[aargee]

How much crore does any car manufacturing companies save by the absence of an vanity mirror? Why not include them when it is available on the manual version?

BTW, what're the tyre sizes? Are they the same as A* Vxi or different one for providing high mileage?

[Amartya]

Thanks Ajmat for the detailed test drive report. It answered most questions and the pics accompanying the report were perfect. Rated it 5 stars.

To be honest, the premium charged for the A/T is not too high (~30K), however it remains to be seen how many of these Maruti is able to sell.

[Judemayne]

An insight into what is available in the market helps us to to decide when we go in for a change. Thanks Azmat-a fantastically worded write up with telling pics! A Star is not for me as I am 6' 3''.

[ajmat]

Originally Posted by Guna

When I had driven, I had found that lower part of the dashboard was touching the leg.

Originally Posted by Judemayne

An insight into what is available in the market helps us to to decide when we go in for a change. Thanks Azmat-a fantastically worded write up with telling pics! A Star is not for me as I am 6' 3''.

Hopefully the seat height adjuster solves this

Originally Posted by Sheel

I always feel that A-Star has a better steering set up than Swift, what do you feel?

I found my Swift waiting for me at the airport and drove home, my Swift has 195 tyres so feel was better although, from what I remember, the standard swift steering felt a bit more artificial.

Originally Posted by Dippy

Is there a strain on the box at high speeds over say 100kph?

However I still did not get the logic behind the A Star as choice of car to add the AT to.

We were happily cruising at 100km/h but went upto 120 at times. The fourth gear is very high so not too much noise/ strain. Small auto's whine a lot. This did not.

They chose the A Star as the typical buyer is more adventerous in choice.

Originally Posted by Dr.AD

I was just curious to know what Ajmat thought about the build quality and the potential to rattle in the long run even if the particular car with 47 km was rattle-free.

It was 47 km when handed over and 445km when we parked it at the airport

Originally Posted by aargee

Why not include them when it is available on the manual version?

BTW, what're the tyre sizes? Are they the same as A* Vxi or different one for providing high mileage?

Not sure whether they do come on a normal version. Tyre size is the same

Originally Posted by Amartya

To be honest, the premium charged for the A/T is not too high (~30K), however it remains to be seen how many of these Maruti is able to sell.

I must admit, I said estimated premium. Final price had not been announced when we drove. We were asked to recommend a price!

[deetjohn]

Thanks for the nice humorous review ajmat.

MSIL maybe trying to give a much needed sales boost to the A-star by plonking in the Auto box. How I wish, they had given it to the new WagonR though. It would have been a great car for the city.

Let's hope this is a start of things to retest the waters and may MSIL come out with an AT for the tall boys as well.

The A-star AT will be much more costlier than the MT on the road, as I suppose the latter has some delicious discounts on the offer.

[nkrishnap]

Excellent review there. Team-bhp is saving quite a bit of money by canceling the subscription of my automobile magazines

This car makes for a good city car with the automatic transmission. But the rear seat space is poor.

[noopster]

Nice review ajmat. IMO a good move by Maruti that may well se the A-star finally take off. Personally I like the look of this car, though have never driven it myself and a 4-speed AT may be just what it needs to appeal to a young urban audience. I also see a market for the "AT Star" as a second car/"wife's car". So good luck to Maruti and hope they pull that off!

[romeomidhun]

Originally Posted by ajmat

New transmission gate - note the 4-3 lateral shift mechanism. There is a transmission lock button but we never understood what is was for

This is what Motoroids says:

"Overtaking on the highways is, indeed a hassle sometimes with automatics. You’re cruising at 80 and wish to go past a long STC bus on a two lane highway with traffic coming from the opposite direction. What do you do if the bus driver chooses to accelerate just as you proceed halfway, parallel to it? You push the accelerator pedal harder for some more juice, right? Now that’s the tricky part. In basic single clutch auto transmission systems, this would mean a time lag of one to two seconds before your experience a downshift and the resultant thrust, which may sometimes be a little too late for the wellness of your limbs if there is oncoming traffic. The A-star however provides you an option. To aid overtaking, it allows you to flick the shifter stick to the right to slot into the third gear instantly, to get some quick response from the lower ratios. Once you overtake, you flick the shifter back into the drive mode to cruise in the usual manner. It’s a nifty tool, you just have to get used to it. The shifter also has a provision of manually shifting into 2nd gear and a Low mode for steep inclines where you need extra torque at slow speeds."


Or, are you mentioning something different?

[blackasta]

IMO if the the trasmission lock switch is same same as the shift lock, (on the panel instead of the stick itself) it should serve the same function - i.e - you have to press (disengage) the transmission lock button to shift from P->R->N->D->3->2->1. But shifting between N<->D<->3 should not require pressing the shift lock button. Once the transmission lock is engaged, you cannot shift to say P/R from D without disengaging it.
Thats the way it is in all AT cars that I have driven till date.
In some cars - the shift lock is activated via the brake pedal, and you can only shift to P/R from D/2/L while the brake is pressed.

[GTO]

Excellent review and pictures, Ajit! Rating this thread a well-deserved 5 stars!

Its nice to see a change in attitude over at Maruti. Last year, at the Ritz drive, I posed a question on why there aren't any proper automatics. Their answer "No market for Automatics. We have the WagonR AT, no one buys it". Well, atleast this is the first Maruti hatchback with a "proper" 4 speed auto (unlike the lousy 3 speeds of yesteryear).

With Maruti's mega distribution network, the A-Star AT will inevitably find some homes. A cramped rear seat and inexistent boot, it was always a city car only. That's exactly the driving environment where ATs make the most sense.

Thanks for sharing!

[srishiva]

The D-3 is for 4-3? Is it required to just pat the lever left to right to shift down to 3? So the convenience is that its a little faster tapping the lever than bringing it down the gate?

[blackasta]

Originally Posted by srishiva

The D-3 is for 4-3? Is it required to just pat the lever left to right to shift down to 3? So the convenience is that its a little faster tapping the lever than bringing it down the gate?

Just move the stick from D -> 3.
When on D all 4 gears shall be used. When on 3, the overdrive shall not be used.

[Vid6639]

Did anyone see the prices? Pretty decent. The A-star AT VXi is priced 50K more than the VXi manual. For that extra 50K you get ABS and the AT box.

Price is 4.37L ex-showroom bangalore.

[sdp1975]

Excellent review ajmat. 5 stars.

Which one would suit a lady better, the i10 or A-star AT ?

[wildon]

Neat review, it would have been great if you can put those picture description on top instead of bottom.