All-new 2018 Maruti Suzuki Swift Road Test Review

Exterior Design and Features of the New Maruti Suzuki Swift

The Swift continues to feature amongst the top five selling cars in India for over a decade and this is for good measure, the looks of the Swift are chic and suave. The new third generation model carries forward a very radical attitude embodied in the two generation of the Swift that came before. This new model comes with a very curvy and saucy design.

Its façade features a bold bumper with a distinct single aperture grille that houses horizontal slats. The front features angular headlamps with LED DRLs and projector headlamps with a follow me home feature but these are unfortunately only available with the top spec models. The side gets a floating roof design and a curvy belt line with a flowing architecture. The rear gets contemporary looking tail lamps and has an overall smart look but we felt the boot section extended out a little more than required.

It is also interesting to note that the wheelbase of the new Swift has gone up by 20mm. This means more legroom and that is evident. The width of the hatch has also gone up by 40mm. Boot space has also increased by 58 litres. Front shoulder room in the hatch has increased by 23mm while rear shoulder room has gone up by 8mm. The Swift gets a decent ground clearance of 163mm. These figures are according to the new ARAI standards and we found the hatch to clear most common undulations and bumps that we usually face on Indian roads.

Interior Design and Features of the New Maruti Suzuki Swift

The cabin of the Swift has been inspired by the design of a cockpit and feels quite modish. The qualities of materials used in the cabin are solid and feel well bolted. Seating in this cabin as well is quite comfortable with the seats in front providing adequate bolstering. The driver seat is nice and broad, it renders ample of back support, lumbar support and under-thigh support. The rear bench is rather flat and provides good back support and under-thigh support. A comfortable seating of three adults in the rear is also possible with the floor tunnel not being too intrusive. Overall visibility and roomy feeling in the rear section is decent.

As for storage space, there is lots of it. The inner door panels now accommodate large bottles and other knick knacks. The steering wheel with a flat bottom looks very sporty and chunkier to handle. The material wrapping the steering wheel is also top notch. Thought the steering wheel can be adjusted for rake, it does not have a telescopic feature.

On the features front as well, the Swift comes fully loaded with kit. The top features on the list include a SmartPlay infotainment setup with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Navigation and Voice Command. You also get USB, AUX and Bluetooth connectivity options. Other features include electrically adjustable and retractable ORVMs, keyless entry and push button start/ stop, electromagnetic back door opener, height adjustable driver seatbelt, gear shift indicator, 60:40 split rear seat, luggage room lamp, multi information display, automatic climate control and automatic headlamps with a lead me to vehicle function as well. The new Swift also gets a reverse parking camera and sensors. It also features pinch guard driver side power window. The Swift coming to India only gets dual front airbags as opposed to the Euro spec version which gets a total of six airbags. It also comes with ABS and EBD with Brake Assist all of which are being offered as standard. Maruti has also ensured the new Swift gets pedestrian protection compliance along with frontal offset and side impact regulation compliance.      

Engine and Performance of the New Maruti Suzuki Swift

Maruti is offering the new third generation Swift with two powertrain options, a 1197cc, 4 cylinder, naturally aspirated petrol and the 1248cc Fiat sourced, 4 cylinder turbocharged diesel engine. These are the same as the ones found on the Dzire sedan. Maruti is also offering the Swift with the option of an automatic transmission which comes in the form of their Auto Gear Shift (AGS) technology which in essence means an Automated Manual Transmission..

The petrol powered 1.2L engine puts out a neat 81.8hp of power high up in the band at 6000rpm. The revs build up in a very linear manner and the high revving nature of the engine renders a very sporty and thrilling drive experience. This 1.2 L petrol motor churns out 113nm of torque which comes in the midrange at 4000rpm. If a burst of power is what you are looking for then this petrol motor is not going to rock your boat. It feels more refined and one needs to wait a bit for the revs to build up.

The 5-speed manual gearbox is as crisp as a biting into Doritos. The gears slot quite easily and the clutch is light making it fun to drive. The automatic however is a different case all together with the gear box taking a wee bit of time to downshift when power is demanded. The AGS otherwise is quite happy ambling around at low speeds. You also get the option of shifting manually with the AGS and the transmission while driving manually responds more accurately.

The diesel powered 1.3L engine is in another league. This Fiat sourced engine mated to the 5-speed transmission is a gem to drive and really puts a T in Thrilling. The engine puts out 74hp at 4000rpm and 190nm at 2000rpm. The engine takes a wee bit to get going but once the turbo swool kicks in, a jolt of force will throw you back in your seat as the car surges forward. The meat of the power in this engine lies higher up in the band but getting there is not too tough.

The engine mated to the 5 speed manual gearbox is sporty to drive but it also means you may end up shifting gears more often than you would in its petrol counterpart. This diesel motor is quick through the first three gears and cruising on the fourth and fifth is quite a treat. The gearbox again I must mention is nice and crisp but here the characteristics of the AGS do change. The diesel mill mated to this auto does feel a little livelier than its petrol counterpart. The lag, however, is still quite apparent and only fades away once you reach higher gears. For city commuting the diesel automatic is an ideal option and is quite happy cruising at city speeds with gear shifting more subtly than you would expect.

The new Swift has been built on the 5^th generation HEARTECT platform which improves the hatchback’s strength and rigidity also benefitting its power to weight ratio. The Swift rides on a mildly soft suspension which has been setup well to take on the varying Indian road conditions. It takes care of most bumps and jolts rather easily and provides a comfy ride inside the cabin. The suspension and chassis also cater to a balanced and controlled ride, rendering confidence even at higher speeds. Braking is facilitated by a disc brake setup in the front and drum breaks in the rear. The brakes are progressive and effective.  

Verdict    

All said and done, the all-new Maruti Suzuki Swift is a brilliant offering for the growing middle class in India who are on the lookout for a car that is contemporary in its styling, frugal when it comes to fuel consumption, is spacious in its seating, is responsive in its driving and most important is backed by a very trusted brand.