My Maruti Suzuki A-star AT

 I have purchased this car in November, 2012 and I have driven about 5000 kms so far.

  Exterior

Though a little quirky looking (atleast for me), it grows on you and after sometime you get used to it and then to like it. Still the rear bumper could have been shaped better. All tyres are of JK Vectra tubeless type. No electric ORVMs.

 

Interior (Features, Space & Comfort)

Beige seats, beige door panels, grey and beige dashboard. And beige carpets! This is what I am unable to come to terms with. It is impossible to maintain and has to be covered fully with mats. So what is the purpose of beige carpets? Thoughtless!

The plastic quality is ok for the price paid. The dashboard is set a little high especially the middle section where the audio and AC vents are situated. But then no problem with visibility especially with seat height adjuster. This is a very good feature to have. But anyone shorter than 5'3" will have an issue.

The dashboard layout is ok and there are plenty of cubbyholes and an illuminated one also. But then the illumination of the meters in red is a little jarring. White or yellow or even blue could have been better looking and more sober. The absence of a tachometer is felt especially since I am used to one. Visibility is good all-round except at the rear which is tolerable. Seats are firm but shaped well. Front seat travel is exceptional. The rear legspace is ok if the driver and rear passenger are not above 5'6". The boot space will do nicely for a shopping trip but that is about it.

The indicator lights in the meter console are too many and you have to get accustomed to them. The absence of a temperature gauge is felt. There is only a light which lights up for two seconds after the ignition is switched on and goes off immediately. When it is continuously on, the engine is supposed to be overheating. There is no other visual indication of what the temperature is, whether it is climbing up or not etc. There is illumination control for the console lights.

One most irritating issue is the ignition key reminder function. If you do not remove the key from the switch and the door is open, it beeps continuously, even in the accessories position. The result is you are not able to do anything within the car with the door open, like tuning the radio, adjusting the audio controls or even listening to music. The Manual does not mention any method for turning it off.

The front head-restraints, though integrated, are correctly positioned. The audio system is good though the tuner sucks big time. USB and Aux-in produce very decent music but the tuner reception is bad. A very big plus for me is iPhone connectivity and playing of music stored in it. The iPhone also gets charged with its usual USB connecting wire without any other aftermarket sockets/jacks and wires.Would have loved steering mounted audio controls.

The gearshifter is ok but shifting of gears produces a noise like 'tuk tuk' which feels cheap. It could have been damped and made smoother without noise. May be it is because the shifts are not in a straight line but in different directions. The brakes are smooth but grippy.

 

Engine Performance, Fuel Economy and Gearbox

 The engine is surprisingly smooth for a three cylinder one and peppy also. Maruti seems to have done a good job here. The gears shift smoothly but you are able to feel the shifts. First to second happens at 15 kmph, second to third at 30 kmph and third to fourth at 45 kmph. The initial consumption figures indicated around 12 kmpl with AC in city which was ok since the car had run only about 300 kms at that time. It improved to 12.5 kmpl at the next fill and the last fill produced 13 kmpl. It is bound to improve to atleast 14 to 14.5 kmpl and I will be happy. The fuel tank capacity is 35 litres.

EDIT: "After the second service, on a recent highway trip in May, 2013, I was able to get FE of 18.9 kmpl when I maintained the speed between 80 to 90 kmph. I have not checked the city FE after second service which I will do next month and update."

Ride Quality & Handling

The suspension is on the stiffer side but not bouncy. No thudding noises from the suspension over potholes and uneven roads and the car is balanced. The steering has some vagueness at the center but then not a very big one. Steering is not very light but has good feedback. The car feels planted even at 100 kmph which was the maximum I tried.

 

Final Words

I chose this car over the Hyundai i-10 AT and the Honda Brio AT. The i-10 was discarded for very poor mileage. The Brio was discarded for the high price which was over my budget. I am very happy over my choice and would recommend this car to anyone looking for an AT hatch as a second car, even as a family car if boot space is not an issue.

 

Areas of improvement  

 The tuner, AT shifter noise, ignition key reminder swith off option and steering mounted audio controls.

 

AT, Brakes, Acceleration, Audio, Seat Height Adjuster, FEAudio Tuner, Ignition Key Reminder, AT Shifter noise, Beige Carpets