Swift has been a car that has generated large volumes, and has created records sales for Maruti Suzuki. Over the years it has turned out to be a success story,and hasbecome a revolutionary icon since its inception in 2005. Now in its third generation avatar, the much awaited Swift is expected to be launched at the Delhi Auto Expo.Such has been the success story that Maruti Suzuki has managed to sell up to 17 lakh units of the Swift so far. Now the changes are quite evident and unlike before there is visible up gradation this time around. It has taken a very contemporary and modern outlook and it all comes with an attractive price on offer.
The Swift has all the ingredients to be a hot hatch and marches on to our shores with a lot of international fervour. The Swift is a true charmer and carries a very youthful appeal. Keeping in mind the youthfulness the grille of the car does not receive any chrome treatment. The bumper is all new with a horizontal black stripe on the lower side. Now unlike the Dzire the Swift has a lowered stance, especially noticeable when viewed from the side. The other noticeable feature of the car when viewed from the side is the rear door handles, apparently there are no door handles, what you get instead are handles similar to what you get on the KUV or the Chevrolet Beat. It is housed in matt black casing and extends all the way to the rear windshield and gives an appearance of a two door hatchback , the two-tone 15″ alloys (only on the ZXi+ or ZDI+) are nicely finished.There is an air of familiarity and you can make out its old design attributes, for instance you still get the squared stance with the sloping roofline. However other modifications in the car make this model distinct from the previous gen Swift. You get brand new signature LED treatment, that along with the flared wheel arches and strong haunches at the rear make the design changes all the more prominent. There is a lot of design elements in the rear which make the car feel upmarket. There are sharp edges on the tailgate, the squarish design of the tail lamps and the wider rear glass call for some well improved appearance of the car. The car portrays a very youthful attitude and the build quality is a certain improvement for Maruti Suzuki.
Enter the cabin and straightaway you will feel a larger sense of space on this model ,mainly because there is 20mm longer wheelbase and a 40mm jump in overall width. There is an increase in legroom and a substantial increase in the headroom, so even those above six feet tall should find it comfortable at the rear. The ZXI+ variant comes loaded with all the features, the touchscreen on the central console is similar to that you find on other Suzuki models and it comes with Apple Car Play and Android Auto. The quality of materials definitely feels upmarket and the overall layout calls for a more contemporary design. The flat bottom steering along with the instrument cluster does look great. On the back the seats are not the most comfortable out there and a bit more of under thigh support would be appreciable. This car however does not get rear AC vents like many other hatchbacks but you do get Dual airbags and ABS and ISOFIX child seat mounts as standard. However in case you are not heading for the top variant, it would be disappointing as you will miss out on things like a touchscreen and climate control.
The car is powered by Maruti’s 1.2-litre K12 petrol engine and the Fiat-sourced 1.3-litre Multijet diesel. It happens to be the same engine powering other Suzuki models and also the previous generation models. But nothing wrong with the engines, as these tried and tested engines which offer brilliant performance and are peppy enough for city travel.The petrol engine delivers 83PS at 6,000rpm and a peak torque of 113Nm at 4,200rpm while the 1.3-litre Multijet engine sourced from Fiat produces 190Nm of torque at just 2,000rpm. Both the engines come mated to a five-speed gearbox with the AMT (automatic transmission) option available in selected variants. The new gen Swift comes equipped with the new ‘Heartect’ platform shared with the Baleno and Dzire, which means the new Swift weighs around 85kg less than the old Swift. The chassis is also a whole lot stiffer, which results in improved handling, pushing it into corners is challenging but the Dzire is able to manoeuvre most corners . The pickup is smooth but can feel a bit flat at mid revs, but above 4000rpm the power delivery is exhilarating. The AMT though easier to drive feels a bit jerky while you increase the revs. The car returns good figures and both the petrol and diesel engines offer fuel economy of more than 20 km/l.
With an expected price ranging between Rs. 5 lakh to 9 lakh, the car appears as a good overall package. Keeping that in mind it will appear to a lot of buyers out there. Another fun fact is the immense potential to modify this hot hatch, so come in the iCreate customisation package and your Swift could receive some special treatment. However the lower variants not having the same kit levels as its top end variants could turn buyers to other cars such as the Figo or i10.
