Maruti Suzuki A-star automatic first drive review / road test

First Drive Review / Road Test: 2010 Maruti Suzuki A-star Automatic

First Drive Review / Road Test: 2010 Maruti Suzuki A-star Automatic Featured Stories, Reviews, Slider | Amit Chhangani | August 13, 2010 at 2:18 pm

Words : Amit Chhangani

I’d be honest about it. It’s all very familiar but a tad incredible as well at the same time. Ever since we started off with Motoroids, it’s been a story about fighting the odds. We are dead and buried, resting in peace for some carmakers which used to treat us as their guests of honour at some fuzzy point in the past. It, thus, comes across as a breeze of fresh air to have been invited for a drive event, being allowed some genuine, quality time with a car and evaluating it the way it’s supposed to be. We’re getting there it seems, after a painstakingly long, arduous, yet resolute wait. This moment feels good. And I owe this moment in its entirety to the members of my team who have stood by my side, fighting all the odds along with me, refusing to give up and believing in something that most around us still don’t. Thanks, pals!

I’m in Agra, in the backyard of the Taj Mahal, tapping the keypad of my laptop while being spread over a comfy bed in a swanky hotel. I have been driving all day long, although without having covered much distance. Maruti Suzuki A-star, the car that I have been driving all this while, has been mated with a new automatic transmission. It’s been an interesting journey experiencing first hand the aggression of drivers in this part of the world. We also managed to lose our way quite a few times in the city of Agra, while also witnessing an ambulance almost mowing down a dozen mortals. But after the hard day’s work, here I am sharing my experience of this latest offering from Maruti Suzuki with you.
First of all, let’s show to the bin to all the complaints about the backseat space of the A-star before we even start talking about this car. It’s a product which is primarily designed for the European market, and if you are not an effervescent, aware, independent young at heart being, you were never a TG. It’s a trendy product and Maruti wouldn’t car two hoots about your complaints if you are a prehistoric creature trying to fit in his five generations into a small hatch.

The A-star automatic is about the modern day urban dwellers who want a snazzy, yet economical drive, minus the harassment of having to shift with the frequency of an assembly line robot. Those who think beyond ‘kitna deti hai’ and understand the virtues of automatic transmission in city traffic, also somehow tend to value contemporary design and modern tech. The A-star automatic is targeted at such aware and alive audience who know what their priorities in life are. As we mentioned earlier, it won’t probably work for you if you look at it purely from the utility and VFM point of view. Bring it in a bit of attitude, a bit of style, and the picture gets clearer.
So, to cut a long story short, does it work for its TG? Well, the answer would be a resounding YES! Of course, it’s your conventional four-speed automatic with the usual shift response time gremlins, but rest assured you won’t get anything better for the price in the entire world, let alone India. You want a DSG for that price? Wait for you kindergarten kids to grow up and get married.

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16 Comments

Chris says:

August 13, 2010 at 3:27 pm

Amit, but how many gear ratios does this new Auto transmission have?
Rohit Chawla says:

August 13, 2010 at 9:51 pm

Hi

Somewhere in the article it is mentioned that ‘the Alto AT is a great product which will offer a fabulous option for those who are looking for the convenience of an automatic transmission in a contemporary and stylish, yet economical car.’

Has the name changed to Alto for the new A Star Auto or there has been some typo here?
Shankar says:

August 17, 2010 at 6:39 am

Maruti A Star has launched the Automatic variant at a competitive price. If at all, there is one autogear ar which I can get for below 5 lakh range it is A Star. Thanks Maruti
one says:

August 17, 2010 at 2:42 pm

its afailure product. they have got it horribly wrong with its positioning and to some extent designing also.thefront and rear donot gel, nose looks of adifferent car,no space inside,it is very claustrofobic inside.they have pitted it in between wagonr and alto and priced right in bracket of i10 which has decent looks good space decent mileage and premium feel,these matters indians alot.try gelling the front end with rest ofthe body, create alittle more space ,even nissans baby looks far better than this ugly product.
Sushan says:

August 20, 2010 at 4:08 am

Hi folks, i came to know the difference between A-Star automatic and i10 automatic. Look at A-Star automatic, it has got ABS, Driver seat height adjust, and remote boot lid opener. I am booking A-Star automatic tomorrow!!!!
Prakash says:

August 23, 2010 at 7:41 am

Maruti’s A Star automatic is the best choice because it is the cheapest automatic car and the most refined engine, performance and mileage. Maruti A-Star is already exported to many countries and hence quality is always top notch. A Star is the true star.
PGK says:

September 10, 2010 at 7:22 pm

I own an ASTAR VXi manual for the last 6 months and find it to be a great car. But driving it in heavy Bangalore traffic is a hassle sometimes. I am thinking of exchanging it for an automatic version. Just took a test drive of the auto version and it is very convenient to drive in the city. It is supposed to get 14km/l. May go for it.
Ramesh says:

December 2, 2010 at 1:52 pm

It is good car to drive in city traffic. I booked car in August, yet to get delivery from Maruti dealer in Bangalore. lead time to 3 to 6 months now to get this Astar Automtic. Better value then Hyundai i10 Automatic. If you planning to purchase Astar Automatic plan in advance
Manoj says:

January 18, 2011 at 12:23 pm

Booked on 30 Sept and got it delivered on 29 Dec in Kanyakumari (Nagercoil). Been driving AT for >12 yrs overseas, but had a hard time convincing my Dad that he will like AT. Now I can’t get him to stop

This is the European Alto, and the Nissan Pixo. It’s made to international spec, that’s why it comes with those safety features. You’ll need the guile of an AT driver to rev up on time to pass slower cars. It’s a neat package overall.

But Indica and ambassador lovers might hate this car, which in itself is the greatest compliment Suzuki can have
Abhijit says:

July 15, 2011 at 9:04 am

I have been driving my Green Astar AT since 1.5 months. It is a great car. I do not have any complain to it. It may appear small from the outside but inside it has lot of space for the driver and co-passenger. My mother never complained me on rear legroom. Dashboard is simple in nature. Maruti could have provided tacho to the AT version as well. Without a tacho you don’t how much pressure you are putting into the engine.

Good:
Cheapest AT car in small hatchback category
Handling and driving is very simple
Adjustable seat height is useful for short to avg height people

Bad:
Tacho is missing
speeding up from 45 to 70+ takes time (we can’t blame a 3-cyl 1L engine with AT attached to it for this, it is not a sportscar)
fuel economy is around 11kmpl (much lesser than promised by Maruti/ARAI)
swangchan says:

September 14, 2011 at 6:54 am

suzuki company is best company in the world.
maruti is on of the fraud company inthe world.
maruti suzuki swift is a good car.but
maruti swift is a local car
maruti suzuki swift has suzuki engine.
maruti swift has local engine.
there are two types of swift car.
first is maruti suzuki swift that is original car . this swift car has suzukiengine. there is inprint suzuki name on the engine. buy
second is maruti swift, that is local car. this car has no suzuki engine. that is local or fake engine.there is no inprint suzuki name on the engine.
if you have any dought please check your car engine.if your car engine suzuki ,that is original.
you ask your dealer they also tell above said.
maruti suzuki swift engine is import from japan.
maruti swift engine is make from scrap material.
maruti collect the scrap material from other car company like tata, fiat and they are making local engine.
so dear friends don,t buy maruti swift. please buy maruti suzuki swift.
please chech car engine is it suzuki engine or local or fake engine.
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