Updated on 5th December 2013
Suzuki showcased the A;Wind concept at the 2013 Thailand Motor show in Bankok. The concept should give us a rough idea of how the 2014 Maruti Suzuki A-Star will look like. Showcased in two colours, Energy Yellow and Panoramic Blue (the pictures below show the car with the former paint option).
The concept looks production ready except for some of the obvious show pieces reserved for the concept. The hatch is 3600mm longs with a 2425mm wheelbase, 1600mm wide and 1540mm tall. The car rides on 16-inch alloys, which will most probably be toned down to 15/14 inches when the production variant is launched in India. The concept is powered by a 996cc 3-cylinder engine, the power figures of which have not been revealed. Have a look at the concept below:
Things like the illuminated grille element, silver inserts on the bumper, projector headlamps, alloy wheels and tail-lamps are not expected to make it to the production variant. The interiors though look production spec, and get lighter shade dual-tone materials all around to make the cabin brighter and less claustrophobic. At the front you get a smart looking dash, with console integrated gear lever, a three spoke steering which is typical of Suzuki cars, three-pod instrument cluster, a touch-screen infotainment screen (which could be dumped to save costs) and durable looking A/C controls. You can see more of the interior and exteriors in the video below:
What do you think? Let us know in the comments section below.
Updated on 7th November 2013
Maruti will be looking to plug the gap left by discontinuing the A-Star and Estilio hatchbacks soon, and there are rumours that Maruti may launch the 2014 Maruti Suzuki A-Star in 2013 itself. We earlier expected the car to be launched at the 2014 Indian Auto Expo, but MotorBash.com has learnt from their sources that Maruti may launch the petrol variant of the hatchback within 2013 itself. The diesel variant of the new A-Star will be reveled at the Auto Expo and subsequently launched in June 2014.
We will have to wait and see whether Maruti actually does launch the new A-Star by December 2013. Whatever happens we will keep you posted, stay tuned in to Car Blog India.
Updated on 27th September 2013
Mr. Mukesh Khanna has taken some more photos of the 2014 Maruti Suzuki A-Star being tested in Delhi, the photos have been hosted at on the Indian Autos Blog site. Of all the the photos the one below is the cclearest, though heavy cladding makes it a bit difficult to see what changes have been made to the car. From what we could make out, the hatch-door is now bigger, extending quite a bit into the bumper. The number plate holder is now placed lower, and the bumper itself has been tweaked. There is a prominent hatch-door handle, and the tail-lamps seem to be the same units found on the Alto 800. Check out the spy shot below:
There will be more sightings of this car in the upcoming months, and we expect details to trickle in pretty soon. Keep tuned in to know the latest on the 2014 Maruti Suzuki A-Star.
Updated on 20th September 2013
Maruti Suzuki has had very few failures in the Rs 6 lakh bracket, which can be attributed to either wrong pricing or its own cars cannibalising the sales of the particular models. One of such bombs was the Zen Estilo which was discontinued recently, the other is the Maruti Suzuki A-Star. When Maruti showed the A-Star concept at the 2008 Auto Expo, hopes were pretty high about the company delivering a stylish but compact hatchback in the market. When it came to the market, it’s divisive design and serious lack of space inside put many customers off, though we think it was a fun little car to drive. Maruti will try its luck with the A-Star, unlike the Estilo, and the first spy shot of the 2014 Maruti Suzuki A-Star from a member on the xBhp forum.
What’s new?
Snapped near Maruti’s production facility in Gurgaon, the car is heavily camouflaged, but you can still see that the car will receive a major facelift. The front is totally different from the current model, the round headlamps have been replaced by more contemporary looking units, the traditional grille and lower air-intake design has replaced the one piece grille found on the current car. The side profile does seem to have changed though the design of the windows have been changed; the curved rising line on the rear door is replaced by a straight window line to improve the amount light that comes in at the back (the rear seats in an A-Star are a claustrophobic place to be in especially because of the small windows). Spy shots of the same car testing in Europe tell us that the car might borrow the tail-lamp units found on the Alto 800, we are hoping that those units don’t make it to the production model.
The most interesting part about the 2014 Maruti Suzuki A-Star would be that it would receive an 800cc diesel motor, which would be peppy and most importantly fuel efficient. The petrol motor option on the car is expected to remain the same; a 1 litre K-Series engine with a maximum power output of 68 BHP / 90 Nm.
The 2014 Maruti Suzuki A-Star is expected to be launched in India during the 2014 Auto Expo in February. Prices are expected to hover about the Rs. 5 Lakh mark.
P.S.: Remember this?:
Yeah, we were excited when we saw it for the first time too. Maybe Maruti should not have showcased this concept, it could have helped sell the production model better.
