you already have another bigger car at home). But it is not a wise decision to buy A-Star as your only car.

Rohan,
Bangalore

IMO The A-Star is simply not a utilitarian family (with kids) vehicle. For people with lots of boxes to tick, this is simply not it. This IS a sporty car (and it has no qualms about it). For instance, it looks like a Porsche from the front end and a Porsche certainly doesn't have a boot and hand/leg stretchable room for rear passengers. Like a Porsche it has small glass area and a high dash with retro dials. However its inherently unbalanced 3-pot K series does give a ear courting throaty roar when revved hard and true to its sporty genes, its low end performance is not something to write home about. This is an engine that is meant to be driven pedal to metal. But yes there are definately three things that you can write home about - its precise handling, perfectly weighted steering and the thrifty fuel consumption.

Simply put, its not a mass charmer a la SRK (KKKKK-Kiran), but yes it is a Farhan Akhtar who is maybe much better off behind the camera (or maybe as in the case of the A-Star K series - under the bonnet)

[sidindica]

What's the meaning with naming it as an "A-star" ? Its quiet nonsense. At least, the celerio name it has in other markets would have done it better.

[yzfrj]

Originally Posted by gitartha

This IS a sporty car (and it has no qualms about it). However its inherently unbalanced 3-pot K series does give a ear courting throaty roar when revved hard and true to its sporty genes, its low end performance is not something to write home about. its precise handling, perfectly weighted steering and the thrifty fuel consumption.

I beg to differ, I had a short drive on an A-star.

(For the record I drove around 25Kms on rain/wet/drying roads on a route which has lots of good turns and climbs. I know the route very well and before taking the wheel I drove the same route on my dad's stock(except for 196/65/14 rubber) Swift VDi. So there, now you have a brief idea about my perspective.)

Its handing ain't sporty in my book.
Engine at some range sounds eager, but only sounds.
As you rightly put a 3 cylinder engine is inherently "less" smooth and that "coarseness" cannot be called sporty.

IMO steering is overly assisted with minimal feel and there is too much body roll in the twisties.

I has such high hopes for the A-star, but my drive was anything but a huge disappointment. No wonder it is not selling well.

Its got mediocre performance, handling, space and hopeless pricing for a 3 pod engine. Not to forget a really stupid name.

I've read so many reviews online and in mags singing praises for the A-Star.
In my view it ain't true and this car is not that good in any aspect.

My 9 year old Zen is much more fun to drive

My 2 cents.

[pawan_pullarwar]

I test drove the A* twice and the drive was very very soft.

I like the look (my personal feeling) over i10. It is very easy to drive, girl should be very comfirtable driving it. It is very good for City use specially on bumpy roads.

The only -ve is the cramped space at the rear.

[anjan_c2007]

And now there's an advertisement saying that they have just sold the 100,000 th A Star.Lately the fuel pump gasket problems forced MSIL to recall all the A Stars made between Dec 2008 (month of launch)till Sept 2009.
The car was selling well in Europe but the post recall demand for this car is not yet known.