Maruti Swift

Maruti Swift Exterior and Interior

Though every panel on the Swift is new, it retains the silhouette of the older model. The design is more sporty, meaning there is none of the bling that is usually loved by Indian customers. While the Swift does get LED projector headlamps with LED DRLs, these are limited only the top-of-the-line Z+ variants. The flared wheel arches, smooth curves, flat roof and a tight rear give the new Swift a retro-modern feel. 15-inch alloy wheels are available both on the Z and Z+ variants, with the Z+ getting the more sporty 'precision-cut' dual-tone units. Even with all these updates, the Swift retains an unoffensive design which is sure to make it more appealing to a wider set of people.

The Swift's interior has received a proper upgrade as compared to older models. Gone is the 'waterfall' centre console and the angular AC vents, instead, the new Swift features a lot of circular elements. The centre AC vents are round, the AC controls are round dials (with attractive in-dial displays), the USB and 12V sockets have round surrounds, the dials on the instrument cluster are round - but the steering wheel is not. As with the previous car, the Swift gets an all-black interior with silver highlights. The space inside gas gone up even though the car is now 10mm shorter than before, thanks to a 20mm longer wheelbase and a 40mm increase in overall width. The seats are bigger and better cushioned, though the space at the rear has only marginally increased. Better sound insulation and vibration-reduction measures make the cabin a better place to be in.

Maruti Swift Specifications

Maruti Suzuki is offering the Swift with two engine options: a 1197cc, 4-cylinder petrol and a 1248cc, 4-cylinder turbocharged diesel. Both the engines are available with a 5-speed manual transmission as well as 5-speed AMTs (automated manual transmissions). The engines on the Swift are not the most powerful in their segment, but they are adequately peppy.

Maruti Swift Variants

A total of 12 variants are on offer. Both the diesel and petrol variants will be offered with four manual transmission equipped variants - L, V, Z and Z+ - along with two automatic (AMT) variants - V and Z, each. Prices of the variants are as follows:

Petrol
LXi - Rs 4.99 lakh
VXi - Rs 5.87 lakh
VXi AGS - Rs 6.34 lakh
ZXi - Rs 6.49 lakh
ZXi AGS - Rs 6.96 lakh
ZXi+ - Rs 7.29 lakh

Diesel

LDi - Rs 5.99 lakh
VDi - Rs 6.87 lakh
VDi AGS - Rs 7.34 lakh
ZDi - Rs 7.49 lakh
ZDi AGS - Rs 7.96 lakh
ZDi+ - Rs 8.29 lakh

Maruti Swift Competitors

The new Swift competes against hatchbacks that come in different sizes and different features. But the main competitors are:

Hyundai Grand i10: The Hyundai Grand i10 is one of the best cars in the segment if you want a no compromise family hatchback for the city. It is compact but spacious on the inside, has some stylish elements on the outside like LED DRLs but the overall design in inoffensive, has a well laid out and practical interior and very efficient but also tractable engines. The only negative factor is that Hyundai has limited ABS, a critical safety feature, to the top end variant only.

Maruti Suzuki Ignis: A Maruti which was supposed to stand out from the crowd with its unconventional looks inside-out, highly customisable exterior and interior, up-to-date features such as a very informative and easy to use Smartplay touchscreen infotainment system, a decent amount of interior space and a fun-to-drive characteristic, the Ignis failed to live up to the hype. The Ignis loses out because of its price, placed at a premium compared to the competition and potentially at par with its bigger sibling - the upcoming Swift!

Mahindra KUV100: Mahindra's take on the compact hatchback segment with a twist. People love SUVs, so let's give them a hatchback that looks like an SUV! This 'kool' car takes Mahindra's core values of offering value-for-money products and packages them into a small car.

ZigSays

The Swift is a better car than before in many ways: it is more practical, has the latest equipment and features, and very importantly - is fun to drive. But, this focus on handling and driving pleasure has made it less of a family hatchback. The ride is noticeably on the stiffer side, while this may make the enthusiastic drivers happy, the family man/woman may have to look someplace else for their next premium hatchback.