Maruti Suzuki is expected to launch the new Swift in India late next year.
Suzuki has unveiled the all-new, fourth-generation Swift hatchback in Japan. With more than 5.3 million sales globally, the Swift is one of the brand’s mainstay product. Working a step further on evolutionary design and styling, the company has made the new car more appealing and mature in terms of looks, also making the interiors more upmarket with more tech and equipment.
Although the design cues of the out-going car are still reminiscent, the new Swift incorporates numerous aesthetic touches that are visually appealing. Up front, the new blackened hexagonal grille with mesh pattern is elegantly flanked by nicely crafted headlamps. The bumper gives a wider U-shape rendition, while the fenders have pleasing curves above the wheel arch, even protruding into the headlamp and bonnet crease region. The wavy bonnet and a protrusive nose is great to look at.
Over the sides, the new high waist line and tapering window line holds the show. While the entire glass region along with the windshield, blackened A and B pillars, and roof are all borrowed from the previous car. But the rear fascia of the car gets substantial revision, as the stylish C-pillar detailing and squarish tail lamp design along with the coupe-ish roof end makes you forget that this is a Swift. For a long time, Maruti Suzuki lacked unique and innovative designs for its cars. But not anymore, thanks to all of its its latest models including the Vitara Brezza and Baleno. Here joins the Swift as well!
Suzuki has entirely reworked the cabin, with a bit quirky dashboard layout, but simultaneously slapping it with fancy bits. The vertically-shrunken dashboard impression with rounded vents and boxy infotainment display in the centre console isn’t really convincing, but the flat-bottomed 3-spoke steering wheel with multi-functionality, easy-to-read dials, and uncluttered layout certainly does.
The big talking point of the 2017 Swift is its lighter and stiffer platform as the Baleno. Although both the car fall in the same segment, Suzuki is presenting Baleno as a slightly upmarket model, while the Swift as a more fun-loving car. Measuring 3840 mm long, the car is actually 10 mm smaller than the out-going model, but gains extra 20 mm of wheelbase for better legroom inside.
The Japanese-spec Swift range will include a RS variant with the 1.0-litre 3-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine mated to a 6-speed automatic transmission with 112 hp of power. Sources say that an even-more brute version Swift ‘Sport’ will also be launched there later, with a punchy 1.4-litre turbo-petrol unit. A regular 1.2-litre petrol and a petrol-electric hybrid variant with a CVT is also up for the buyers in Japan to pick. There is also an optional ‘Safety Package’ for the Swift that includes the brand-first Dual Sensor Brake Support (DSBS) collision-mitigating system and an adaptive cruise control.
Also Read: 7 Upcoming Maruti Suzuki Cars For 2017
As far as India is concerned, the next-generation Swift Dzire compact sedan will beat the new hatch to enter Indian roads, sometime by second quarter of 2017. The Swift hatch is likely to be ready only by the year end, probably by the festive season of Diwali. Both the new cars will be locally assembled in Maruti Suzuki’s Gujarat plant. Although the SHVS micro-hybrid system in the existing engine line-up is quite a possibility for the new Swift in India, we will be betting on the 1.0-litre Boosterjet petrol turbo from the Baleno RS as well.
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