The next-gen Maruti Suzuki A-star was caught on camera for the first very time while undergoing a test drive in India. The car was entirely camouflaged when spotted by 'hotshot' Vipin in Gurgaon. The latest addition to the A-Star family is expected to debut at the 2014 Auto Expo coming February, while official launch shall happen later that year. The hatchback once launched shall be a replacement to the current A-Star in India, but in Europe, where's it also goes as 'Alto', the car shall replace the current Alto. The latest A-Star is rumored to be based on the latest Wagon R, which was launched in Japan 2012, the A-Star cockpit shall seat on a larger wheelbase, and shall have more internal space.



Other than the regular diesel and petrol variants, customers might even choose the new 2 cylinder 800cc turbo diesel equipped version of A-Star. The diesel engine is being manufactured by Maruti suzuki in-house, and is being developed for their upcoming microcar that's been code-named YL7 (which shall lock horn with the current micro-car leader Tata Nano). The company claims that this diesel engine shall be India's most fuel efficient, while delivering a mileage of 30 kmpl. Both Nano Diesel and Maruti YL7 are anticipated for a 2014 launch.

Once launched, the latest Maruti A Star shall be competing against the likes of Hyundai i10, Honda Brio and Chevrolet Beat.