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Visitors to the 78th Geneva Motor Show will get up close and personal with Suzuki’s A-Star concept. The production car will be the smallest model in the Suzuki world strategic model lineup. The Concept A-Star shows the ideas behind Suzuki’s fifth world strategic model, which is under development.

The A-Star, to be built in India in partnership with local manufacturer Maruti, made its debut recently at the New Delhi Auto Expo. It’s a small five-door hatchback with a new 1.0-litre petrol engine which meets the Euro 5 emissions standards and gives carbon dioxide emissions of less than 109g/km. A diesel engine is also under consideration.

With the styling of the Concept A-Star, Japanese designers at Suzuki Motor Corporation collaborated for the first time with Indian designers from the research-and-development division of Maruti Suzuki India.

The result is a unique cross-cultural look with a European character. The Concept Kizashi and the Kizashi 2 will also be exhibited together for the first time in Geneva this year.

Suzuki promises that the A-Star ‘will prove that sporty and exciting performance can be enjoyed together with outstanding fuel economy’, and from the pictures released so far, it certainly looks the part.

The A-Star, which may not continue with the Alto name, is intended for sale in Europe as well as India and production will start in December 2008. Suzuki will invest ¥200bn into its Indian factories by 2009, increase the Maruti Suzuki facility to 960,000 cars a year by 2010 and expand research and development activity in the country.

The striking hatchback had its world premiere at Auto Expo 2008 in New Delhi, India.

 Sources: channel4, newcarnet