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 Hyundai i10 has belied its size to cause serious damage to Maruti Suzuki’s market share in the country. It swept all the Car of the Year Awards within months of being launched , amazed One and all with its segment defying abilities and sold in numbers large enough to shake up the sharpest brains at the nation’s top car making company. The i10 has been no less than a revelation. Ever since it was launched , Hyundai has been registering double digit month-on-month growth (50 percent or more in some cases) owing to unprecedented demand and surging exports. Maruti Suzuki , without a fitting contender , however , has been losing ground to the Korean carmaker. Their sales have stood flat , even dipped marginally for some months in 2008. MSIL desperately require an effective interceptor to slow down this stomping Korean juggernaut. If they fail , they’re in trouble. In comes the A-star to the rescue.
So how does the new saviour look? Unusual , is the first word that flashes in my mind. Huge , popped out headlamps reminiscent of a frog’s eyes , an enormous bumper with an equally humongous central air dam – the A-star is a big departure from your regular City hatch. The lip for the unusually small bonnet is unusually high , a big Suzuki ‘S’ fills in for the missing grille.
The A-star persists with its sharp looks at the rear. The sporty theme is continued with the huge rear bumper positioned high above the ground. The loading lip for the boot is a little too high for convenient loading and unloading but adds to the racy attitude of the car. Angular , somewhat trapezoidal wraparound tail lamps are well done and come together seamlessly with the overall design. The high mounted brake light is a standard feature on all the three variants.
The A-star’s design is somewhat a trade-off between a full blown tall boy and the traditional small hatch  with a low roofline. It looks unusual , in a good way. It’s got taut , athletic lines and unlike the i10 which doesn’t seem willing to make any enticing style statements; the A-Star looks agile , nimble and sprightly. Functionally , the i10’s design may augment the perception of space inside with its bigger rear window , but the A-star looks decidedly livelier. For those looking for some visual vivacity , the A-star makes for a more apt choice.
The i10 looks bigger from the outside. You’d think by glancing at the two cars , that the i10 is more spacious from the inside too , and you wouldn’t be wrong. We carefully measured both cars for head , leg and knee room at the front and rear and realized that the i10 has a reasonable advantage almost everywhere. It has more shoulder room as well. The A-star offers more knee room at the front , both maximum and minimum , and more maximum front legroom as well. But adding up the maximum front knee room and minimum rear knee room (total knee room available) reveals that the i10 allows your knees to stretch 3.5 centimetres more than the A-star. As discussed earlier , the smaller rear window of the A-star doesn’t help the perception of roominess either – the i10’s back bench then , is most definitely a better place to be in.
The i10 redefined the quality of interiors for its segment when it was launched. It’s nice to see the new Maruti easily matching up with the Hyundai in terms of quality and finish. Between the two cars , there isn’t much to choose from in terms of interiors. Be it the quality of plastics , the finish , the readouts or the ergonomics; both cars offer good functionality with good materials and neat workmanship.
 i had the i10 as my long term car for more than six months. At the time , I wouldn’t have chosen any other car for a drive through the city in rush hour traffic. The i10 is a bespoke city tool. It’s refined , spacious , compact , has a Superb gearshift and a suspension that reminds you of cars a few lakh rupees more expensive. I knew it’ll be tough for the A-star to match the i10’s versatility when I took it out for a spin. While the A-star outclassed its nemesis in a few departments , the i10 maintained its authority is some others. For starters , the fuel efficiency wasn’t one of the biggest virtues of the i10. It returned us an average fuel efficiency of 14.87kmpl when tested in Dec ‘07. The A-star , as our stint with it for three days suggested , is more fuel efficient. It gave us about 14.5 kilometres to a litre in the city and did 20kmpl on the highway. While testing , it registered a true top speed of more than 155km/h and it didn’t show even the slightest signs of nervousness even as we made it take a series of long sweeping corners at that speed. The i10 too is a very stable car. It has a slightly wavy feel to it after 140km/h though , which is absolutely absent in the A-star.
The 998cc powerplant of the A-star produces a class leading 67PS , though just fractionally more than the i10. The latter , however , outclasses its new rival’s peak torque figure of 90Nm by a good 9Nm while still producing it at 800 revs lower at 2800rpm. No wonder , the i10 pulls more reassuringly at low speeds than the A-star , which needs to be revved slightly to gather momentum. With 88ccs less than the i10’s 1086cc four-pot mill , that difference is quite understandable. The A-star engine is a three-pot motor and the angry burble , characteristic of three-cylinder engines is unmistakable. It makes more noise than the i10’s iRDE powerplant , which is creamy smooth and ultra refined. In terms of smoothness , silent operation and relaxed nature , we think that the i10’s iRDE engine still remains unbeaten , although  it’s not as fuel efficient as the Maruti’s new KB-series motor.
VERDICT
It’s been one of the closest duels we have witnessed in a long time. Both these small hatches have their own virtues and neither of them has a significant advantage over the other in any department to give us a chance to declare a clear winner. Price , equipment , features , size , performance – these cars are so closely matched that it won’t be fair to adjudge an outright winner. The only two areas where the balance swings is space and fuel efficiency. The i10 has more space to its advantage with a torquey engine , a cushy ride and a super refined feel complimenting it. The A-star , on the other hand , is more fuel efficient plus it’s got more flair and flamboyance to its design and its great fun to drive.
So which one should you buy? If space , comfort and refinement are high on your priority list , the i10 is the car for you. If , however , you could do with slightly less back seat comfort and want a youthful , vibrant car which is great fun to drive , the A-star should make the cut. Trust us; you can’t go wrong either way.
More photos:
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So how does the new saviour look? Unusual , is the first word that flashes in my mind. Huge , popped out headlamps reminiscent of a frog’s eyes , an enormous bumper with an equally humongous central air dam – the A-star is a big departure from your regular City hatch. The lip for the unusually small bonnet is unusually high , a big Suzuki ‘S’ fills in for the missing grille.
The A-star persists with its sharp looks at the rear. The sporty theme is continued with the huge rear bumper positioned high above the ground. The loading lip for the boot is a little too high for convenient loading and unloading but adds to the racy attitude of the car. Angular , somewhat trapezoidal wraparound tail lamps are well done and come together seamlessly with the overall design. The high mounted brake light is a standard feature on all the three variants.
The A-star’s design is somewhat a trade-off between a full blown tall boy and the traditional small hatch
with a low roofline. It looks unusual , in a good way. It’s got taut , athletic lines and unlike the i10 which doesn’t seem willing to make any enticing style statements; the A-Star looks agile , nimble and sprightly. Functionally , the i10’s design may augment the perception of space inside with its bigger rear window , but the A-star looks decidedly livelier. For those looking for some visual vivacity , the A-star makes for a more apt choice.
The i10 looks bigger from the outside. You’d think by glancing at the two cars , that the i10 is more spacious from the inside too , and you wouldn’t be wrong. We carefully measured both cars for head , leg and knee room at the front and rear and realized that the i10 has a reasonable advantage almost everywhere. It has more shoulder room as well. The A-star offers more knee room at the front , both maximum and minimum , and more maximum front legroom as well. But adding up the maximum front knee room and minimum rear knee room (total knee room available) reveals that the i10 allows your knees to stretch 3.5 centimetres more than the A-star. As discussed earlier , the smaller rear window of the A-star doesn’t help the perception of roominess either – the i10’s back bench then , is most definitely a better place to be in.
The i10 redefined the quality of interiors for its segment when it was launched. It’s nice to see the new Maruti easily matching up with the Hyundai in terms of quality and finish. Between the two cars , there isn’t much to choose from in terms of interiors. Be it the quality of plastics , the finish , the readouts or the ergonomics; both cars offer good functionality with good materials and neat workmanship.
The 998cc powerplant of the A-star produces a class leading 67PS , though just fractionally more than the i10. The latter , however , outclasses its new rival’s peak torque figure of 90Nm by a good 9Nm while still producing it at 800 revs lower at 2800rpm. No wonder , the i10 pulls more reassuringly at low speeds than the A-star , which needs to be revved slightly to gather momentum. With 88ccs less than the i10’s 1086cc four-pot mill , that difference is quite understandable. The A-star engine is a three-pot motor and the angry burble , characteristic of three-cylinder engines is unmistakable. It makes more noise than the i10’s iRDE powerplant , which is creamy smooth and ultra refined. In terms of smoothness , silent operation and relaxed nature , we think that the i10’s iRDE engine still remains unbeaten , although
it’s not as fuel efficient as the Maruti’s new KB-series motor.
VERDICT
It’s been one of the closest duels we have witnessed in a long time. Both these small hatches have their own virtues and neither of them has a significant advantage over the other in any department to give us a chance to declare a clear winner. Price , equipment , features , size , performance – these cars are so closely matched that it won’t be fair to adjudge an outright winner. The only two areas where the balance swings is space and fuel efficiency. The i10 has more space to its advantage with a torquey engine , a cushy ride and a super refined feel complimenting it. The A-star , on the other hand , is more fuel efficient plus it’s got more flair and flamboyance to its design and its great fun to drive.
So which one should you buy? If space , comfort and refinement are high on your priority list , the i10 is the car for you. If , however , you could do with slightly less back seat comfort and want a youthful , vibrant car which is great fun to drive , the A-star should make the cut. Trust us; you can’t go wrong either way.
More photos:
Content courtesy:
In new A star leg space is enough with fuel efficiency.so A star is better than i 10.
Got to know A-star has less average of 13kph & has some problem in fuel engine??? Wana know is that true
A STAR IS GOOD
hai i got a new A-star the comfort is not as good I-10 kappa . i-10 has a smooth drive with good fuel economy is great and better than A-star.a-star leg room is too small. it is not so worth to pay huge money on a small car . astar has just 998cc,and I-10 is 1198.And a star has created a fame amongst the public,and i like o say that i 10 rules
I agree Astar has lesser space compare to i10. but friends it dependes person to person while selecting a car. i feel for a middle class person who bothers fuel efficiency and maintainace-free then its better to go far A STAR". if higher middle class who likes comfort can go to i10
hey i10 sportz is a superb car.ya its its true that in case of millage i10 is behind maruti A star.You can achive up to a top speed of 165-180 kmpr.so go for it.its really a superb car
hi im bit confuse between astar and i10 pls suggest me which car is bettter
hi i would like to buy A star ABS AT, please suggest me how much mileage it will give,
A-Star gives Best 20kmpl.This is Good.Disadvantage of A-Star is Space.
definetely it helped me and got knowledge about cars
total i like but no money
I want to know about the average maintenance cost of i10, is it very costly in sense of maintenance in compare with A-star. if it is so then what is the comparison ratio. Can anybody help me
good in their segment, i think a-star have small engine, good look, good speed with maruti brand.. in i-10, same thing but power engine with kappa & good look.... between this i like choose after see my money... there is deff. in there price mony,, good coperison
well comparison covers all possible areas but i think can be more effective if technical specification also compared
good
The comparison was really very interesting IT ADDED TO MY KNOWLEDGE .
good infomation that will help me to decide which car is best for me
It is nice information on I 10 against A star
A well-written article which can help one decide to choose between the two cars!! For me, its the A-star though!!
man this comparison is truly very interesting but surely A-star wins the game with its ultra sporty looks and erogonomical design
Hi Amit Your comparison was excellent, but can you focus me whether Hyundai has enough Service Centres around Kolkata. I am a Doctor by profession living in Kolkata, and presently possess a Maruti 800. I have fallen in love with Hyundai i10, but after going through few reviews I found that Hyundai cars are excellent but their after sales service is not so good, and even they do not have enough service stations such as Maruti Suzuki. Even they behave roughly after they have sold the car. Is it true. Kindly let me know. And also one thing more - I heard that Hyundai parts are a bit costly than Maruti Suzuki. Please help me out to get my love. I am asking you so keenly because you have used this car for more than 6 months. Further more I would like to add that my average run per day will be about 25 Km in busy traffic jam roads of Kolkata, so which model of i10 will be suitable for me. I will be waiting for your valued reply. Regards. Dr. Kalidas Dey
A Star is a 3 cylider engine and i-10 is a 4 cylinder engine. The power and pickup in the i-10 is more and fuel economy wise i-10 doesnt lag behind A star. Moreover to get the same pickup in A star it takes more time and its engine also makes more noise. One more thing is the space issue. There is no space in A star in the back seat. The hip space, shoulder space, luggage space, everything is missing. i-10 is far better package than A star. I think only thing that can compete with i-10 is Indica vista petrol engine.
i also want to know that which car is better between A star and i10 help me I want to buy a car recently
I'm very happy to see such an unbiased and frank review/comparison after a long time. It can't get better. Keep enlightening us... :) By the way, you could have used more photographs.
The comparison was exellent. It will help me to opt, which car is best for me
hi, i believe both the cars stand the same . but i think, i woulf go for the A-star.
can we increase the rear leg room in a star by any modifications?
Shouldn't there be similar comparison between Santro 'Xing' and A-Star 'Vxi'? 'Food for thought' anyone.
MY BUDGET IS AROUND 4 LAKHS ON ROAD AND I AM CONFUSE BETWEEN A-STAR , i10, SPARK, SANTRO. MY AVERAGE RUN IS AROUND 25 KMS IN CITY DAILY. I ALSO HEARD THAT i10 KAPPA ENGINE IS MUCH BETTER THAN IRDE ENGINE, BUT KAPPA ENGINE i10 is expensive. PLease advice
I am bit confused. I need a car which is useful for frequent long drives,which one i can rely upon. My budget is 4lakh. Please advice.
I would still go with the A-Star,just for maruti's reliability.
My heart says that go for A-star &, Mind says go for i10 Pl. suggest Vipul D. Jariwala
Need comparison between i10 Magna Vs Swift diesel LDi
i10 is superb. But for girls driving seat is slight uncomfortable. The new style of dash board is not very comfortable. But still driving an i10 has no match with other hatch back cars.
hi amit thanks for ur comparison,i have gone ahead with A STAR and i feel i have made the right choice.. it has a sporty loook. great feeel while drivin.. its good for youngstars..
Very much helpful. Thanks!!!!
Mr kalidass please don't try to support A-star with your questions.. you know A-star engine and build is no match for Hundai i10... hundai is not that bad for service and the cars are not so bad that you need to go to service station everyday... A-star is not giving a huge mileage as compared to i10... A-star is like paying more money for a smaller and weaker engine... also a weaker design... A-star is a bid to earn more with marutis tag and more servicestations... a bull crap car with nothing except some peppy looks..
excellent article....very close observations..it was of immense help to me in finalizing my car....it is i10 for me....thanks a lot...
hi im purchasing i10 delite model,plz tell the milage,maintenance cost.
hi ! i took a new A-star n am enjoing it..... its really awesome
Hi Amit I wish to purchase a car but a bit confused with i10(Magna/ Sportz) and Maruti A star. Your comparison was interesting but still left me indecisive regarding purchase.Should one go for Maruti coz of its reputation? If decided for i10, which is good to buy (Magna or Sportz)? Isnt Hyundai services good?Plz suggest...
a star is a star.if you want to be a star buy a a star .look a stands for alto .i drive a star daily 150 km tumkur to banglore milage 18-21 depends,speed nearly 145kmph.a.c ment to freez u.gear shift butter with pea nut.sporty looks great car like zen its going to rock u man Dr.heena of tumkura
good car i want it
Hi i Recently purchased i10 Magna.This vehicle is Simply superb.i am satisfied with its Decent Interior,Pick up,Mileage...i10 has enough Boot Space when compare to A- Star which is giving a Congested Look.
Mr. kalidas its for u,i have i-10 era from last 3 months,its a perfect feel when you drive it,mileage is less than a-star ,i10 gives around 14 in city and a-star will be giving 2-3 additional kms in 1 litre but comparing in driving comfort,leg space in the rear part,more pick up,more strong power steering,a-star can never match up with i-10,go for i-10 i'll say,i have driven both,i-10 is much much more comfortable in driving
hmm
I recently brought A-Star Vxi. It is a brilliant car with a great pick up. its fun driving the car...really superb..and excellent mileage..14 in city(with AC) and 18 on highways (with AC)..
MY BUDGET IS AROUND 4 LAKHS ON ROAD AND I AM CONFUSE BETWEEN A-STAR , i10, SANTRO. MY AVERAGE RUN IS AROUND 20 KMS IN CITY DAILY. plz suggest me the forward path.
A-star is better in terms of interior, space at the back, the gearshift quality and the fact that it has wonderful driving position..its too good in its performance and its look.
Maruti A Star is coming with Automatic variant. this news is confirm, the car will be launched in July third week..
Hi, I recently took a test drive of I10 1.1 and A Star. Asat is more comfortable in driving and has more power as compared to 1.1L I10. I have purchased AStar after that and even at 140KMPH, there is no vibration and control at such high speed is awsome. No match for fuel economy with KB series engine.
Suzuki Alto (Maruti A-star) judged the least expensive car to own and operate in the annual survey conducted by NRMA Motoring & Services.