Maruti to launch `A-Star' in October; revamp `Alto' with `K' series engine

04 September 2008

Mumbai: Maruti Suzuki India Ltd, India's largest car manufacturer, will unveil its 'A-Star' compact car model in the local market in October and further ramp up its R&D on fuel-efficient cars.

The `A-Star', slated to be Maruti Suzuki's global small car brand, will use the `K' series engine and Maruti plans to equip its `Alto' model also with the 'K' series engines.

The global compact car A-Star uses the advanced K-series engine which is not only fuel-efficient but also complies with Euro-V emission norms, Maruti Suzuki India Ltd (MSIL) chairman RC Bhargava said. (View the Maruti A-Star picture gallery)

He said the demand for small, light-weight, fuel efficient cars would grow, adding the ''trend is clearly visible in global markets and is likely to enter India as well."

A-Star, he said, would be launched in India first and then introduced to the European and other markets. The company plans to export over 2,00,000 units of A-Star by 2010-11.

By next year Maruti Suzuki, which is 54.2 per cent owned by Japan's Suzuki Motor Corporation, hopes to launch the 'Splash' as well, he said.