This is what Maruti has kept under wraps and when unveiled, there was much fanfare that happened around it, and boy this thing look hot! This is how a small car should look like – brutally attractive. It has that in-yer-face element that I am yet to see on any other small car. True, there are cars that are more beautiful, like the Fiat Bravo, but the sheer raw appeal of this car cannot be matched by many.
The A-Star is all about brutality, to me. It is all about looks. Brutal looks. Take the headlamps for instance, they appear to be like an angry elephant’s droopy eyes. How cool is that! The imposing grille with translucent crossmember looks menacing. And then is the airdam which is rounded off by the stylish and sharp fog lamps. How on earth can anyone mistake this car for anything else! The teardrop roofline, the muscular wheel arches and that eccentric rear view mirror all add to the sense of dynamism. As mad as the front end of the car is, the rear does is equally so. It is simple, without frills but aggressive still. The sharp-edged tail lamps are mounted high up not only to accentuate the bold ‘S’ badge but also to enhance safety by making it highly visible. The rear diffuser has integrated exhaust pipes to complete the picture.
Calling it interior will be a shame. The insides of the A-Star can give many a fighter aircrafts quite a complex. The pink illumination on the dashboard looks like the jet’s wings and the air con vents at either ends appear to be the aircraft’s engines! The stubby gear lever shouts ‘sporty’ all over the place as do the aluminum pedals. There is not much to say about the cockpit, for I am spellbound.
And now the clincher – a car based very much on this might see the light of the day sometime soon and might even come to India and the global launch of this compact car at Auto Expo in Delhi hints at just that. The A-Star or a car based on it will be a front-wheel drive, front engines machine which will be powered by a 3-cylinder, 1.0L engine mated to a 5-speed gearbox.
Quick Specs:
Powertrain: Font engined, front wheel drive 1.0L engine
Tyres: 205/45 R17
Transmission: 5 speed manual
Length: 3580mm
Width: 1680mm
Height: 1400mm
Wheelbase: 2360mm
