Reports of the Suzuki A-Star’s local foray is flowing thick and fast on media channels in Indonesia. The A-Segment hatchback, manufactured in Manesar, is expected to give company to the Estilo Karimun next year. It will be fitted with the same 1L, 3cyl K Series petrol mill. Two variants, ZXi and VXi, supposedly compose the Indonesian range of what the rest of the world knows as “Alto.”
India is the sole manufacturing location for the Suzuki A-Star. It is exported to countries in Asia, Europe and UK.
After Volkswagen bought out a 20% stake in Suzuki everyone in the Industry was of the opinion that that the Suzuki-Nissan deal for the small car Pixo will fall apart. The Nissan Pixo is a rebadged Suzuki A-Star that is built by Suzuki in India for Nissan. This small car is popular in the European markets for its size and fuel economy.
VW also wants to make small cars with Suzuki’s help amid other things. But the rumors of Suzuki will no longer make the Pixo for Nissan are all false. The deal is secure and the Nissan COO recently said that nothing changes between Suzuki & Nissan as of now.
The Pixo is going strong & Nissan will continue to source this small car from Suzuki & the VW-Suzuki alliance will also continue with its decided plans.
Last year Maruti Suzuki aired a Suzuki A-Star TV commercial having many cars pulling off spectacular stunts. Maybe that didn’t work prompting Maruti to transmit information on various aspects including fuel economy along with a touch of art in the latest ad.
See how differently the A-Star (Alto for foreigners) is marketed in Australia. It projects the character of the A-Star which honestly was hidden from the public eye here in India.
Suzuki Alto with fish scales and fin will be shown at the Berlin Show this month
At the Berlin International Green Week this year, Suzuki will show a one-off concept based on the Indian-made Suzuki A-Star (referred as Alto in Europe). Covered in vinyl wrap spread with paintings of fish scales, the Alto will be the weirdest exhibit at the world’s largest fair for food, agriculture and horticulture. The event kicks off in Jan 15th and till the 24th, it’ll make you wonder why Suzuki didn’t choose a tree, food grains or grass to spread over the car.
Obstacles are now coming the form of deadly technical issues which should not have occurred
The Made in India Suzuki A-Star, which sells under the name Alto in Nederlands, is making news for the wrong reason. Suzuki has requested its Dutch customers to bring their cars to the service station to fix a very lethal problem.
When the fuel tank is filled to the brim, a leak has been identified which in the worst case can lead to fire. Fire in the fuel tank area which is filled to the brim can result in fatal consequences.
To rectify this fault, dealers will modify the seal between the fuel tank and the pump free of charge.
Could this problem haunt all Altos rolling out of the production line? The sure shot way to avoid problems is by driving with less fuel in the tank.
At the Tokyo Motor Show two months back, Suzuki displayed the Suzuki A-Star concept, which was fundamentally the A-Star hatchback with added elevation. The interiors were a lot lively and the mechanicals were altogether different.
The tall boy Alto gets 658cc water-cooled, inline-three-cylinder, DOHC, 12-valve engine mated to a CVT.
This specification is for the Japanese-spec Alto and the Indian model, if it ever falls out, will use the K-Series engine or possibly VW’s electric powertrain through the recently formed JV.
With added room, this looks like a solid contender to the Chevrolet Spark EV in my view.
The SYM Cevalo 125cc bike could be Mahindra’s surprise exhibit at Auto Expo 2010
Stories on many blogs indicate Mahindra 2 wheelers will display the 125cc SYM Cevalo at the upcoming Auto Expo. The Cevalo will join the Rodeo, Duro and Flyte next year. With a 125cc 4 valve air-cooled engine, the Cevalo’s 15bhp power comes thanks to fuel injection technology.
Toyota will show not one, two, three or..err..ok, they’re going to bring 13 cars to the Auto Expo next year. 13! I hope they launch at least 2 of those in India next one year. Wait, they have already said the small car (EFC) and its sedan avatar will ply Indian roads by 2011. So our desire has already been fulfilled, then.
Which car does Suzuki sell in 69 countries? Which car recently touched the 100,000 mark in cumulative sales exports? Which car despite having “Star” in its name, needs discounts and offers to sell in India? Shame that countries other than India find the A-Star a fuel sipper and nippy city hatch.
The Tata Nano adds another trophy to its cabinet by booking a berth in the Cooper Hewitt National Design Museum in New York next year from February 18 to April 25. The Nano will be showcased for its innovative design and advanced technology.
Due to fluctuations in exchange rate, Honda will increase prices of its models by about one percent in January next year. Honda sells the City, Civic, CR-V, Accord, Jazz and Civic hybrid in India.
With decals and special keychains, its all part of the centenary celebrations.
Suzuki’s centenary celebrations is doing all sorts of things to its cars. The Japanese car manufacturer is spreading the joy by introducing the A-Star (Alto overseas), SX4 hatchback and Vitara with centenary stickers on its cars in Japan.
Special features on Suzuki A-Star centenary edition
Special keychain, custom floor mats, body moldings, USB, AUX port and iPod connectivity are some of the features of this century milestone vehicles.
