New Maruti Swift: First look

• Published On: 1 June 2017
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New Maruti Swift, details, specs, images and features

The New Swift was first revealed at the 2017 Geneva motor show and it features styling that is fresh, crisp and full of exciting details.

On the outside
The new Swift maintains some of its familiarity when you look at its stance, but is quite different from the previous car. The car’s bonnet, headlights, and the cockpit-like tapering cabin remind you of the outgoing car, but new bits, like its protruding Jaguar F-Type-like nose, the Audi-esque grille and the blacked-out C-pillar with hidden door handles at the rear, help make this car look a brand new beast. The car features stylish 16-inch turbine blade alloy wheels to add to its appeal.

The new Swift is built on the same ‘Heartect’ platform as the Baleno, but the company has used more high-tensile steel in places for added stiffness. This ensures the car is extremely light – the lightest version weighs a mere 890kg.

The new car is slightly shorter than the car it replaces - the roofline is slightly lower giving it a compact appearance. The car is built on a longer 2,450mm wheelbase for better space inside and to ensure greater stability.

The Swift, after all, has to be fun to drive. The engineers stated, “We have expended every possible effort to sharpen the car’s handling. We’ve used wider axle tracks, a lower driver’s hip point and a lower centre of gravity to this end.” A lot of work has also gone into tuning the car’s electric power steering, and springs and dampers will be setup somewhat similar to the Baleno RS.  

On the inside
The longer wheelbase translates to 25 percent more space and boot space is now 254 litres, up 54 litres from the previous car. In terms of space, the front feels the same, but it’s the rear that has much more room on offer. There’s more legroom, the seatback feels more supportive and there’s good thigh support too. Getting in and out feels easier too.

The new Swift looks a lot sportier than the older car – there’s an ‘unstructured’ dash and a central console with no defining lines visible. The well-finished steering wheel and its sporty two-pod instrument cluster with attractive dials, help elevate the overall ambience inside. The ‘floating’ air con knobs with the digital readout in the centre are a nice touch too.

Build quality, however, isn’t a leap forward. It’s similar to what you’d expect in the Baleno and the Dzire, so it’s not close to what you get from Hyundai’s i20. The cabin features some decently put-together bits and a few not-so-nicely-built sections. The familiar SmartPlay infotainment system and power window controls are carried over. The SmartPlay system will feature a new app-based look that the company will install before it goes on sale in India.

Engines on offer
The car will feature a raft of new engines as well. It will feature the current 1.2 K-series petrol, but it is likely to be followed by a new three-cylinder Boosterjet engine as well as a modified version of the tried and tested Fiat-sourced 1.3 diesel. Both petrol and diesel engines will come mated to optional automatic gearboxes.

The new Swift has big shoes to fill - the current car used to sell approximately 14,000 units a month, and Maruti is looking at increasing that number. The new car could only be dearer by 5-7 percent and will be sold through the carmaker’s regular dealerships and not under the Nexa brand.