2005 Maruti Suzuki Swift Farewell

Maruti Suzuki, India’s top car manufacturer wasn’t exactly in the best of spots in the year 2005. Most of the cars in its line-up were already dated and way past their extinction deadlines. That’s when Maruti unveiled the champion, the Swift. The little car brought in a lot of firsts and was a big step forward.

The Swift was one of the breakthrough cars for Suzuki when it came to pushing the design envelope. With its very European styling influences and its cheeky character, the Swift had the attention of not just the world markets, but Indian customers as well, who wanted a fun well-built hatchback with grown up road manners in a stylish package.

Since its launch, this hatchback hasn’t undergone any major changes; expect for the introduction of the diesel variant, and a minor facelift. Sure, there was the one off special edition (the ‘Glam’) but that’s about it. Like the old proverb goes, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it! Now, with Bharat Stage-IV norms being enforced in 13 Indian major cities, Maruti gave the Swift an all new 1.2-litre K12M series petrol engine and the diesel variant has been updated to comply with the new BS-IV norms. The K12M unit made the Swift an even more enthusiastic performer and not to mention even more efficient than the previous G13B unit.

What the car offered was a perfect mix of fun and practicality and hence was an answer to a lot of peoples needs. It plastered a smile on the boy racer and at the same time provided a sensible solution for the customer who was looking for a practical family car.

Its sales figures showed exactly how popular the car was. The Swift was the quickest to reach the 3 lakh landmark and hit it in just 3.75 years. It was the diesel variants that really sold like hot cakes commanding a waiting for as much as 2-3 months. The car also bagged a host of accolades since its launch being car of the year in as many as 11 countries which spoke volumes about how good the car really was. 

After six years of reigning supreme in the hatch segment, the current Swift has finally been phased out. The old Swift has given way to the all-new Swift which if we go by international reviews, is just as refreshing as the old car was when it was launched. Watch out for the next issue as ZigWheels gets behind the wheel of this all new icon.