Although internationally the A-Star is a replacement for the Alto, in India it will sell alongside the same since Maruti as a policy does not take a model off the production line, especially when the model in question happens to be the country's best selling car!

Design
The production A-Star although not as dramatically styled as the A-Star concept that was displayed at the Auto Expo a year ago, hits one like a breadth of fresh air with its modern and atypical design for a hatch. In its body, the A-Star wears design trends that seem to be very much in vogue these days, like the Audi-style goatee radiator grille-cum-air dam, flanked by large bulging teardrop headlamps.

A-Star's sharp upward slanting waistline reminds one of the Hyundai i10's waistline, but that has a more subtle rising kink. However here the kink creates a very small rear window - almost half the size of the front, making the rear passengers feel hemmed-in. The presence of a slight crease low down on the doors, flowing unperturbed from the front all the way in to the rear bumper gives the A-Star's flanks a pleasing form.

The front and the flanks of the A-Star is a design marvel, which no doubt will be emulated by several hatches in the future, but having said that the most aesthetically appealing part of the car has to be the very smoothly designed rear. The posterior with its classically raked boot squeezed neatly between two large racy tail lamps, followed up by a prominent registration plate slot and a minor overhang at the bottom can very aptly be labelled as 'eye-catching'. 155/80, 13-inch tyres is the standard size and there are no alloys on the offering even for the top range ZXI version. 

The inside of the A-Star is as praiseworthy as the exterior. The dashboard, which is a tad too high comprises of large dual air-vents, a small display screen and buttons perched on the upper-half and large air-con knobs placed on the lower-half of it, making it look as enticing during the day as it does at night when the crimson highlights come on. In addition to the single speedometer inside the instrument panel, a rally-car like pop-up tachometer is placed separately on the dash just right of the steering wheel rendering a sporty aura to the car. The A-Star has made clever use of bits and pieces from other Maruti cars on the inside, like the steering wheel and gear lever knob borrowed from the Swift.

Plastic quality has always been an issue with Maruti car's and although the plastic used in the A-Star is marginally better than used in other Maruti's, it by no means represents the best in quality.

See specs of Maruti Suzuki A-Star

The fabric seats are comfortable and provide adequate thigh support, while the front seats like that of the Hyundai i10's come with integrated headrests. Although wider than the WagonR and Alto, the A-Star doesn't have much space to offer for passengers at the rear and is strictly a four-seater. The miniscule boot is good enough to carry only small handbags, indicating that the A-Star is only a city car for a small family.

Comfort
The Maruti A-Star's efficient suspension comprises of McPherson strut and coil spring setup at the front, while at the rear there lies an isolated trailing link supplemented by coil springs. The gas charged shock absorbers soak up impacts quite dutifully, all the while maintaining good ride quality.

Inspite of its slightly tall stance the A-Star handles well on the road and feels planted, owing to its wider track. The tallish design may however be detrimental for fast cornering unlike the old Zen, which had a much lower centre of gravity. However, the use of ultra high-grade steel in the coil springs is bound to keep the body roll in check.

The A-Star features a Rack & Pinion electronically assisted power steering, which unlike that of the old Zen and the Alto has a feel to it and offers a decent amount of feedback. However keeping in mind the high dashboard and the low seating in the car, tilt and rake adjustments for the steering wheel would have been a thoughtful inclusion.

For a hatch of its price, the A-Star is suitably endowed with comfort and convenience features. Top-of-the-line ZXI variant comes with an integrated audio system, automatic air-conditioning and power windows, while manual air-conditioning and power steering come standard across rest of the variants.

Engine, Transmission & Performance
The all-new K10B, 3-cylinder DOHC petrol engine built at Manesar at a cost of Rs. 1,200 crores might look weak on paper but on the road it is anything but that. In spite of being down by a cylinder the 68PS, 998cc engine is torquey and has enough grunt and thrust to not only survive mundane city driving but also thrive in it. Torque being available at low rpm makes the A-Star an ideal car for the city, but on the highway, the need for the missing fourth cylinder is felt as the engine runs out of steam at high speeds. Even though the A-Star hasn't been made to be driven at high speeds, it does have the legs to reach a maximum speed of 155kmph and sprint from 0 to 100kmph in a reasonable 15 seconds. Throttle response in the A-Star is far better than that of the WagonR or for that matter, the Alto and can ferry four passengers around the city briskly even with the air-con on at full blast.

A-Star's engine is mated to an all-new 5-speed manual transmission which facilitates precise gearshifts. Switching gears has never been this fun in a Maruti hatch before, but it still has a bit of catching up to do before it can match that of the i10's.

The all-aluminum K10B engine, which has been developed over the last three years by Maruti, is lightweight, economical, environmentally friendly and energy efficient. Delivering an unbelievable 19.59 kilometres to a litre of petrol in city driving, the A-Star is easily the most economical car in the country today. NVH (noise, vibration & harshness) levels are far better than Maruti's old 3-cylinder engine, but there still remains a noticeable vibration when the engine is idling.

Safety
A-Star's ZXI variant besides the top-end Zen Estilo and WagonR variants is the only other sub Rs. 4.25 lakh car to be privy to a range of passive and active safety features normally akin to that of premium hatches. The ZXI features dual front airbags as well as ABS, while the VXI variant gets ABS as an option. It is likely that the top dog ZXI will be the hot favourite since it comes out as best value for money.

Retailing from Rs. 3.5 to Rs. 4.1 lakhs ex-showroom Delhi, the A-Star is one of the most important cars for Maruti Suzuki as it aims to put its name on the world map as a reliable, efficient and affordable city car. The A-Star will be exported to 150 countries in different variants and is the future of the small car.