Next-gen Maruti Suzuki A-Star/Alto (YL7) spotted in India

The Maruti Suzuki A-Star will be replaced by a tall boy model next year in global markets while the Japanese domestic market (JDM) is expected to get this car by the end of this year. Known as the Alto globally, the next-gen A-Star has been spied testing in many parts of the world. Now, the car has hit the testing circuit in India, one of the most important markets for Japanese car maker Suzuki. The next-generation Alto/A-Star is a completely re-engineered car (full model change) and is code-named the YL7.  

The all new hatchback will be the 8th generation model of the Alto, whose serial production began way back in 1979. The current Alto/A-Star made its debut in 2009. So, the product cycle of just 4 years (2009-2013) is quite short indeed, at least by Maruti Suzuki standards. Now that the Estilo has been discontinued and with the A-Star continuing to be a dud seller for Maruti Suzuki in India, the next generation Alto/YL7 is expected to replace both the Estilo and the A-Star in the Indian car market. 

The car's official unveiling could happen early next year, at the 2014 Indian Auto Expo. The next-gen Alto/YL7 hatchback is also expected to spawn a compact sedan that could sit under the Maruti Suzuki Dzire. Internationally, the next-generation Alto/YL7 is likely to use the 660 cc, triple cylinder engine that will serve as a replacement to the 1 liter K-Series petrol motor. It remains to be seen if Maruti Suzuki would outfit the smaller engine, which outputs 52 Bhp-63 Nm, into the car sold in India.

In the Japanese domestic market, this engine will be mated to a CVT automatic transmission. A high fuel efficiency is said to be the prime objective of the 660 cc motor. The motor is touted to deliver as much as 33 Kmpl in the Japanese driving cycle. In the Japanese car market, the car would benefit by additional fuel saving aids such as a start-stop system and brake energy regeneration. The next-gen 2014 Alto is also expected to shave off about 20 kilograms from the current A-Star's weight. 

In India, the K-Series-3 cylinder petrol motor and the 5 speed manual/4 speed automatic gearboxes could be carried over to the next-gen Alto/A-Star (code-named the YL7). Also, Maruti Suzuki is expected to outfit the new hatchback with an 800 cc turbo diesel engine, which could eventually find its way onto other Maruti hatchbacks such as the WagonR and the Sting Ray models. Suzuki is currently developing a range of small capacity turbo diesel engines with capacities ranging between 0.8 liter and 1.4 liters. 

The global Alto, known as the A-Star in India, is sold across the globe under different badges: Suzuki Alto, Suzuki Celerio and Nissan Pixo. The 2014 Alto is expected to take a similar route. Suzuki has chosen its Indian subsidiary, Maruti Suzuki, to lead its export push into developing nations in the Middle East and Africa. The next-gen Alto, along with other budget hatchbacks, is likely to lead Maruti Suzuki's export push.    

Image courtesy HotshotVipin and WorldCarFans