The latest in Maruti Suzuki’s formidable platoon of small cars is the A-star. However, the Hyundai’s i10 has what it takes to make inroads into the Maruti small car bastion. It is a pretty good hatchback and claimed the OverDrive Car of the Year in 2008 by means of its international appeal, quality and value for money virtues. Maruti though intends to set things right with the A-star and bring back status quo.

The battle lines are drawn. OverDrive (Jan. ’09) brings to you the test results.

In terms of looks, focus on the international market has spurred design evolution for both cars. Both hatchbacks exude flair and attitude aimed at a youthful clientele but in differing ways.

The A-star appears muscular and solid despite its diminutive dimensions. The design is eye-catching, with a striking front end making for a contemporary square-jawed look. The tapered rear glass and tail-light are Alto-like. Though minimalistic, the A-star design is striking with overt, almost extravagant curves. The i10 on the other hand is subtle and classy, exuding understated European flair. Like the A-star, the i10 sports a large front fender and air dam that meld admirably into the entire design. The A-star is the smaller of the two with a wheelbase 20mm shorter than the Hyundai’s. A 5mm wider track makes it look more compact. The wider track and shorter wheelbase though do work wonders for its handling. Unfortunately the A-star’s fully independent suspension set-up with gas-charged shocks, MacPherson strut up front and isolated trailing link coil suspension at the rear are on the stiff side and compromise ride quality.
The i10 on the other hand, with MacPherson struts with stabilizer bar up front and coupled torsion beam axle with coil spring at the rear, offers a good ride even if it blunts the handling a bit. Body roll around the corners can be a mild annoyance for the corner carvers.

On the highway both cars feel adequate even when it is not really their comfort zone. The A-star feels exactly how it should, a grown-up Alto and the i10 feels like a grown-up Santro but with a better suspension setup. Both cars are capable of 140kmph plus speeds but given their small dimensions spirited highway driving is not their forte.

 In the urban context both cars are in their element. The A-star’s stiffness shows up over concrete joints and speed-breakers while the i10 marginally feels plusher, but overall the A-star is slightly better to drive in the city, in the handling and maneuverability. Also both cars have ABS and meet safety norms.

Coming to the heart of the matter, both cars are equipped with lightweight, fuel efficient engines designed to comply with current and future, domestic and international emission norms. The A-star sports the all-new K10B engine, which has taken Suzuki three years in the making at a cost of Rs. 1200 core. This future-ready engine will eventually find its way into most Maruti small cars, starting with Ritz (Splash, renamed). The K10B makes 67PS of peak power at 6200rpm and max torque of 90Nm at 3500rpm.

The i10 features the Hyundai Epsilon engine used in the Santro that has been retuned and re-rated with a new ECU. The 1.1-litre, in-line four produces a peak power of 67.7PS at 5500rpm and a maximum torque of 99Nm at 2800rpm, marginally better than the A-star’s. the torque spread and perfect gearing are what give it an edge however.

The i10 is quicker, eclipsing the 100kmph mark in 15.3 seconds from standstill, while the A-star takes 16.4 seconds. The i10 dazzles by crossing 60kmph in 5.9 seconds, the A-star taking a leisurely 6.5 seconds.

Come the all important fuel economy sakes and there’s not much difference between the two. The A-star returns a decent 15.69kmpl in the city and 9.8kmpl on the highway, while the i10 returns 15.53kmpl in the city and 18.88kmpl on the highway.

The A-star’s extrovert styling continues inside but the substandard knobs and switches are at odds with the futuristic dash and the dreary two-tone grey does not help matters further at all.

The i10 beige interiors on the other hand feel classy and superior thanks to the good quality plastics and slick knobs and switches. Both cars offer aux ports for iPods and both have comfortable seats with integrated headrests.

When its time to loosen purse strings, only a couple of thousand rupees separate the price tags of the top A-star and i10 variants. The Hyundai i10 1.1Era is priced at Rs. 3,80,791 (ex-showroom, Mumbai), while the similarly equipped A-star Vxi (with integrated stereo) is priced at Rs. 3,80,270 (ex-showroom, Mumbai), going upto Rs. 4,17,478 (ex-showroom, Mumbai), for the VXi with ABS.

To sum up, what the A-star offers is better handling, stability and of course striking looks. The i10 is classier, better built, has a more handsome cabin and offers a better ride. The A-star may be more fuel-efficient but ultimately one wants a car that can fit in 4 adults and carry their weekend luggage and the A-star simply isn’t the car for it. So the i10 still rules then as the best city car in the country.

	Maruti A-star ZXi	Hyundai i10 1.1 Era
Price	Rs. 4.17 lakh, on sale now (ex-showrrom, Mumbai)	Rs. 3.80 lakh, on sale now (ex-showroom, Mumbai)
Engine capacity	3-cyls MPFi, 998cc	4-cyls iRDE, 1086cc
Maximum Power	68PS@ 6200rpm	67PS @5500rpm
Maximum Torque	90Nm@ 3500rpm	99Nm @2800rpm
Acceleration	0-60kph – 6.05sec, 0-100kph -16.9sec, Top Speed -153kph	0-60kph – 5.9sec, 0-100kph -15.3sec, Top Speed -142kph
Economy	City – 15.69kmpl, Highway – 119.80kmpl, kpl (overall) – 16.65kmpl	City – 15.43kmpl, Highway – 18.88kmpl, kpl (overall) – 16.29kmpl
Verdict	4/5	4.5/5