New Maruti Suzuki Swift finally launched in India!

After being unveiled last year and garnering plenty of praise and attention around the world, the latest generation of one of the most iconic fun hatches of the Indian auto industry has arrived – the third-gen Maruti Suzuki Swift. With teasers, reviews and bookings having started a while ago, the brand finally unveiled it with a launch price of Rs 4.99 lakh (ex-showroom) at the 2018 Delhi Auto Expo.

Before we talk about the new yet familiar exterior, let’s look at its underpinnings which are indeed brand new. The new Swift is built on the Heartect platform, the same as the Baleno and the new Dzire, with the key advantage being added rigidity and lightness. To be precise, the new one is 85kgs lighter than the outgoing version, even though it’s bigger – 40mm wider, 20mm longer wheelbase and more boot space. Moving on to the surface, it sports an updated front look mainly the bumper, LED projector lamps and new grille. The rear doors no longer sport handles in the conventional spot, but are mounted alongside the windows up top.

The powertrain is boringly familiar in terms of the two engine variants – 1.2-litre petrol unit (82bhp, 113Nm) and the 1.3-litre diesel unit (74bhp, 190Nm). Both are now available with an AMT option, while features like ABS with EBD and dual airbags come as standard across the range. The infotainment system has been brought up to date as well with a touchscreen interface, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto with features like automatic climate control as well.

It’s a car that is sure to be a cash cow for Maruti still, despite the success of the Baleno from the NEXA lineup. It’s got a massive fan following and while the engine is the same old one, it’s a good one that now sits in an even lighter body which makes for a better driving experience. Though I’m sure there’s already a significant waiting period for you to get one. While we’ll be getting up close with it at the Expo this weekend, here’s the full price list (ex-showroom):

Petrol:
LXi – Rs 4.99 lakh
VXi – Rs 5.87 lakh
VXi AT – Rs 6.34 lakh
ZXi – Rs 6.49 lakh
ZXi AT – Rs 6.96 lakh
ZXi+ – Rs 7.29 lakh

Diesel:
LDi – Rs 5.99 lakh
VDi – Rs 6.87 lakh
VDi AT – Rs 7.34 lakh
ZDi – Rs 7.49 lakh
ZDi AT – Rs 7.96 lakh
ZDi+ – Rs 8.29 lakh