The revolutionary and one of the most sold cars of Maruti received a facelift last month i.e. Swift which was first launched in 2005 known for its sporty exterior and interior. Maruti have sold over 10 lakh units of Swift since its first arrival but it is cursed for its recent failure in NCAP crash test. We test driven the new Swift to let you know about the good and bad things about the Swift and what kind of impact new changes are going to make on sales chart of new Swift.
Price:
- Maruti Swift is smartly priced between the price of Rs. 4.42-6.95 lakh, Petrol version costs you between 4.42- 5.90 lakh and Diesel trim range between 5.56-6.95 lakh.
- Swift Chief competitor Grand i10 also starts at the same base price but the top variant of Grand i10 cost slight less than the Top variant of Swift and it’s another competitor Figo is much less than the Swift.
- One could afford a little more price when there is Maruti’s name embedded with it and Swift has been a blockbuster car for Maruti, so price is not an issue for Swift at all.
Engine & Performance:
- Maruti New Swift changes aren’t just cosmetic or interior ones but new Swift also got mechanical changes as not a new engine but some minor tweaks in power and efficiency.
- Petrol Engine of new Swift is a same one but this with slight low power in order to get better fuel efficiency, new Swift petrol is powered to 1.2L K series VTVT engine with 83.1bhp power@6000rpm down by 2bhp and 115Nm torque@4000rpm mated to 5 speed manual transmission but fuel efficiency is now better by 9.7% which now stands at 20.4 KPL.
- Refresh Swift diesel variant is equipped to same 1.3L DDis engine which churns out 74bhp power@4000rpm and 190Nm torque@2000rpm with an improved efficiency of 25.2KPL which makes it one of the efficient cars.
- First let’s Talk about Diesel as you start the engine by pressing the start/stop button you will clearly feel that Maruti have worked on the betterment of refinement level with progressive power delivery.
- Turbo Lag is certainly there under 2000rpm but it has been reduced as compared to previous model but the punch old Gen Swift had is gone in new Swift especially after 2000rpm.
- 1.3L Diesel engine on the other hand is quite peppy to drive with buttery smooth gearshift quality and lot more mature ride this time around as compared to aggressive one in the previous Gen Swift. Cruising around 100-120 Km/hr mark is not at all a problem in refresh swift.
- In terms of ride and handling new Swift is much more mature and responsive especially at lower speeds but the ordinary brake is the major disappointment of new Swift.
- Overall the more mature behavior will attract the masses but lack of aggressiveness will disappoint the devotee of fun driving.
Space and Dimensions:
- Refresh Swift carries same measurements as the older model with 3850mm long, 1695mm wide and 1530mm height. Wheelbase and ground clearance of 2430mm and 170mm.
- Well cushioned front seats are supportive with good lumbar support and with ample legroom space, Apart from that sloping roofline can cause headroom problem for taller passengers.
- Rear space is best suited for two adults not for three and when you push back front seats fully than rear passenger will have to fight for legroom space and headroom space could also be a problem for taller passengers.
- When you enter into the car get use to bang your head at the doors because the gate entry point feels shrivel in size and also the boot space is low as per the requirement and its competitor cars are offering.
Exterior:
- It will need an eagle eye or we can say well versed eye to spot the differences between the refresh and Old gen Swift both are that identical.
- New Swift gets countable changes like redesigned headlamps, fog lamps are now silver accent surrounded and slight wider air dam, that’s it. Apart from that front remains same.
- Side profile features the same design with clean line, body colored door handles, alloy wheels, black A-B pillars and Body painted ORVM’s which are now electrically adjustable.
- Rear side is unchanged with curvy tailgate, swept tail lights, S logo at centre, rear spoiler and roof mounted antenna.
Interior and safety:
- Basic layout of Cabin is moreover same with few add-ons and tweaks, like updated fabric upholstery this time more cushioned one, speed sensing audio system with bluetooth telephony system, driver seat height adjustment system, automatic climate control, start/stop button and 60:40 rear seat spilt.
- Apart from the above mentioned changes the Cabin remains same like the older version of Swift.
- As far as safety is concerned new Swift now gets reverse parking sensors, new Gen ABS and EBD, three point ELR seat belts and dual air bags.
- Apart from these safety features new Swift is equipped with brake assist, i-cats system, anti-theft device and dual horn etc.
Verdict:
Refresh Swift has not much new to offer with just minor tweaks but refined fuel efficiency, better riding makes Swift a much better car now. Maruti has kept the original image of Swift by preserving the sportiness of it. Swift has been threatened by more valuable car in terms of Value and Space in recent times but we hope new Swift will do great with its better performance and reliability.
