Suzuki to unveil A-STAR in October

The Times of India
New Delhi: Suzuki is all set to unveil its much-awaited new compact A-Star at the Paris Motor Show in October, lifting curtains off a model that could replace the best-selling Alto in India in the long run. In Europe, it will be sold under the name 'Alto' and the Indian name is yet to be announced. A-Star will be produced solely in India for global markets and will hit the roads by October-November this year. The compact will come with a 1000cc aluminium petrol engine and is among the 'world strategic models' Suzuki is launching for a greater push globally. For the Indian market, the pricing could be Rs 3 lakh-plus, though company officials refused to comment on this. The car promises CO2 emission levels below 109 gm/km (much lower even to future European norms of 120 gm/km). While 1 lakh units would be meant for exports, mainly to Europe, the company would sell 50,000 units in India, while selling some to fellow Japanese automaker Nissan. The concept model of this car was designed and developed jointly by Maruti Suzuki and Suzuki Motors, marking it the first time when designers from Maruti's R&D team were involved from the very beginning. Suzuki said the all-new Alto (for Europe) builds on the company's strengths in the small-car development. While the Alto was discontinued in Europe around two years ago, it is currently the best-selling model in India.

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