UPDATE: new details on the Suzuki A-Star Concept
The production version of the Suzuki A-Star Concept will be powered by an Euro 5-compliant 1.0 liter aluminum petrol engine and a and a manual transmission.
Maruti Suzuki and Suzuki Motor Corporation have announced today the global launch of a new concept car - the Suzuki A-Star Concept. The Suzuki A-Star Concept will be unveiled at the Auto Expo motor show in New Delhi.
The Suzuki A-Star Concept is the base on which a global compact car will be developed. The Suzuki A-Star Concept based global
compact car will be manufactured in Maruti - Suzuki's plant in Manesar for export to Europe.
Suzuki Press Release:
Global launch of Concept Car from Maruti Suzuki
The forthcoming Auto Expo in New Delhi will witness the global launch of a new concept car,
Suzuki A-Star Concept , developed jointly by Maruti Suzuki and Suzuki Motor Corporation.
This will be a rare occasion when a global car company would have chosen the Auto Expo in New Delhi for the global launch of a concept car. After being showcased in New Delhi, the Suzuki A-Star Concept will be displayed at top global motor shows during the year 2008.
The Suzuki A-Star Concept is for a compact car. Compact cars are normally simple and elegant in design. The Suzuki A-Star Concept , while retaining elegance and simplicity,
will demonstrate sportiness and emotion in a compact car.
Its styling has been conceived in an Indian setting, and it borrows tastefully from our landscape. Within a predominantly European character, there are subtle cues from Indian tradition in the outlines of the Suzuki A-Star Concept .
Concept cars often do not become production models, being more an expression of futuristic
technologies and designs. But the Suzuki A-Star Concept will culminate in a production model.
The Suzuki A-Star Concept is, in fact, the precursor to Maruti Suzuki’s global compact car that will be launched in the future. The global compact car will be manufactured in Maruti Suzuki’s plant in Manesar for export to Europe.
Suzuki A-Star Concept is significant also because it symbolizes the coming of age of Maruti Suzuki's R & D. Maruti Suzuki's R & D team first displayed capabilities in face-lifting existing models, five years ago.
Their next big step was the Swift model, where a
small group of Indian engineers supported counterparts in Suzuki Motor Corporation in developing that world car. The Suzuki A-Star Concept , developed in collaboration with Suzuki Motor Corporation, signifies that styling capabilities at Maruti Suzuki are now comparable to the best in the world.
For Suzuki Motor Corporation, Suzuki A-Star Concept symbolizes the next level of its India commitment. Suzuki Motor Corporation invested in this country 25 years ago, much before it had become fashionable to invest in India. Thanks to regular technology advances, people training, and adoption of superior production systems and quality standards, Maruti Suzuki India produces vehicles of world-class quality. Maruti has been the engine of growth for Indian manufacturing, nurturing a national network of auto component suppliers, dealers and workshops, and rapidly motorizing India.
With a 5-year capital investment of $ 2.2 billion in a new car plant, a diesel engine manufacturing unit, a new engine series and new models, Maruti Suzuki is emerging as a global manufacturing hub for Suzuki operations worldwide.
The next level of commitment will be evident in R & D, with a vision to make Maruti Suzuki the R & D hub for automobiles in Asia. Suzuki A-Star Concept is a decisive step forward in that direction.
Suzuki European Press Release:
Suzuki to Show Concept for Fifth World Strategic Model in New Delhi
Suzuki Motor Corporation (SMC) is pursuing a world strategy designed for long-term growth. Following the launch of its acclaimed fourth world strategic model, the Splash, at the 2007 International Motor Show (IAA) in Frankfurt, the company is developing the fifth exciting model in its strategy. It will be showing some of the forthcoming model’s design themes at Auto Expo 2008 in New Delhi* in the form of the Suzuki A-Star Concept.
The forthcoming production model is an A-segment five-door hatchback reflecting a focus on world-class environmental compatibility and comfort. It will have a newly developed Euro 5-compliant 1.0-litre aluminum petrol engine with CO2 emissions lower than those of European competitors (target: lower than 109g/km). And like the already-launched Suzuki world strategic models, it will prove that sporty and exciting performance can be enjoyed together with outstanding fuel economy.
SMC attaches great importance to India. Suzuki’s efforts have greatly contributed to the Indian motor industry’s development and have earned Suzuki a more-than 50% share of the burgeoning Indian market for passenger cars.
Having been early to recognize India’s potential, it partnered with the Government of India to establish Maruti Udyog Limited (now named Maruti Suzuki India Limited, an SMC subsidiary), whose Gurgaon plant began producing cars in December 1983. Thanks to a quarter of a century of technological advances, personnel training, and adoption of superior production systems and quality standards, Maruti Suzuki India builds vehicles of world-class quality.
The production model that inherits some of the design themes of the Suzuki A-Star Concept will be manufactured at Maruti Suzuki India’s Manesar plant, to be marketed mainly in Europe and other countries including India. The start of production is scheduled in October 2008. Substantial production for Europe is targeted to start in December 2008, followed by expansion to other markets around the world.
The new 1.0-litre aluminium engine will be produced by Maruti Suzuki India, and a manual transmission for it will be manufactured by Suzuki Powertrain India, an SMC subsidiary that’s based beside Maruti Suzuki India’s Manesar plant.
Suzuki Powertrain India produces a 1.3-litre diesel engine, but SMC does not plan to use it in the new production car since the new 1.0-litre petrol engine is environmentally superior. SMC is ready to study options for small diesel engines from Suzuki Powertrain India in future.
Given the importance of India to the Suzuki world strategy, it is planed to invest ¥200 billion for plants in India from 2007 to 2009. (This investment includes capital expenditure for production of the new world strategic model.) Also, it plans to expand Maruti Suzuki India’s production capacity to 960,000 units per year by March 2010 in line with growing demand in India and a vision of exporting the new world strategic model from India to markets around the globe.
Further, Maruti Suzuki India is, thanks to transfers of automobile technology and know-how from SMC, distinguished by a research-and-development division that enables it to conduct the specification development, technical adaptation and tuning for the Indian market with SMC’s guidance in addition to production of vehicles designed in Japan. SMC plans further investment in Maruti Suzuki India to expanding the research-and-development division into one that will play a key role in the Suzuki world strategy.
The Suzuki A-Star Concept is the first concept car in which designers from Maruti Suzuki India’s research-and-development division have been involved from the initial stage for its styling. As such, it’s an excellent showcase of Maruti Suzuki India’s capabilities.
