News Release
Suzuki Concept A-Star a Fifth World Car Earmarked for Production
12 February 2008
A stylish, fuel-efficient small car reflecting a focus on environmental concerns will soon go into production in India.
The neatly designed front-wheel-drive hatchback known as Concept A-Star is Suzuki’s fifth world strategic model.
Designed with European buyers in mind, A-Star is expected to be a major factor in elevating Suzuki sales by 35 per cent to 420,000 units a year in Europe.
It is the first Suzuki concept car in which designers from the research and development division of Maruti Suzuki have been involved.
Maruti is the Indian arm of Suzuki Motor Corporation and will build the new car in India from the final quarter of 2008.
Despite the compact dimensions, A-Star has a well-balanced, three-door body fitting into the A-segment class of cars.
It will have an all-new Euro 5 compliant 1.0-litre aluminium petrol engine producing CO2 emissions more efficient than those of European competitors. The target is for a figure lower than 109 g/km.
The new alloy engine is to be made by Maruti Suzuki India and a manual transmission will be produced by Suzuki Powertrain India, another Suzuki subsidiary.
Suzuki Powertrain also produces a 1.3-litre diesel engine, but Suzuki has no plans to use this motor at this stage because the new 1.0-litre petrol engine is claimed to be environmentally superior.
A preview of the new model appears at Auto Expo 2008 in New Delhi during January.
With its bold front-end look and headlights that look like eyes with eyelids, this latest Suzuki makes a real impression.
The neat profile makes the car look bigger than it is, and designers say the overall body shape demonstrates sportiness and emotion in a small car.
Two-thirds of A-Star’s initial annual production run on 150,000 units will be exported which contrasts with the Splash which will be made primarily for the domestic market in India.
Suzuki attaches great importance to the fast growing Indian market where the brand has been a long-time player.
The make has greatly contributed to the Indian motor industry’s development while commanding more than half of all new car sales in the nation.
Given the importance of India to the Suzuki world strategy, the company is investing substantially in Maruti Suzuki between 2007 and 2009. It plans to expand production capacity to 960,000 units a year by March 2010.
Precise details of the new Concept A-Star will be revealed closer to production start-up late in 2008.
Concept A-Star is the second new model announced by Suzuki in recent months. The Splash, which is slightly larger than A-Star, is launching in early 2008 for the domestic Indian market.
While neither Splash nor the A-Star is scheduled to come to New Zealand initially, the two fresh and innovative designs illustrate the broadness of the Suzuki new car line-up, and the international appeal of its products.
