08 September, 2008

A-star


These are the first official pictures of Suzuki’s new Alto (YC5) that will be making its debut at the Paris Motor Show this October. The new Alto will be known as the A-Star in the Indian market and will sell alongside the current version.

Suzuki’s aim was to play safe and keep the design modern but generic so that it would appeal to a larger customer base. This is why the A-Star is not as radical as the A-Star show car. The flame-shaped lights are pretty distinctive and the large grille, which extends below bumper level, follows the latest design trends.

Maruti is targeting a Diwali launch for the A-star and will price it at around Rs 3-4 lakh. The A-Star will come with Suzuki’s K-Series 1.0 litre as well as a 1.2 litre motor and will compete with the Hyundai i10 and Kappa.

This is the first time Suzuki will manufacture a car exclusively in India and export it to global markets. Nissan too has inked a deal with Maruti for 50,000 units every year. Maruti will produce the YC5 with a Nissan badge for Nissan’s home and export markets.

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