We’ve just driven the 2018 Maruti Swift and seems like the impressive new hatchback will capture the segment all over again and make a comeback in India’s top five best selling car club. Since the launch of the first Swift back in 2005, the hatchback has sold over 1.7 million units! The new Swift is trendy, packed with features and is larger than before. There attributes brings it closer to its premium sibling, which will probably give many buyers a tough time when deciding between the 2018 Swift and the Baleno.
Design
The 2018 Swift takes inspiration from the international new Suzuki Swift Sport which was unveiled at the 2017 Frankfurt motor show last September. It’s a modern design and seems like an evolution of the existing design. The bolder character lines and new silhouette give it a sportier stance.
The biggest attraction is the extended bonnet and a large single-piece grille which add some European essence to the car. Other interesting design bits include smart swept-back headlamps, and a wraparound-type windscreen with black A- and B-pillars which creates a floating roof design. The shoulder line deepens as it crosses the rear door, making the car look more muscular, and merges with the up-swept tail lamp.
Interestingly, it doesn’t have a conventional rear door handle, instead they are vertically positioned between the C-pillar and the rear window. This creates a coupé like illusion and takes a while to get used to. At the back, the Swift gets a small spoiler-lip above the bootlid, and a large plastic bumper to complete the bold new design. Interestingly, the cars we drove didn’t have the usual engine/variant badging like – Vxi, ZDi etc.
Underpinning
Like the Baleno and Dzire, the 2018 Maruti Swift is based on the company’s new and light-weight, fifth generation B-Platform which is also know as the ‘HEARTECT’ platform. This has helped the Swift to become 80 kg lighter and the dimensions are wider by 40 mm, with a 20 mm longer wheelbase and increase in overall length by 10 mm compared to the outgoing model. This has helped carve out more cabin room, as the 2018 Swift boasts of better shoulder- and head-room than before and a larger 268-litre boot space. The loss in weight has given the Swift a better power-to-weight ratio and claims to have improved the fuel efficiency too.
Cabin
As you step in you’re greeted with a smart looking flat-bottom steering wheel and a set of sporty cockpit dials. The dashboard is new and finished in all-black with brush metal highlights on the steering, doors and surrounding the dials on the instrument console. The layout is simple and now has plenty more cubbyholes to store things. You’ll be glad to see a couple of flat areas to store your phones safely. The central a-c vents are circular, while the ones on each end are rectangular. The quality of plastic is better than before and buttons to operate the air-conditioning system feel well built. As mentioned before, the cabin roominess has been improved and there’s decent knee-room for passengers on the rear bench.
Video: The New Maruti Suzuki Swift Gets Unveiled In India
