Maruti Swift Review
Much Needed Makeover - New Maruti Swift
Saturday, May 18, 2013Swift from Maruti Suzuki in India needs no introduction. It’s one of those cars from Suzuki which established them worldwide like never before. When it was launched way back in 2005 in India, this car was very new in terms of designing and style. It created a new segment of premium hatches and since then it’s the undisputed champion of its segment. Its diesel version which came in 2007 was also very much appreciated and took the market by storm. Both fuel variants of Maruti Swift made it one of the most selling cars in India. Now cars like i20, Polo, Fabia and Punto have entered this segment and all of them are much stylish than Swift in terms of appearance and Swift’s long waiting list leaves an option for buyers to go for these much stylish cars even without waiting. Maruti don’t want Swift to lose in its segment just because of its old design, and that’s why they re-launched it in India. They expect 2012 model of Swift to reach new milestones. Eager to know more about this new Swift, read our complete review of this car.
Maruti Swift - Fast Facts
- Is available in both petrol and diesel
- 108000 Swifts booked till date (26th September, 2011)
- Petrol model is powered by 1197cc VVT engine
- Diesel model is powered by 1248cc DDiS engine
- Expected mileage on highway is 23 kmpl of diesel variant and 18 kmpl of petrol variant
- Waiting period is around 4-6 months for diesel model depending on the variant and shade
- Waiting period is around 1-2 months for petrol model depending on the variant and shade
- Is available in six shades - grey, silver, red, blue, white, black
- Is available in six variants - LXi, VXi, ZXi, LDi, VDi and ZDi
Maruti Swift Exterior
Take a glimpse of this car and you will ask yourself - Is it a new car? That’s the level of resemblance which this car has with its predecessor. It’s hard to make anyone believe that it is a completely new car. Every single panel used in this car is new, yet it’s almost identical to its earlier model. May be the company didn’t want to take any big risk by changing its original design rather they improved its originally acclaimed shape and structure. The new Swift is built on completely new platform. Its width and height have increased marginally but its length is up by good 90mm which makes it noticeably longer than before. The new Swift looks fresh and aerodynamic with few changes to its front which are very hard to notice. The car now has much larger headlights which goes back into the body.
New surrounds for fog lights which are more angular with minor changes in front bumper. The front end of this car is deeper than its earlier model as the new Swift carries a long bonnet which goes well with almost unchanged grill. The new swift is given a new set of alloys. Now it sports stylish 15 inch ten spoke alloy wheels in its top variant which along with big and bulgy wheel arches improves the side stance of this compact hatch. Its body colored ORVM’s with built-in turn indicators now goes well with the look of this car. Rear of this car has gone under some noticeable changes. Its tail lamps now have clear view lens which are extended into the C pillar. Its square shaped rear windshield with its sporty rear wiper adds to its charm along with antenna on its back. Boot gate now ends just above the number plate giving it a high stance but we are afraid if people will like it as the car feels divided in two segments when seen from its back. The new Swift has a much wider and compact stance. Its broad hips and huge lights are capable enough to turn many heads on road.
- All new bigger and better looking head lamps
- All new peeled back tail lamps
- New round shaped fog lights
- New steering wheel with music controls
- New centre console with dash integrated music system
- New design for wheel covers/15" alloy wheels for top variants
- New front and rear bumpers and New front grille
- Automatic climate control system
- New instrument cluster finished in silver and black
- Turn indicators integrated into outside rear-view mirrors
Maruti Swift Interior
The new Swift’s entire black interior theme is a carryover from its earlier generation. Looking at Indian’s rising craze for beige interiors, Swift could have been offered in dual tone interiors. However, its increased length and breadth have made it more spacious than before. The new car has new instrument dials with red back light which makes it look more premium. Only the inside door handles of this car have been given chrome finish, otherwise it’s all black inside. The new 3 spoke steering wheel along with new AC vents and door trims are given a slight touch of silver finish which differentiates it from its earlier version. It also features Multi information display which includes Fuel efficiency, temperature, trip meter etc. Many other buttons and plastic material used inside this car still has that old unsatisfactory touch. The car has sporty interiors but it’s far behind from the sophistication and quality level of interiors used in Polo and Fabia.
- All-new instrument cluster
- New design for central console
- Steering mounted audio controls
- Automatic climate control system
- Dash integrated music system with aux and USB port
Comfort and Convenience
The new Swift has better seating arrangement than before; its front bucket type seats are extremely comfortable. There is enough shoulder and head room in this car at its front. Its increased length manages to give you just enough knee room at the back of this car. When compared to cars like Etios Liva and Figo this car completely loses out to them as they are far more spacious and roomy. Its cramped knee room has always been a drawback for this car, this new car also seem to be struggling with this problem. The car is blessed with many vital features which add to its convenience and comfort. It has new electric power steering with tilt option for adjustment and driver seat height adjuster which allows you to get the perfect convenient position while driving. The top model of this car features electrically adjustable outside mirrors with all four power windows with auto-down function (driver side only). Other features of this car include keyless entry, rear de-fogger, Automatic climate control and one touch lane shift indicator.
Maruti Swift Dashboard and Storage
Maruti Swift’s dashboard is of complete black shade with silver trims on it. It is looking much tidier and sharper now fitted with new AC vents and V shaped aggressive looking centre console. It can even remind you of its elder sibling Kizashi and feels much better when compared to its previous model. The appearance of dashboard works well and it also offers some storage space. It has a big glove box with a slot just above it and a useful bin on dash to store some essentials. To offer more space, its centre console has much deeper cup holders. New swift features front door pockets, front seats with back pocket and cup holders for rear passengers. It also carry a parcel tray at the back .The boot of this car doesn’t offer generous space and leaves you complaining about its storage capacity.
Infotainment and Music system of Maruti Swift
Maruti Swift confirms you an enjoyable ride. It features an in-built high end music system in its centre console. This audio system has a radio and CD player with new speed based auto volume function. The system also has Aux-in and USB ports which are easy to connect with music gadgets. There are four powerful speakers in this car with two in built front tweeters. The new Swift has audio controls mounted on steering wheel making it more easy and convenient to use. It also features accessory socket.
Engine and Gearbox
The Swift carries the same engines which were used in its earlier models. The car offers two engines to choose from. One engine is powered by petrol and one by diesel. The petrol variant is powered by 1.2L K series engine with VVT. This engine produces enough peak power of 86 bhp coming at 6000 rpm. The maximum amount of torque available is of 114 Nm coming at 4000rpm. The 1.3DDIS diesel engine used in this car is borrowed from Fiat. This engine churns out a maximum power of 74 bhp at 4000 rpm with a maximum torque output of 190 Nm coming at 2000 rpm. Both engines in new Swift are mated to five- speed manual gearbox.
- 1197cc VVT Petrol engine
- 86 Bhp of maximum power
- 114 Nm of maximum torque
- 1248cc DDiS Diesel engine
- 74 Bhp of maximum power
- 190 Nm of maximum torque
Acceleration and Performance
The 1.2L K series engine has always been an entertainer in this car. The new one feels much faster in comparison to its earlier model. This engine is now much refined and it lacks any kind of harshness and noise. It’s a very silent motor which speaks much with its performance. We can’t find any car in its segment which is as refined and enthusiast as this car. However in city traffic, you may have to work on its gear shifting as it lacks low speed grunt. The car performs best after 4000rpm and overtaking is not an issue at all. It can easily reach 150km/hour and the smoothness which it offers can easily prompt you to push it hard. The diesel engine is quite peppy also. This fiat engine matches incredibly well with Swift. The gear ratios are very well proportioned which makes it very nimble and responsive. Just a little press of throttle will easily make you cross the speed of 40km/hr. This engine is very enthusiastic and refined. It will hardly let you know that it’s a diesel engine as it suffers minimal turbo lag. No other car is as compatible with this engine as Swift not even Fiat’s own Punto. Transmission is very smooth in this new Swift which helps it in doing 0-100km/hour less than 13 seconds making it the fastest hatch in its segment. Highway cruising is the best part of this engine as it crosses the speed of 160km/hour without any complaint. Both engines of this car help Swift to justify its name.
Maruti Swift Mileage
The K series Petrol engine has been tweaked in order to return better fuel efficiency by reducing friction in this engine. The engine follows BS IV emissions and returns a fuel efficiency of around 15-16km/ltr in city and on highways it easily gives you a mileage of around 18km/ltr. The diesel engine is one of the most fuel efficient diesel engines available in India. It gives a mileage of 18-20km/ltr in city conditions and don’t be surprised if it returns you a mileage of 22-23km/ltr on highways. The new swift is lighter in weight when compared to its previous model and other hatches, which gives it an additional advantage over its competitors.
Ride and Handling
The car is gem when it comes to its handling. It’s always fun to drive this car. Suspension of this car is specially revised for Indian roads to make it more comfortable. Its increased wheelbase along with high ground clearance (170mm) and R15 size of tyres holds the road firmly. It stays grounded and gives you immense confidence on high speeds. Its reduced minimum turning radius of (4.8m) makes it one of the easiest cars to handle in city. The new electric power steering confirms you a stress free ride with an ability to quickly shift lanes on high speeds. The suspension quality is impressive as it can swallow the worst potholes and high speed cornering was never so easy and fun with any Maruti car ever before.
Maruti Swift Braking and Safety features
There are ventilated disks in the front of this car with drum brakes at the back. The braking system of this car is commendable as its capable enough to stop this car very accurately even at high speeds. To enhance its braking quality, the car is blessed with features like ABS and brakes assist which make its braking very precise. Its safety features also include high quality Dual front SRS airbags and anti-theft system which prove it to be one of the safest cars in its segment.
- 2 SRS airbags
- EBD (Electronic Brake Distribution system)
- ABS (Anti-lock Braking System)
- Seat-belt pre-tensioners
Variants and Warranty
The new swift with two engine options is also available in six variants similar to its earlier model which are Lxi, Vxi, Zxi, Ldi, Vdi and ZDi. It’s available in six different metallic shades. Maruti offers 2years/40000kms warranty on Swift.
Shades Available In Maruti Swift
New Maruti Swift is available in six striking colors:
- Blazing Red
- Torque Blue
- Silky Silver
- Arctic White
- Glistening Grey
- Midnight Black
Verdict
The price of new Swift ranges from INR 4.5 lakhs (ex-showroom, Delhi). Maruti has not raised the price too much, its merely expensive than its outgoing model. The car now looks better than before, it has become more stylish and aggressive which is surely going to attract buyers. The new Swift has matured in terms of performance and fuel efficiency .The engines are now more refined, handling is explicit and many new feature which one expects from a car of this segment. With Maruti’s trust, low maintenance and high resale value, Swift is undoubtedly a value for money car. It’s completely worth spending money on this car. All these factors will contribute to its high sales record and don’t get surprised if your Maruti Suzuki dealer asks you to wait for months to get your new Swift.