Maruti Suzuki Swift: Pros and Cons

The Swift took off to a solid start when it first went on sale back in 2005. It hasn’t looked back since and continues to command a loyal fan following. So, if you are in the market looking to buy the new Swift, then read this first before making the decision.

PROS

VAST NETWORK REACH

Maruti Suzuki’s brand adds to the Swift’s success. Having a Maruti car means you can find a sales outlet and a service centre even in the most remote parts of India. This also makes it easy to get the original spares either from the service centre or a dedicated spares outlet. All at a very nominal charge.

CLASS-LEADING MILEAGE

Besides low and easy maintenance, Maruti cars are also known for returning high efficiency, thus helping keep the total ownership costs low. The new Swift further strengthens this aspect, with a 25.75 kmpl mileage figure for the AMT automatic. Even the manual transmission variants offer 24.8 kmpl although it fails to breach the 25 kmpl mark.

HIGH ON SAFETY

The new Swift starts at ₹50,000 higher than the outgoing model. But for that higher cost, you also get a bunch of standard features like halogen projector headlamps, front side and curtain airbags, ESC, HSA, remote central locking, rear power windows and rear defogger. Some of these features were earlier either available in higher variants or not available with the Swift at all.

LONG LIST OF FEATURES

If you are open to considering the top model, then you get a good number of features in addition to those that are standard. The top model of the new Swift gets features like a rear washer wiper, a rear camera, a larger 9-inch touchscreen with wireless Android Auto and Apple Carplay, wireless phone charging, auto AC with rear AC vents, auto LED projector headlamps with DRLs, keyless entry and go, power mirror with power folding and cruise control.

CONS

MISSING FEATURES

Despite coming across as reasonably loaded, there are a few missing features which we have come to expect from a car costing almost ₹10 lakh. The base model of the Swift is quite well-loaded for the asking price. But the mid variants not only offer poor value for money, it also lack several must-have features.

For instance, the mid-spec VXi (O) variant (or even the top variant) doesn’t get a front armrest which is available in the Mahindra XUV 3XO at a similar asking price. The rear camera and cruise control are reserved for the top model. Both these features are available in the Grand i10 Nios Sportz and Sportz Executive variants which cost about ₹1.70 lakh less than the Swift ZXi Plus manual.

POWERTRAIN OPTIONS

The Swift has always had a four-cylinder engine. The displacement has varied over the years but the refinement and rev-happy nature of a four-cylinder engine is near-impossible to match with a three-cylinder engine.

It is also reflected in the engine specs as the new engine makes max power at 5000-7000 rpm while the old Swift’s engine makes peak power at 6000 rpm.

As an enthusiast-friendly car, the Swift’s 3-cylinder engine doesn't do justice to the Swift brand name. While 3-cylinder engines are not only more fuel-efficient, it is also cost-efficient. So, this move comes across as a cost-cutting measure, especially when Maruti Suzuki already has an efficient 1.2L, 4-cylinder petrol engine in mass production.

PERFORMANCE

As if the 3-cylinder engine wasn’t enough, Maruti Suzuki also didn’t bother adding a turbo petrol engine which it already has in production. The Taisor and Fronx get this 1.0L turbo petrol engine and it would have been a good fit to go with the Swift’s hot-hatch personality while leaving the efficient engine for those who value lower total cost of ownership more than performance and driveability.

NO CNG

While the new Swift prioritises lower ownership costs with a more efficient 3-cylinder engine, the lack of a CNG powertrain option at launch suggests that Maruti Suzuki hasn’t chosen a clear path for the Swift yet. If lower TCO were a high priority, the Swift should have already come with a CNG bi-fuel option. After all, Maruti Suzuki has the biggest market share in the CNG segment.

POOR VALUE FOR MONEY

If the poor feature distribution wasn’t enough to keep you from buying the mid-spec variants, then the value angle certainly should. Even if you consider the base LXi variant of the Swift as a baseline for the incremental asking price, the mid-spec VXi and VXi (O) variants offer terrible value for money.

It offers such poor VFM that we’d rather suggest you buy the lower LXi variant even though it doesn’t get many must-have features.

Verdict

So, now that you have a well-rounded understanding of the new Swift. Let us know if you would take the plunge to buy it. Let us know in the comments if you’d choose this premium hatchback and why. If you have any queries, reach out to us on our social media handles as well.