ALONGSIDE the Tata Rs 1 lakh car,it is perhaps the most eagerly awaited model at the Auto Expo.Earlier this week,Suzuki big boss O Suzuki un...
ALONGSIDE the Tata Rs 1 lakh car,it is perhaps the most eagerly awaited model at the Auto Expo.Earlier this week,Suzuki big boss O Suzuki unvieled the first glimpses of the new small car from the Suzuki stable that will be formally premiered at the Auto Expo in January.
Kitted with a newly-developed 1 litre Euro Vcompliant aluminium petrol engine with CO2 emissions lower than those of European competitors (target:lower than 109g/km),the car will be a hatchback positioned in the A segment.Currently called Concept A-Star,it will start commercial production in October '08.Substantial production for Europeis targeted to start in December 2008, followed by expansion in other markets globally.
The Concept A-Star is the first Suzuki concept in which Maruti engineers have had a substantial input.The Japanese company will be making 150,000 units of this new car at its plant in Manesar.Of that it will export 50,000
units and sell the remaining 100,000 units in India.Suzuki will also contract manufacture this car for fellow Japanese car major Nissan in Manesar.Nissan will source 50,000 units of this car from Suzuki’s Manesar plant to be exported to Europe as a Nissan small car.
The Concept A-Star’s new aluminium engine will be made by Maruti and a manual transmission will be made by Suzuki Powetrain India,an SMC subsidiary that’s based beside Maruti Suzuki’s Manesar plant.
Of course the A-Star won’t be the only star attraction from Maruti at the Auto Expo.Also on show will be the Splash which first debuted in Frankfurt and was the star attraction at Tokyo this year as well.
The Splash is also headed for India say sources and will be another new compact roll out from the Suzuki stable in India.The Splash and the A-Star concept will be the twin models that will enable the car marketleader to hold on and improve its share of the Indian market.
The first concept car to debut India in the entire 26-years of SMC's operations in this market,A-Star will be the centre of attraction in the 20-odd models being displayed by Maruti Suzuki at the Auto Expo. Designed totally in India,it will be a precursor to MSI's global compact car that will be launched post 2010. MSI will also showcase its mid-sized concept sedan Kizashi,which will pave the its way into the top-end premium segment and will be pitted against Honda Civic,Honda Accord,Chevrolet Optra and Hyundai Sonata.
