Why India Loves the Maruti Swift?

Every product has a shelf life. Some are short while others are longer. Then there is the Maruti Swift which was launched in 2005 and seems to have become immortal. The way the Maruti Swift is still ruling the sales chart shows the unanimous love it has garnered over the years and stood the test of time like no other. In September 2021, the Maruti Swift crossed the 2.5 million units milestone and it’s safe to say, the Swift is one of the most successful cars in India. In this article, we study Maruti Swift’s bag of tricks and learn why Indians love this compact, sporty hatchback.

Maruti Swift Specifications

Here is a closer look at the current third-generation Maruti Swift.

Sporty looks

When it launched in 2005, the Maruti Swift was the most stunning and sporty-looking car in its segment. It broke multiple design clichés and took the market by storm as buyers loved the curvy and dynamic design language. Over the years, Maruti Suzuki has done a good job in updating Swift’s design as they made sure the Maruti Swift remains true to the original while adopting more modern design features. This is easy to see on the current third-generation Maruti Swift which sports a cleanly-designed bonnet and a planted stance with a roof that is noticeably narrower than the overall width.

Unmatchable comfort

Without a shadow of a doubt, Maruti Suzuki excels in making family-friendly cars and Maruti Swift is no exception. As always, the Maruti Swift is the best 5-seater in the segment, and with 1,735 mm width, 1,530 mm height, and a wheelbase of 2,450, the Swift’s cabin is almost as large as that of its sedan-derivative, Maruti Dzire. Moreover, the comfortable seating is complemented by a premium upholstery, making the Swift’s cabin a cosy space to be in.

Once 5 occupants comfortably sit in a Swift, they have a decent set of features to make the ride entertaining. While features like a seven-inch touchscreen infotainment system, 4-speaker music system, and automatic climate control enrich the ride experience of all passengers, the height-adjustable driver seat, cruise control, navigation system, auto folding wing mirrors, and rear camera ease things for the driver.

Peppy yet fuel-efficient engine

Ever since its entry into the Indian market, the Maruti Swift has been popular for its exceptionally responsive engines. The first generation Maruti Swift came equipped with a 1.3-litre SOHC 16-valve G13BB petrol engine which also powered the iconic Maruti Esteem. The engine was available with a manual transmission and was praised by driving enthusiasts for its peppiness. Later, in early 2007, Maruti added a Fiat-sourced 1.3-litre turbo-diesel engine to Swift’s engine options. In 2010, the new BS-IV emission norms made Maruti replace the 1.3-litre petrol engine with the more modern 1.2-litre DOHC K12M petrol engine.

With the emergence of stricter emission norms and increased demand for fuel-efficient cars, Maruti gave a keen focus on the frugality of Swift. The second generation Maruti Swift, introduced in 2011, could deliver a mileage of 18.2 km/l from petrol and 22.9 km/l from diesel. Currently, the Maruti Swift comes with 1.2-litre DualJet petrol engine which makes 90 PS power and 113 Nm of peak torque. The petrol engine is mated to either a 5-speed manual transmission or a 5-speed AMT and is also offered with the CNG kit through which it delivers a mileage of 30.90 km/kg. Maruti Suzuki’s formula of making exciting engines that are still fuel-efficient is still a mystery for most carmakers.

Enjoyable to drive

The go-kart-like handling has always been Swift’s trump card and the popular hatchback has been massively appreciated by driving enthusiasts for this particular quality. Many Swift owners still claim that the joy of driving the first-gen Maruti Swift is still unmatched. For agile manoeuvrability, the steering column in Swift has been engineered to perfection. The light steering takes the handling to the next level and boosts the driver’s confidence while taking corners at high speeds

A Car Modifier’s Dream

You may have seen many modified avatars of Maruti Swift driving down Indian roads. As far as looks are concerned, they are easily customizable in any car, however, since the Maruti Swift already has a sporty appeal and peppy performance, many enthusiasts choose to customise it to look and drive like a dedicated sports car. For tuner’s the Swift’s engine can be easily re-tuned and many owners like to increase its power to make it even more fun-to-drive. This flexibility of the Maruti Swift helps it attract niche car enthusiasts who love making their Swifts’ even hotter.

FAQs