Suzuki Cars

The all new 2011 Suzuki Swift is on its way to India. We give you an insight into what Maruti's much loved supermini has in store for you this time around

With a sales figure of almost 12,000 units per month, the Maruti Suzuki Swift is undoubtedly one of the most successful small cars in the country today, even at the tether end of its life cycle. So it comes in as no surprise that Maruti Suzuki will stick to a proven formula and therefore, to the naked eye, the all the new Swift headed for India looks more or less similar to the outgoing one. But in reality the new Swift has evolved, for the better of course. 

To make things easy, we have created a few graphics that compare the older Swift with the new one, so you aren’t confused when you see the new car in the showrooms this June. Despite its familiar shape, the new Swift has got a plenty of design tweaks. Starting off with the swept back headlights, the new units extend further back into the body and are much larger. They still stick to the single-barrel formula though, with a single bulb taking care of the upper and dipper tasks. The new grille, though retaining its older shape, gets the Kizashi-esque honeycomb mesh treatment and extends itself slightly into the leading edge of the bonnet. The air-dam attracts prominence with swooping creases borrowed from the Kizashi and adds character to the front bumper. The top end variant will feature fog lamps with contoured black surrounds. 

Move to the side profile of the car and the Swift’s extended dimensions are visible to the keen eye. The car’s wheelbase is up by 50mm and the overall length longer by 90mm. The wheel arches are bigger, bulgier and incorporate 16” wheels. India however, will get 15” rims with higher profile tyres for increased ride comfort on our rough roads. Increased suspension travel on the Indian model could make the large wheel wells appear empty though, similar to the new Wagon R. The glasshouse on the new model is narrower towards its tail as compared to the outgoing model and offers a coupe-ish look.

The tailgate gets new taillights which are increasingly swept back too. They get a clear lens treatment for the blinker and reverse lights with red surrounds for the brake lamps, reflectors and tail illumination. The boot lid is stubby like the one seen on the Maruti Suzuki A-star and has an overhang above the number plate. The rear bumper gets a generous dose of creases, while the rear fog lamp sits at bottom centre in trademark Swift style. 

The European model gets sporty front seats with increased side bolsters. The Indian model however, could get the same, flatter bucket seats that the current Swift is shipped with. The increased length of the car has made more room inside the cabin, but don’t expect a significant gain. The lack of rear seat space that the older Swift was accused of has been addressed to an extent in the new model with a wider seat and better padding. Adding to the comfort is increased leg and knee room. The headroom continues to be tight and with the reseeding glasshouse, the feeling of spaciousness is compromised – ironic for a manufacturer that sells hoax spaciousness with their slew of tallboys. The increased legroom has left little gain for the boot space which now measures 204-litres. 

The interiors are done up in black all around with brushed-aluminium finished plastic inserts to add a hint of premium value. The dashboard borrows design clues from the Kizashi for a smarter centre console and a well equipped steering wheel with switches for audio and cruise control. The latter may not see the Indian roads though. The new Swift also features a push button start-stop system which Maruti Suzuki will consider for India too, since Nissan touts about this feature in their Micra line-up. Also on offer will be a multi-information digital display panel that calculates as displays average and instantaneous fuel consumption and drivable range.