[ciddharth]

I am elusive on Team-BHP, though I do follow and read posts regularly.

However, having completed 10 years with our Maruti A Star, I had an itch to compile a brief review for the same. I was in many quandaries to write and have finally mustered the courage to do so due to the impeccable standards maintained and abided by the members of Team-BHP. I am not a technical guy. I will be writing from the viewpoint of the typical, average Maruti Suzuki hatchback user and our experience over the years.

This is my father's car. I am just a 20 something millennial having no priority to buy any vehicle. My stylish 2 wheeler suffices to go to work almost always in the incessant though somewhat disciplined traffic conditions in Mumbai.

Simple things make me happy! At home, everything that we have - be it a furniture piece to a gadget, should last for a fairly long time. We ensure that timely maintenance is taken care of to ensure a smoother and trouble free longevity. I treat my things with fair respect though not to an obsessive level!

Without further ado, I begin our journey with the cute and cherubic looking A Star.

In a nutshell about our decade-old A-Star,

PROS
- Compact dimensions make it easy to drive and park in dense urban areas
- The A-Star is fun to drive!
- The car is fairly wider than some budget hatchbacks
- Low maintenance and availability of spare parts
- Fuel Efficient
- Spacious front legroom
- Adequate storage to keep small knick knacks
- Built better than some other Maruti Suzuki hatchbacks of the time
- Availability of dual airbags and ABS on the ZXi variants
- Prompt Servicing by the authorised centre or FNG
- Overall design still does not look as dated today

CONS
- Not suited for families
- The dashboard is set high, so shorter drivers have to crane their neck
- Rear legroom is poor
- Boot space is impractical
- Rear ride quality is harsh and bouncy
- Some plastic parts are disintegrating now (but after 10 years)
- Poor resale value in the used market compared to much more popular Maruti hatchbacks like the Alto, Swift and Wagon R

Pre-purchase and background - We already had the ageing (and now long forgotten) Baleno sedan. It had developed increasing suspension issues and electrical gremlins and hence we were dubious to retain it for too long. The decision was made to buy a new car and sparingly use the sedan which had covered almost 90,000 km in about 3 - 4 years.

Initially, we did consider the SX4 sedan, a direct successor to the Baleno sedan, but declined as it was bulky and did not look as sleek as the much more pricey City. Dzire sedan was also considered which was a good value for money proposition. Somewhere, the decision was switched to buy a small hatchback which is ideal for city conditions and retain the Baleno with routine repairs for at least one more year.

This was early 2009. This was the transition where erstwhile Maruti hatchbacks like the Wagon R and Estilo where still in production in their pre-facelifted variants. Even the Ritz was not launched until a few more months. The A-Star was launched amidst much hype and marketing in late 2008. Especially considering the preview of the concept models of the Kizashi sedan, Splash and the A-Star hatchbacks.

Booking & purchase - I recall eagerly waiting for my Class X ICSE board exams to end, after which we went straight to the local Maruti Suzuki showroom one sweltering afternoon.

Back then, most Maruti showrooms had sterilized and spartan hospital like interiors. Those ubiquitous perforated ceiling tiles with jarring lights, generic stickers on the glass partitions, neutrally painted walls with a banner of a festival greetings advertising discounts of a slow-selling model, office furniture placed like they were in government offices and equally boring pamphlets and specification leaflets of the cars that were stacked neatly next to the cars. I haven't been to one recently - but they sure have come a long way looking at the premium Nexa chain of showrooms and the Arena ones as well.

We walked in, exchanged pleasantries and were offered a test drive. They seemed eager as there were clearly no people waiting to buy the A-Star.

During the test drive - coming from the Baleno, the car felt too compact and cosy. My mother did not like the bug-eyed design. This car was forced upon her. The AC worked well, the ride felt a little firm. The newly launched K10 engine felt perfect for the city. Since we did not consider any other car at all - including the Hyundai i10. This was it!

Did not bother to see any other colour choice as White is mandatory for all cars at home. After the complete payment - the car was received within 10 days.

Nothing to fault in the entire purchase experience, it was as uneventful as buying groceries from the local market. No discount or freebies was given whatsoever. However, within 3 months - the A-Star received hefty cash discounts ranging 45,000 - 50,000 INR, obviously because its sales never picked up the way Maruti had predicted. It had cost about 4.4 lakh INR on road, Mumbai back in Summer 2009.



Design - The A-Star is no longer that relevant in today's times and has since gone into oblivion. But still looks contemporary even today. I personally prefer its compact dimension, tight design, sloping roof and overall silhouette that was derived from its concept car to the tall boyish i10 or even the Celerio that was its successor. I like the flared wheel arches that were inspired from the Swift. It did look like a compact and shrunken Swift.

Even today, some of my friends who know nothing about cars wonder when this car existed in the first place. It has withstood the test of time. I like this novelty because every other Maruti car is oh so common! The A-Star is still a rarity on road.

The bonnet is short and has a slight circular edge. The longish grill with the horizontal slats with the vertical divisions and the matte black housing for the number plate look neat devoid of weird chrome finishing that is common in most cars these days.



The much controversial front quarter which polarises opinions. I would generally prefer clean-cut German designs, but this is an exception. The bug-eyed and Mickey Mouse-ish headlamps suit the cheerful persona of the car.



Headlamps - The circular headlamps give a poor man's Mini Cooper vibes to it and house the pod-shaped turn indicator lamps as well. Surprisingly, in all these years they still have not developed the yellow tinge that is common in most cars parked outside, exposed to sunlight. Also, they are huge and look disproportionate from some angles, so I thought that there would be a lot of dust and moisture seeping in. Gladly none has happened so far. They are packed like its in vacuum. The turn indicator bulbs are still running stock, the headlamp bulbs have been replaced once. I leave that to the mechanic or service advisors. Shut lines are okay - those bumpers have taken multiple hits.



Rear profile - I find the rear profile very futuristic for its time. The bumper, hatch and glass area are almost divided equally. The bumper bulges slightly outward from the sides. The loading lip of the bumper is high, the tail lamps are large for the compact and tapering profile. This would be one of the first Indian cars to begin the trend to have the bumper flush with the bootlid which is the norm across motor brands these days.



Interiors


Dashboard - The A-Star has a symmetrical, waterfall inspired (as it was marketed back then) and a high set dashboard that hampers visibility for shorter drivers. The dual tone contrasting dark grey and light grey dashboard look contemporary and were ahead of its time especially when the beige and black combination was extremely popular until the early 2010s. The design is well laid out ergonomically and is functional with no major hindrances as such. Plastic quality has been holding well with no visible fading considering the car has been parked out always with little to no maintenance such as periodic waxing or polishing. It was only until recently, after a period of slight neglect that the steering wheel has developed major signs of wear and tear.


Stereo & ICE - The inbuilt stereo system looked cool back then and looks well integrated within the dashboard. It has an AUX in, CD/MP3 player support and AM/FM radio. It still works alright but one seldom uses it. The volume button which doubles as a power on/ off button simply disintegrated one fine day. On close observation, most A-Stars of this vintage have a similar fate. Now the buttons jump and play randomly. The font is not visible under clear sunlight. The amber backlit buttons illuminate well at night. Sound quality is average along with the dealer provided Sony Xplod speakers. Not much of an audiophile when it comes to cars. However, will have to restore this someday when time permits. The slot below the stereo comes handy to keep things like keys, phone or visiting cards. (Precisely, a pen and the broken volume control button)

The right AC vent was damaged recently by a fidgety and rather restless driver. I lost my cool (pun intended) for it. I still have the broken piece safely. Do not want to replace the entire vent right now. Hence, the pen comes handy to direct the airflow as well.


AC Controls - Simple rotary knobs for the HVAC are hardy and holding well. The AC symbol has faded away with age. However, post replacement of the AC compressor gas, the AC blower is not as effective as before. Each set has been reduced by one. This is not a major deterrent, it cools adequately.


IRVM - Adequately sized stock inside rearview mirror is poor in reducing the headlight glare at night. The absence of an adjustable day/ night lever is a glaring omission! Cabin lamp illumination is below satisfactory.


Glove Box - The A-Star surprisingly has an adequate amount of storage spaces - the area above the glove box is convenient to keep the mobile phone. The glove box is decent sized to hold the car manual and a couple of miscellaneous things.


Gear Knob - The spherical gear knob with faux leather cover below is easy to reach. First and Rear gear need extra attention while putting it in the slot. Otherwise, the clutch slips. This has been duly replaced as the original gear knob disintegrated in the sun and would come into the hand exposing the entire lever inside while shifting gears. The cubby holes can contain 2 - 1 litre sized bottles, however, it is an inconvenient place to store as they hinder while changing gears or while going over a speedbump.


ORVM - Outside rear view mirror is hardy and strong despite multiple hits by motorists. This left one is on its third set. They could be slightly longer but otherwise, suffice well as far as rearward visibility is concerned. Manual stalks are actually very easy to use for adjusting though reaching out from the driver's seat can be difficult.



Instrument Console - Simple semi-circular shaped instrument console has 2 trip meters, fuel meter reading and odometer. The odometer is omitted on the VXi model. The font is legible and illuminates well at night. The ZXi model has a snazzy pod mounted tachometer.


Window Buttons - Standard Maruti window buttons from 15 years ago! The lettering has all faded away in the sun. Power windows still work well, except for one of the rear ones which had packed up but has been repaired. Central locking is convenient. No remote locking in the VXi. Only the front driver side window button is illuminated and is auto down compared to the Rapid which had all 4 window buttons illuminated as well as auto up and down.


Front Seats - Comfortable front seats are decent for medium-sized adults. The fixed headrest is irritating after a long drive due to lack of neck support. Lumbar and under thigh support is adequate. I liked the original fabric seats in the car which looked quite funky! These aftermarket fabric seat covers are maintenance free and preferable to art leather, especially in hot and humid weathers. Lack of seat height adjust was a glaring omission.


Rear Seat - The rear seat is more like a bench, under thigh support could be inadequate for taller folks. The adjustable headrests protrude outwards. Most of us are on the shorter side in our family - so we can adjust just fine, but larger people will not want to sit in the rear seat. The legs do not slide under the front seats which is cumbersome. It has been ages since we have travelled in this car together. For family and road trips, we preferred the recently sold Skoda Rapid 1.6 Tdi that served strong for 7 years. No one is too bothered about the sloping rear window which obstructs visibility.


Front Door Panel - The dual contrast dark grey and light grey plastic look contemporary and do not look dated. They house the window and central locking controls, the speaker housing and a door pocket which could have been deeper. It can store a couple of small cloths or newspaper. The grey theme certainly conceals the dust better than beige. The dark plastic does not look worn out after all these years.


Rear Door Panel - The rear panel is plain black with adequate storage space for a 1-litre bottle or mobile phone and a speaker housing. It is holding up well. A simple texture is used in the handle area.


Boot Space - Please ignore the mess in the boot space. These bags were dumped last minute from the Rapid which was sold away recently. It only emphasises the lack of boot space in this car. At approximately 135 litres, it is ideal only for city runs to the mall or shopping mart. Most often when carrying 2 medium to large sized suitcases on long hauls - one of them is invariably kept in the rear seat, considering a minimum of three occupants is present in the car. The high loading lip does not help matters either. Clearly, the A-Star was designed on the basis of form follows function. Cars like the Wagon R, i10 and Celerio are far more practical despite a similarly small footprint. No parcel tray was available in this variant at the time.


The boot struts were rusted away in about 8 years, they were replaced soon and have been holding well. They open slowly with that typical hydraulic sound. Ignore the dusty crevice and crannies, there has been prolonged construction renovation which explains the slightly neglected state of the car.


Rear Light - These are the original set of lights - and still, have the sheen and redness as it was in day one. They illuminate well at night and are on the original set of bulbs.


Engine - This is the coveted and now ageing K10 - 68 BHP powered engine that first debuted in the A-Star. The car has completed about 70,000 km in ten years. It has been mostly trouble free, reliable and is a lot of fun to drive, especially in the city. There are vibrations present on starting the car. But the car is supremely silent to the point that one can crank the engine even while running. The 2009 models did not have the Suzuki logo. Dampening has been provided. The engine bay is compact yet the components are well laid out. The battery has been replaced thrice. About a year back, there was a dead rat which was stuck inside the timing belt and shredded to pieces. The putrid smell that emanated long after it was cleaned thoroughly was enough to abandon the A-Star temporarily! I must admit, the A-Star has been through a major state of abandonment and neglect for months especially when there was a much more elegant Rapid and my motorbike around for a long time.

There was literally vermicompost formation on the plastic housing under the wipers in the monsoons due to excessive leave decay which was not cleaned by the cleaner. Thankfully, it has not rusted. And we have been taking care of the car diligently after this period of gross neglect and step-motherly treatment. Ignore the dirty engine bay which is due to the prolonged construction activity as mentioned before.


General Maintenance and Servicing - Soon after the warranty expired, replaceable components like the air filter, wipers, for example, has been replaced as and when the local FNG advises. We have been using cost-effective and reasonably priced Castrol Magnatec Mineral oil every 8,000 km. The car is in its third set of tyres. The company shod JK tyres lasted about 25,000 km, followed by MRF which was below average, prone to cracks and puncturing and now we have recently put Falken brand tyres which seems decent.

All major issues have been attended to at the authorised service centre. The most recent one I recount is a faulty fuel pump failure. Apparently, frequently filling the tank to the brim caused this to happen. The car is serviced as and when we feel it is required. There is no fixed time schedule for it. I remember a faulty O-Ring issue on the A-Star which was addressed to in our car after a particular batch was recalled by Maruti Suzuki in 2010 - 2011. The car has been recently repaired and repainted shortly before completing 10 years.

Drivability & Ride Quality - The car's small footprint is a delight in choc a bloc city traffic. The short bonnet despite the poor front visibility and overall compact dimension of the car aids in parking literally anywhere. It has adequate power on the highways and actually behaves like a car from a segment or two above - especially with the AC off! Most at home are staid drivers not crossing beyond 100 - 105 kph on highways.

The clutch is light, so it isn't tiring to drive in heavy peak hour traffic, unlike the Rapid which had a very hard and knee pain inducing clutch.
Ride quality is firm which translates to a well-planted stance at higher speeds and the power steering weighs up with speed. One feels confident in this car unlike some typical lightweight Marutis these days. The A-Star is rev friendly though fairly audible when driven hard. Upfront the ride quality is comfortable but quite bouncy for rear seat occupants. Hence, few prefer sitting on the rear seat. It is manageable on well-paved roads though.

Fuel Efficiency - Decent at 11- 12 kpl in bumper to bumper traffic with AC, and approximately 17 - 18 kpl on highways.

Build and Safety - In my opinion, the A-Star has been one of the better-built cars from Maruti Suzuki perhaps because these were also exported to Europe. I would not know the cost-cutting they might have done on the Indian models of the A-star though. The VXi variant did not have any airbags available. Rattles are negligible. Rust formation is negligible, except for very slight bumps at the scuff plate area. The car has taken multiple hits and witnessed some major accidents but has held overall well.
The ZXi variants even came with dual airbags and ABS. No electrical gremlins have been observed. Illuminated backlight, rear number plate light, rear lights all of them have been running strong.

Wheel caps - This is the original and heavily worn out wheel cap along with the new 155/80 R13 Falken tyres. The other wheel caps have been replaced. The wheel caps complement the car, and I prefer the wheel caps to the black and dusty exposed radials that I had experimented with and does not suit the contrasting white colour.


A customary picture with its arch-rival and popular Hyundai i10. The i10 is certainly a competent car and a well-rounded product holding good residual values. It has premium, spacious and well-appointed interiors, matched with a well-performing engine and smooth gearbox. The pre-2010 i10 and i20 hatchbacks were game changers for Hyundai. It made Maruti Suzuki feel the heat. Both look good, however, I feel the A-Star's side profile has aged better than the i10 that looks a tad dated now. Alas, the A-Star was never the i10 buster that Maruti Suzuki had thought out to be!


Alongside its younger sibling - my Honda CB Hornet 160R which is my daily ride. Who wants to drive a 4 wheeler in Mumbai?!


To sum up, the A-Star is strictly a good second car for urban runs. As an only car, it is not recommended for even a young nuclear family mainly due to the lack of space. One can look for more practical alternatives. Maintenance and running costs are low and pocket-friendly. Maruti Suzuki service is prompt and unmatched. However, this is an underestimated car and one won't regret if they are to buy in the used market today. We intend to keep this car till it lasts - the others can come and go.

[Aditya]

Thread moved out from the Assembly Line. Thanks for sharing!

[condor]

Nice little review, Ciddharth ! And Congratultions on the 10 year mark.

We got our 2011 A-Star AT in 2015, This is being used by my wife, and works just fine for the city.



Agree with most of your points. I think you meant tachometer being omitted in the VXi model. The odo is a digital unit. The car was better built because it was also exported to the UK.

Didnt realise that the volume knob has this problem. Having the same issue in our car. Initially I thought that the audio was nice, but have a thought to replace it. I have got that module plate (?) which can help fit an after-market stereo. Need to do it sometime. May even add an amp to it, and replace the speakers.

I have done some damping, but not been able to compare with other A-star's for difference.

Considering that we are not in the coastal regions, we have not had rusting issues, but the struts on the rear door gave away recently.


Hope you continue to enjoy the car. Happy driving !

[landcruiser123]

Awesome review Ciddharth! It's a great second car if you have <=2 passengers only. I like the A-Star as a car, although a family might not.

Maruti launched it as a 'funky' little car- they're back at it with the Ignis. The Ignis has been designed to combine practicality and unique design elements though.

[ciddharth]

Originally Posted by condor

Nice little review, Ciddharth ! And Congratultions on the 10 year mark.

We got our 2011 A-Star AT in 2015...



Agree with most of your points. I think you meant tachometer being omitted in the VXi model. The odo is a digital unit. The car was better built because it was also exported to the UK.

Didnt realise that the volume knob has this problem. Having the same issue in our car. Initially I thought that the audio was nice, but have a thought to replace it. I have got that module plate (?) which can help fit an after-market stereo. Need to do it sometime. May even add an amp to it, and replace the speakers.

Thank you for the compliments condor!

Sorry, it was a typo! I indeed meant omission of the tachometer on the VXi model. True, the car is certainly well built by even today's Maruti standards.

Glad to know that your wife's A-Star is running well! Yes, the stereo is generally exposed to sunlight, so with age, it would develop issues.
I guess it is a good idea to consider the aftermarket module plate from the LXi variant and customise the stereo as per your preferences.

Unfortunately, there might be no provision for a 2 din touch screen system, so it would be a single din system only and I don't know if the speaker housing on the doors can accommodate larger heavy-duty speakers. But the damping would certainly make a lot of difference irrespective of the audio system.

For the lazy and uninitiated, a JBL Xtreme portable Bluetooth speaker that I can stream music from my phone suffices.

Originally Posted by landcruiser123

Awesome review Ciddharth! It's a great second car if you have <=2 passengers only. I like the A-Star as a car, although a family might not.

Maruti launched it as a 'funky' little car- they're back at it with the Ignis. The Ignis has been designed to combine practicality and unique design elements though.

Glad to know you liked the review, landcruiser123!
Yes, it is an ideal second car and a reliable back up at that!

Yes, the Ignis equally polarises opinions on the styling front just like the A-Star though is a lot more practical. Agreeably, no other car from Maruti is as impractical as the A-Star! So Maruti Suzuki treads on a safer path and often sticks to very conventional and appealing designs as observed in some of its newer launches.

[Yieldway17]

Nice review!

That's a very well maintained car. I wish I can maintain my car like this for 10 years!!

[GTO]

Thanks for sharing this detailed + unbiased review, Ciddharth! The A-Star might be discontinued, but this thread will still help those looking at buying it pre-owned. Ask me, I know a lot of people who look up my old Civic thread.

[saion666]

Great to see a long term A-star review. I have one as well for the last 8+ years.
This was one of the better built cars from Maruti and has aged well with minimal rattles.

There has been no breakdown and the trusted car has done city errands and long miles without any hiccups. The car still gives 19+ mileage in city, has a respectable pickup and is as reliable as a Maruti can be. The only things changed were the tyres and the battery which were done as precautionary measures rather than forced ones, that too in the 7th year.

[ciddharth]

Originally Posted by GTO

Thanks for sharing this detailed + unbiased review, Ciddharth! The A-Star might be discontinued, but this thread will still help those looking at buying it pre-owned. Ask me, I know a lot of people who look up my old Civic thread.

Thank you for the compliments, GTO! The A-Star is here is to stay, so I shall be updating this thread. Every piece of informaton that you share is always insightful. I love your Honda Civic and the Honda City VTEC even more! The older the car, I admire the efforts one takes to keep thier older vehicle running.

Originally Posted by saion666

Great to see a long term A-star review. I have one as well for the last 8+ years.

There has been no breakdown and the trusted car has done city errands and long miles without any hiccups.... The only things changed were the tyres and the battery which were done as precautionary measures rather than forced ones, that too in the 7th year.

That's a beautifully maintained Glistening grey coloured A-Star considering its age, saion666. I like this colour a lot. You have rightfully pointed out, the A-Star is trouble free and parts like the battery and tyres only need replacement as a precautionary measure. My car has seen it's fair share of neglect - though I would not advise it. Most A-Stars that I have observed plying on the roads are generally taken care of.

Thanks for sharing!

[McLaren Rulez]

Always had a soft spot for this car. It felt like a very European car with the benefit of Maruti service and reliability.

It's only an unscientific opinion but I also suspect this would do much better in a crash than its siblings thanks to its build.

[grevvity]

Thanks for sharing all the details. Having owned A-star for last 10 years and 1,60,000 KM and still going strong, I echo each and every statement in your crisp review. I believe A-Star was well ahead of its time and the total distance my little bug has covered without a single hitch is a testimony for the same.

I am surprised to see how good the engine is holding till date despite the fact that I got the CNG kit installed after the initial 10K KM's. This means the car has run 1,50,000 KM on CNG without a glitch. Even today I am getting an average of 22-23 Km per KG of gas. It's running cost is cheaper than my bike (Mahindra Mojo) and is a daily drive to the office for my brother which is approx 35 Km both ways.

[bvasista]

Nice to see a thread on review of A-star. Thanks for sharing Ciddharth !

As you said, even I felt it was one of the better built cars from Maruti and felt even Ritz also was better built when compared with other cars like 800, Alto, Zen and Estilo at that time but it did not sell well as Maruti would have expected. My friends used to comment it as a full blown Alto.

The AC button was almost faded when in my car we sold it which was similar to the photo you have posted!

We had a red colored A-star bought in 2009 bought for 4 Lakhs on road (the middle trim) and sold in 2016. I learnt my driving in this car. Apart from normal service and minor mechanical issues it did not give any major problems. I felt that car was good and solid after 7 years when I drove it last in 2016.

Even though the boot was small, we somehow managed 2 full 7 day trips with our family of 4 (father, mother, myself after my graduation and my sister during graduation) and several 2 or 3 days trips and were quite happy about the space, performance, pickup of the car.

The two long trips were :
1. Hyderabad - Hospet - Hampi - Shringeri - Dharmasthala - Udipi - Coorg - Hassan - Lepakshi - Anantapur - Hyderabad
2. Hyerabad - Ongole - Nellore - Kalahasti - Tirupati - Cuddapah - Hyderabad

Now in today's age of google maps, I wonder how did we tour Karnataka in 2009 without them. It was all about looking out for sign boards and inquiring locals for route which yielded best results sometimes. Team-BHP was new to me in 2009 and made a note of Hyd - Hampi as a starting point. Thanks to Team-BHP!

Note: My father being a fan of Maruti, exchanged A-star for Ciaz in 2016 at GEM Maurti showroom in Kondapur, Hyderabad. A-star fetched 1.65 L after 7 years of usage and covering more than 1 Lakh KMS on odometer.

[locusjag]

I'm not ashamed to say that last September, I paid a premium to get a used, 38,000 Km run, 2011 A-Star AT Vxi (ABS). I paid 2.75 lacs for it. I wanted only a CVT or a torque converter type hatchback for my wife to learn to drive in, as well as for our family's intra-city trips and bazaar trips. The car is in very good condition and I don't regret it one bit. I'm going to put in new tyres and add a reversing camera to it. I'll see if I can hold on to it for as long as I can. It is very practical though a bit thirsty at only 10 Kmpl. It is quite peppy and sprints with very little accelerator inputs.

[condor]

Originally Posted by locusjag

. I'm going to put in new tyres and add a reversing camera to it. I'll see if I can hold on to it for as long as I can. It is very practical though a bit thirsty at only 10 Kmpl.

Suggest to upsize to 175. Makes a lot of difference to the ride. Also, the 10kmpl is much better than it's rival i10 AT.

[ciddharth]

Originally Posted by McLaren Rulez

Always had a soft spot for this car. It felt like a very European car with the benefit of Maruti service and reliability.

It's only an unscientific opinion... thanks to its build.

I agree to your observation, MclLaren Rulez on the A-Star feeling European with the benefit of Maruti service and reliabilty. IMO, Suzuki might have taken some design and element cues for the A-Star from its existing range of Suzuki cars, as well as these European city cars like the Renault Twingo and Peugot 107. But maybe it's just me. Attaching some pictures for reference.

Sloping window line and bulging rear bumper merging with the rear lights

Mid 2000s prefacelift Peugot 107 - one can see the similarities in the front sloping profile, large headlights and stubby bonnet

Slight bug eyed front fascia looks more neutral and coherent on the Twingo

Originally Posted by grevvity

.. Having owned A-star for last 10 years and 1,60,000 KM and still going strong, I echo each and every statement in your crisp review. I believe A-Star was well ahead of its time and the total distance my little bug has covered without a single hitch is a testimony for the same.

... This means the car has run 1,50,000 KM on CNG without a glitch. Even today I am getting an average of 22-23 Km per KG of gas. It's running cost is cheaper than my bike (Mahindra Mojo) and is a daily drive to the office for my brother which is approx 35 Km both ways.

1,50,000 kms is indeed a lot of running in 10 years for your A-Star, grevvity! Glad to know it is returning an astonishing average of 23 kpl with a litre of gas! Obviously the running costs would be cheaper than the powerful Mahindra Mojo! Yes, the A-Star has cheaper running costs almost at par with some superbikes.

Originally Posted by bvasista

Nice to see a thread on review of A-star. Thanks for sharing Ciddharth !
........

Hi bvasista, yes, the A-Star feels a notch premium than the Alto. In some angles, it does resemble the Alto, so many did not find the justification of the steep price it commanded over the Alto, especially when the top variants of the Estilo and Wagon R was also cheaper than the mid VXi variant of the A-Star. The Ritz, with the K12 engine and spacious interiors was an equally competent and well built car, cost only a little more than the A-Star and annihilated its sales.

I think red and orange colours looked best on the A-Star compared to more neutral colours like white and silver. I also enhanced my driving on this car and admittedly, I have scraped and dented it a lot before.

Wow! That's quite a lot of luggage and one long trip! I am sure you must have had a lot of memories with your family! Stuffing luggage is not a problem and adjusting in the A-Star is just a matter of time.

Congratulations on your Ciaz! I really like the Ciaz for what it offers. Most A-Star owners have covered 1 lakh kms. Since we also had a 2012 Rapid 1.6 TDI, the A-Star is only used occasionaly on highways, so there is a lot of life left and with poor resale value, it does not make sense to sell it.

Originally Posted by locusjag

I'm not ashamed to say that last September, I paid a premium to get a used, 38,000 Km run, 2011 A-Star AT Vxi (ABS). I paid 2.75 lacs for it. I wanted only a CVT or a torque converter type .... It is very practical though a bit thirsty at only 10 Kmpl. It is quite peppy and sprints with very little accelerator inputs.

Hi locusjag, yes, the A-Star automatic variants command a premium to its manual counterpart in the used car market. Obviously, in this day and age of only increasing traffic, it is a wise decision that you opted for the AT.

Does your car have beige interiors?

I am sure you will retain it for a long time. There is little to complain about this vehicle. The size is perfect for city use and a delight for beginner drivers. (Except for the dashboard, but then many cars have some quirks)
Please do update about the reverse camera whenever you install, it will be very helpful.

Thanks

Originally Posted by condor

Suggest to upsize to 175. Makes a lot of difference to the ride. Also, the 10kmpl is much better than it's rival i10 AT.

True, the i10 was not as fuel efficient as the A-Star.