Maruti Swift relaunched at a starting price of Rs 4.22 lakh

The country's largest car-maker Maruti Suzuki India on Wednesday launched the new version of its premium hatchback 'Swift' at an introductory price ranging from Rs 4.22 lakh to Rs 6.38 lakh.

Built on an all-new platform, the company and its suppliers have invested over Rs 500 crore on the new car.

"We have launched the new Swift at a time when there was a significant demand for the outgoing model. I am confident that the new Swift will create new benchmarks with its improved fuel efficiency, stylish and sportier looks and high performance," Maruti Suzuki India Managing Director and CEO Shinzo Nakanishi told.

Launched six years back, the Swift has been a runaway success for the company, with over six lakh units sold so far. MSI is hoping that the new version will further strengthen its position.

The company is likely to launch the DZiRE on the new Swift's platform in the next 6-8 months.

The new Swift retains the round look; however elements like the headlights and tail lights have a stretched look.

The only department where the difference isn't drastic between the older model and the new Swift lies under the hood. The engines from the outgoing Swift have been carried over to the new car, essentially the K-Series 1.2-litre petrol and the 1.3-litre DDiS diesel engines.

The 1197cc petrol engine generates 87PS @ 6000rpm and a torque of 114Nm at 4000rpm whereas the 1248cc DDiS diesel engine remains the same and offers 75PS @ 4000rpm and a torque of 190Nm @ 2000rpm.

Both versions are mated to 5-speed gearboxes that are different from the outgoing version's transmission. The new Swift boasts of ABS, dual SRS airbags, braking with a Boost Assist System and increased torsional rigidity.

Maruti Suzuki launched the Swift in 2005. Despite being more than six years old, the model has consistently maintained its waiting list period of three-four months. The DZiRE on the other hand commands a 4-5 month wait. Maruti sells about 12,000 units of the Swift and 10,000 units of stablemate DZiRE every month. The third generation Suzuki Swift was formally unveiled in Hungary last year.

New Maruti Swift all set for launch on August 17

The wait is almost over- country’s largest passenger car manufacturer Maruti Suzuki India Ltd is all set to unveil the new version of its bestselling Swift model tomorrow, i.e., on August 17.

The new Swift, based on an entirely new platform with new dimensions and added features, is expected to be longer (by 2.4%), lighter and more spacious than the present variant. The new Swift’s petrol variant will run around 20 km per litre, while the new diesel Swift will boast of a mileage of 23 km per litre.

According to information available on the car's Facebook fan page, the 'stronger and safer Maruti Suzuki Swift is now equipped with advanced safety with new generation ABS, airbags and highly rigid body'.

The new Swift will come fitted with a plastic fuel tank, which will cause reduction in vehicle weight by as much as 25%.

Earlier, Maruti asked dealers to allow buyers who had booked the older Swift to switch to the new version.

The price of the new version, however, will be more than that of the current version.

While an official statement on the price difference is yet to be released, dealers believe the new Swift might come for somewhere around Rs 15,000 to Rs 25,000 more than the current generation of Swift (Rs 4.09 lakh, ex-showroom, petrol variant).

Maruti’s decision to upgrade its best-selling model can be seen as its attempt to retain and expand its stronghold on the small car segment which has off-late seen a slew of launches by global and home-grown automobile giants.

The company is also planning to roll out products catering to buyers in other vehicle segments, including an MUV and the upgraded Suzuki Dzire.

The original Swift was launched in India in 2005 and has since seen sales of around 6 lakh units. The company sells nearly 10,000 units of the hatchback every month.

Maruti Suzuki develop new M800 model in India

Maruti Suzuki is aggressively working on an all-new car, as Maruti's engineers embark on an independent full-model change capability, something not attempted before, managing executive officer (engineering) IV Rao said.

Rao, who declined to speak about the pricing of the new vehicle, said the idea was to develop a car that would co-exist with the Alto, the country's largest-selling car with monthly volumes averaging over 30,000 units. He shot down suggestions that the new car would be a renewed version, or fresh attempt, to revive the M800 model that has already made its way out of 13 top metros and will be phased out gradually from the rest of the country in the coming years.

"This will be an all-new car, though based on an existing platform. The idea is to do it in-house at Maruti, with minimal support from our Japanese parent, Suzuki," Rao said. Maruti engineers have done facelifts on some of the existing models previously while also assisting Suzuki during the development of some global models such as the Swift and the A-Star.

The car will be meant primarily for the Indian market, he said, adding that the idea behind the model was to "constantly introduce new models while also developing the company's R&D capability to develop, design and engineer a model on its own."

Also, the company wants to fill the gap created by the phase-out of the M800. "It will be no less than a milestone for us," Rao said.

 He said, This will be an all-new car, though based on an existing platform. The idea is to do it in-house at Maruti, with minimal support from our Japanese parent.