Comparison: New Maruti Suzuki Swift vs outgoing Maruti Suzuki Swift

The all-new Maruti Suzuki Swift is being readied to launch at the most important automobile event in India, the 2018 Auto Expo. Since the time the new-gen Maruti Suzuki Dzire was launched in the country, everyone had their eyes on the upcoming third-gen Swift. The new design language, premium features and the more efficient powertrains are believed to make the new-gen Maruti Suzuki Swift a market leader again, that will compete with the likes of the Ford Figo, Tata Tiago and also the Hyundai Grand i10. Maruti Suzuki dealerships across the country have already started accepting bookings for the new-gen Swift for a token amount of Rs 11,000. What are the changes that the new-gen Swift gets over the previous model?

Design:

The new gen Swift gets a sharp and edgy radiator grille which looks wider and more dominating than the present iteration.

The new gen Swift gets a sharp and edgy radiator grille which looks wider and more dominating than the present iteration. The hatchback also gets a new headlight design that incorporates daytime running lamps along with projector lights, similar to that of the Baleno. The bumper too has gone through a major revision to accommodate new fog lamp housing.

The rear gets new tail lights with a squarish shape along with an inclined design which we believe gives a more evolved profile

The silhouette of the new-generation Swift is similar to the current model except for a sloping roof line which gives it a coupe-like profile. The C-pillar gets a black covering which gives a floating roof design like the Hyundai i20. The rear door handles have been repositioned on the rear windows. The dimensions of the new-gen Swift are not out yet. From images, however, it looks longer than the present version. The shoulder line of the new Swift too will be similar to that of the Baleno. The new Suzuki Swift is 10mm shorter than the older car, but the wheelbase has gone up by 20mm. Considering that the older model was infamous for its crammed rear kneeroom, this increase in wheelbase could be a boon. The new car is also 40mm wider, which could translate to better shoulder room. While the height has been reduced by 15mm, the seats have been lowered too. So while headroom shouldn't be an issue, ingress and egress could be one.

The rear gets new tail lights with a squarish shape along with an inclined design which we believe gives a more evolved profile. The rendered images also show twin exhaust pipes, whereas the test mules get one, hinting at a possibility of a sportier version that will be offered with the standard model. A Swift Sport perhaps is what we can only hope for.

Platform

The Swift is based on Suzuki's new Heartect platform, which also underpins cars like the Baleno and the Ignis. It is lighter than the previous platform and more rigid which, according to Suzuki, enhances "fundamental vehicle performance"

The 2018 Maruti Suzuki Swift is 120kg lighter than its predecessor, and one of the variants weighs as little as 840kg. While that is 25kg lighter than the lightest Baleno sold in India, Suzuki could be talking about the Euro-spec car which gets a different set of engines.

Features and equipment

The instrument binnacle gets a twin-pod design which will have an analogue display of the speedo and the tachometer.

The 2018 Maruti Suzuki Swift gets a tidier dashboard design with a new flat-bottomed, multi-function steering. The instrument binnacle gets a twin-pod design which will have an analogue display of the speedo and the tachometer. The touchscreen infotainment screen and the climate control unit might be borrowed from the Baleno. In addition to getting some of the international spec features, we also believe that the cabin will get a tad more legroom and headroom, that is if the dimensions of the new Swift are bigger than the present model.

The touchscreen infotainment screen and the climate control unit might be borrowed from the Baleno.

The new Suzuki Swift is 10mm shorter than the older car, but the wheelbase has gone up by 20mm. Considering that the older model was infamous for its crammed rear kneeroom, this increase in wheelbase could be a boon.

Engine options:

In India Maruti is expected to employ the same 1.2-litre K-Series petrol motor (84.3PS at 6,000rpm and 115Nm at 4,000rpm) and the 1.3-litre DDiS diesel engine (75PS at 4,000rpm and 190Nm at 2,000rpm). The engines are mated to a five-speed manual transmission. Maruti could also thrown in an optional CVT automatic gearbox, given the rising popularity of such transmissions. The Maruti Suzuki Swift RS will be equipped with the all-new 3-cylinder turbo-petrol engine which makes 102PS/150Nm. This corresponds to an increase of 19PS/35Nm over the 4-cylinder naturally aspirated 1.2-litre petrol engine of the regular car. Maruti has mated the new Boosterjet engine to a 5-speed manual