The Maruti Suzuki Swift is back and how! An important model for Maruti in the Indian market as brings in a lot of volumes for the brand which helps climb the market share ladder. The hatchback from the manufacturer that aims to take on the likes Tata Tiago and Hyundai Grand i10 is finally here with us. Maruti has an aggressive strategy to take back market share with its new tactics, techniques and technology. This hatchback is going to do so for them as always is what are first impression are. Be it on the inside and outside, it has what it takes to impress a set of consumers. Like always there are core strengths and weaknesses of any product that comes from the Maruti stable. We find out what the Swift offers and doesn’t to its prospective buyers.
On the outside, the hatchback is a sub-four meter car, and it has a proportionate stance and very good curvy design that grabs attention. The elements in new version make the car stand out. The front grille is big and so is the bumper. The rear design remains similar to the past apart from all new tail-lamps. The diamond 16-inch wheels, LED head lamps L shaped LED DRL’s make it look good but a bit after market as well. The blue color scheme on both our test cars did suit the car profile and there are many popular colors for customers to choose from this time around along with a dual tone scheme.
On the inside, the build and quality are good, not great. The stowage is good, charging points are in plenty and overall a very practical cabin. You get every feature possible in the top variants of the SUV apart from a sunroof, connectivity features, and other new age bits, while the rest of the variants are decently specced. The inclusion of rear a/c vents is seen here now! A/C works quite well too. The Rear gets two fast charging port to make things practical. Automatic lights and wipers to reversing cameras and projector lamps, Android Auto, and Apple Car play are here in the Swift.
The list also now includes reversing camera, wireless charging, parking sensors and brand new infotainment system. The sound system is upgraded to Arkamays system, considering the price tag has not gone up that much. Space is quite good too. The shoulder, head, leg, and knee rooms are segment standard and are adequate and not abundant. The boot space is good by segment standards at 268 litres. Road and wind noise inside the cabin can be better controlled better as it can get intrusive. Wind noise creeps in, but after 140 km/hr. The safety kit includes ABS and EBD with six airbags that come as standard.
We drove the petrol 1.2 litre 3-cylinder Z Series brand new engine making 82 PS and 113 Nm of torque. The motor is a free-revving and low on NVH unit. Be it in any part of the rev range. Be it automatic or manual either it is easy to drive. Also, the clutch is light and so is the gearbox to operate in the manual version. Rev the engine to the redline and it makes a nice raspy exhaust note and a roaring intake note too! Low and mid-range acceleration are good and the top-end is good enough as well and it cruises at legal speeds easily. It still delivers spectacular fuel economy on the highway and city. 22 km/l on the highway and 18 km/l in the city is a very good number for the manual. This makes good enough for highway duties, but excellent for city duties. The AMT delivers 14 km/l in the city and 20 km/l on the highway in our road tests
The low to medium ride quality is good, underlying stiffness means it takes bad roads well enough at all speeds. The high-speed ride can be a bit floaty. Body roll increases as speeds get higher while taking a corner or changing lanes at high speeds. Steering is light, precise enough, and has adequate feedback on offer this time which makes the car just about fun to drive and confidence-inspiring to push harder. The suspension feels very mature than before and balance of ride quality, comfort and stability feels from a segment above. Brakes are good with a well-done pedal bite but the overall power could be better. Overall, very easy to drive and live with it as enthusiast can relish to a certain extent too.
2024 Maruti Suzuki Swift Review, Verdict
The young enthusiast continues to have a good choice with the Swift and we are happy to see that. The pricing is good in terms of value, but it does get very close to the Baleno, but then again, The Baleno belongs to a higher segment which was different target audience. The Swift with its special focus on driving dynamics, peppy looks and great stance makes it stand out despite this car will be the highest selling in the market sooner or later. The Swift does lose its charm with a much more neutral interior, but the welcome change in terms of dials, screen and clean dashboard will be appreciated by people of all ages.
