The Hindu : Business : Maruti Suzuki to roll out A-Star by mid-November

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Maruti Suzuki to roll out A-Star by mid-November

Special Correspondent

CHENNAI: Maruti Suzuki is preparing to roll out its compact car A-Star in mid-November, it is learnt.

The new offering, a five-door hatch-back, will be a world strategic model. Swift, Sx4 and Grand Vitara were among the other world strategic models that the company had launched in India. A-Star will be the eighth model launch by Suzuki in less than 40 months, underscoring its stepped-up focus on research and development in India. The car will roll out of its Manesar plant. Powered by a new K-series engine, A-Star will have a low-weight three-cylinder aluminium next-generation engine.

Gurgaon facility

The Gurgaon facility of Maruti Suzuki will make the engines. A-Star, sources say, will conform to BS-III emission norms and will have an engine capacity of 996cc. The introduction of A-Star, it is argued, will strengthen the company’s portfolio in the A2 segment.

The latest car will be Maruti Suzuki’s seventh model in the A2 segment. The company, sources claim, enjoys a 55 per cent market share in the A2 segment.

Suzuki Motor Corporation is keen to re-enter the European market with A-Star.

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