When compared to its immediate rivals like Tata Tiago and Hyundai Grand i10 NIOS, Maruti Suzuki New Swift is the sportiest and the most fuel efficient
Whenever Maruti Suzuki does a teeny tiny change or update to Swift hatchback, it is a big deal. Now, imagine the gravity of the situation when Maruti Suzuki launched a new Swift. It is a massive deal to the company and to automotive fraternity alike. 4th Gen Swift is probably the most important in Swift’s history as it debuts company’s new Z12E 1.2L 3-cylinder NA petrol engine. At the media drive event, we got to sample this new engine mated to a crispy 5-speed manual gearbox. Here’s why we think New Swift is ‘The Hatchback King’.
Maruti Suzuki New Swift First-Drive Review
Launched at a starting price of Rs. 6.5 lakh (ex-sh), New Swift is one of the more sensible purchases for mainstream Indian audiences. Sure, if we take immediate rivals like Tata Tiago and Hyundai Grand i10 NIOS, Swift pricing is on a higher side. However, Maruti Suzuki badge on the car is surely convincing and draws buyers. We say this because Maruti Suzuki offers India’s largest dealer network, among the cheapest running costs and highest resale value.
Swift is on sale in as many as five trim levels – LXi, VXi, VXi (O), ZXi and ZXi+. Base LXi MT variant costs Rs. 6.5 lakh (ex-sh) and the most expensive ZXi+ AMT variant costs Rs. 9.49 lakh (ex-sh). There are six monotone shades – Sizzling Red Metallic, Prime Luster Blue, Prime Novel Orange, Magma Grey Metallic, Prime Splendid Silver and Pearl Arctic White. In addition, there are three dual-tone shades with Sizzling Red Metallic, Prime Luster Blue and Pearl Arctic White, all offered with Midnight Black roof.
I wish there was a Midnight Black base colour too which would have looked dope on New Swift. Also, dual-tone shades with a White roof would have looked like a million bucks. Especially with Blue and Red shades. We were given a top-spec ZXi+ MT variant in Prime Luster Blue and Midnight Black dual-tone colour scheme, which looked the best among others, IMO.
New Swift, New Design
If not convinced by Maruti Suzuki badge, New Swift’s looks might do the trick. Maruti Suzuki successfully transformed Swift’s appeal with the new 4th Gen model. While overall silhouette is kept similar to 3rd Gen Swift, there are radical new changes that lend New Swift a more appealing look. Personally, I feel like New Swift is a significantly prettier car than its predecessor. Changes are more evident in person than viewing in pictures.
Primary design element that won me over was its clamshell bonnet and the new shoulder line without that weird kink seen in 3rd Gen model. New LED projector headlights, LED fog lamps, larger grill, new alloy wheels, sharper LED tail lights, more soothing edges for tailgate, sportier front and rear bumper, the strong character lines on bodywork, dual-tone floating effect roof captivate and mesmerise you.
On the inside, changes on New Swift lend a positive effect as it now shares a few of its components with pricier vehicles like Baleno, Fronx and Grand Vitara. These are automatic climate control panel and the SmartPlay Pro+ 9-inch touchscreen infotainment screen that supports Android Auto and Apple CarPlay wirelessly. Personally, I quite liked the circular climate control dials with integrated displays on 3rd Gen Swift as they looked sporty. But the new panel ain’t bad, functionality-wise.
Instrument cluster is also new and has a flat LCD backlit numbering looking classier than before. Only the tacho gets 3D elements. Apart from that, Swift remains more or less the same with subtle changes here and there over its preceding model. Much-needed update for Swift was rear AC vents. Kudos to Maruti Suzuki for offering necessary rear AC vents rather than an unnecessary sunroof. Other appreciated additions are 6 airbags as standard, a wireless charger and telematics suite among others.
Boot size is almost the same and is par for the segment. 60:40 split seats are still present. Credits where credits are due, Maruti Suzuki did not cut corners like removing fog lights and front passenger door request sensor. Many OEMs are picking on these trends and I’m glad that Maruti Suzuki didn’t. You wouldn’t believe it, but cars costing almost three times as much as New Swift lack fog lights and a front passenger door request sensor, which is ridiculous.
New Z12E Engine
New engine on 4th Gen Swift is by far the juiciest part of this update. Maruti Suzuki has replaced older K12 1.2L 4-cylinder engine with a new Z12E 1.2L 3-cylinder engine. This new engine is likely to be smaller in size and lighter in weight and pack new-age mild-hybrid technology. Performance-wise, new engine packs 80 bhp and 112 Nm, down from 90 bhp and 113 Nm of its predecessor.
However, claimed fuel efficiency of this engine is higher than K12 engine at 24.8 km/l for manual and 25.75 km/l for AMT. However, we were more concerned about car’s performance as the older 1.2L 4-cylinder K12 engine was peppy, smooth and sounded quite decent. Coming from these attributes, new Z12E engine has big shoes to fill. Question is, does it?
It is a tough question to answer. Is this new 3-cyl Z12E as smooth and vibe-free as a 4-cyl K12? No, it isn’t. There are vibrations when idling and you can feel them. Does it sound nice? Again, no. The new Z12E has a slight thrummy note that is typical of a 3-cylinder engine. Is it peppy? There is no easy way to answer this. Yes and No. This engine has a split personality and both these personalities reward you in their own way.
When driving sedately with a light right foot, this engine will reward you with a relatively quiet cabin and a comfortable drive along with stupendous fuel efficiency. Performance feels par for the segment and is nothing to write home about. If you go heavy on the throttle, revving the engine closer to its redline in every gear, this engine will now reward you with very good performance and an exhilarating drive.
However, we wish there was a middle ground between these two personalities of this engine. For example, say you are cruising down the highway in 5th gear doing 80 km/h and you need to do a quick overtake. Putting your right foot down will hardly yield any performance gains and you have to downshift to get the car moving. This is where the older 4-cylinder K12 engine had an edge as it had decent in-gear acceleration. That said, if you keep this new engine boiling and in the right gear, gunning for gaps and overtaking is a fun affair in New Swift.
Ride, Handling and “Kitna Deti Hai”
Maruti Suzuki has increased suspension travel by 26 mm at the rear with New Swift. This has resulted in a plusher experience for rear passengers. New Swift remains mostly flat and body roll is well-contained. If you take segment rivals like Tata Tiago and Hyundai Grand i10 NIOS, Swift is easily the best handler and feels the sportiest. You can chuck it around corners and it holds the line very well too.
Steering is electric and well-calibrated with the car. There’s very little feedback from the steering, but understeer is well-controlled. Despite not having disc brakes at the rear, we were impressed with New Swift’s braking as it had good stopping power and felt sure-footed under panic braking too. On bad patches of road, New Swift manages to hold itself together, but thuds on sharper bumps and potholes. Suspension noise is not as intrusive and is par for the segment. 163 mm ground clearance was not an issue and we never once managed to scrape the belly.
High-speed manners are good and the car doesn’t feel floaty and unnerving like one of its immediate rivals. Tyre noise is well-contained, but we felt like wind noise around the A-pillars and ORVMs crept into the cabin more than we would have liked. Again, it is par for the segment. New Swift encourages spirited driving and even some fun beyond paved asphalt.
New Swift feels like it was made for handbrake turns and quick manoeuvres and will put a smile on driver’s face. I felt like gearbox was slightly notchy, but should get smoother as it clocks more kilometres along the way. Only, if the gear throws were shorter, it would have added to the sportier feel of New Swift. Also, engine speed was capped at 6,000 RPM, which is likely to be unlocked after the first service.
At the media drive event held in Bengaluru, Karnataka, we clocked 185 km for a fuel efficiency test (tank to tank method) and put the car through its paces with a lot of spirited driving and other shenanigans. When refilled to the brim, New Swift took 8.7L of fuel. Thus returning 21.1 km/l of real-world mileage (fuel efficiency). Considering how we drove the car for testing, 21.1 km/l is very impressive.
Conclusion
The New Swift might not be a massive jump from its predecessor where design and features are concerned. But powertrain-wise, it is a big jump. The new Z12E might not be as smooth and vibe-free and not have the same amount of pep and in-gear acceleration as its predecessor, the K12 engine. That said, none of these are deal breakers and Z12E engine has a character of its own that almost everyone will love.
New Swift is a lot prettier and garners almost zero split opinions, unlike its predecessor. Adding to it, we have a lot of new features and attributes that make Swift brand a lot stronger than it was before. It is easily the most fun to drive and the most fuel-efficient in its segment and the sweet Maruti Suzuki ecosystem is hard to resist. With zero deal breakers, Maruti Suzuki New Swift is one of our easiest recommendations in the sub 4m segment. All hail ‘The Hatchback King’.
