THRILLING YOU SWIFTLY

Any new Maruti causes a ripple, but when it’s the most modern, most exciting one ever, expect a storm. We drive the Swift, the most important car of 2005.

‘The modern, racy design is unlike any Suzuki yet, and way, way ahead of the Marutis we get in India.’

‘The rear seat was designed by Indians, and is hugely comfortable, but the interior isn’t as airy as the Getz’. ’

‘Maruti isn’t scrimping on safety: the top version of the Swift will get ABS, EBD and twin airbags as standard. ’

‘The large wheels are well suited to India, and with high-profile tyres, the ride quality could be hard to beat. ’

It looks terrific. It turns heads and catches its fair share of glances. This is the effect of the new Suzuki Swift. And it wasn't in India, where any new model would stand out from the humdrum carscape but in Singapore, where the new Suzuki stood out in a very modern and sophisticated crowd.
We couldn't wait to get our hands on the Swift and flew to Singapore to drive what is easily the most important car of 2005. Important because it comes from Maruti, the largest car manufacturer in the country, and also because it represents the company's first serious step into the Noughties. Startlingly modern and genuinely stylish, the Swift is the most exciting model ever from this maker of dependable and economical but fairly dull cars. In fact, it's hard to believe the Swift comes from Maruti, and this all-new model could be the beginning of a product revolution from the company.
For the moment though, let's forget what the Swift's arrival could do, and look at the car before us. It's unlike any Suzuki design we've ever seen, and way, way ahead any of the Marutis we get. A squat, chunky hatch, it's very European in its outlook and styling and designed to take on the supermini sector on the continent. In fact, Italian design house Giugiaro, which has had a long association with Suzuki, had a hand in the styling.
Though the Swift is a global model from Suzuki and manufactured in Japan, Hungary, China and of course India, the Swift's development was focussed firmly on the demands and tastes of European consumers. A clear inspiration for the Swift's designers is the new Mini. It has the same broad stance (thanks to a wide track), with the wheels pushed out to each corner and a similar 'floating' roof accentuated by blackened A- and B-pillars. The biggest style donor, however, are Suzuki’s Concept S and Concept S2, the sleek little teasers shown at many auto shows, including Auto Expo '04. Elements like the inverted C-pillar, the heavily curved head-lights and tail-lamps which scroll upwards into the body and mirror each other, have been lifted from the show cars.
Unlike most 'cab-forward' superminis of the modern era, the Swift with its relatively vertical A-pillars and distinctive bonnet has a distinct 'two-box' silhouette and has moved away from the trend towards a 'one-box' or 'mono-volume' design.
The Swift has a broad stance and sturdy appeal, thanks to its wide track and broad-shouldered beltline, which continues all the way to the tail-lights. The rear is wider than the front by 10cm and this is what gives the Swift its squat looks. The sharply-cut grille and bumper and those stunning peeled-back headlights all add up to give the Swift street presence like no other Suzuki. The rear shows clear European influences, the upright rear screen, stubby boot and acutely curved lights highly reminiscent of the Renault Megane. The roof tapers down towards the rear and ends in a mini-spoiler with an integrated brake light. What impresses immediately is the sophistication of the styling, the clean, bevelled surfaces and the absence of the frills that plague Korean designs. Thankfully, there are no rubber strips to distract from the Swift's clean, incisive lines and we hope these are not added on the Indian model.
We drove the international model of the Swift but for India, there will be many changes. The huge alloys shod with 185/65-R15 tyres you see in these pictures are what give the Swift its imposing stance. However, the Indian model will come with 14-inch wheels and taller profile tyres. It won't have the same squat looks as the ground clearance has been cranked up to 170mm from 140mm.
Suzuki claims the chassis has been honed for Europe and it needs to be very good to succeed there. The body is built from high-tensile steel and 'tailored blanks,' which achieve high rigidity in the right places without extra weight. However, the international version of the Swift at 1065kg is marginally heavier than the Getz; we expect the Indian model with the lighter, all-aluminium 1.3 engine to shed a couple of kilos.
Mounted on the front of the Swift's all-new platform is a sub-frame to which are bolted the steering, gearbox, suspension lower arms and the rear engine-mounting. What this does is reduce vibrations and improve refinement.
The suspension system is pretty typical for its class, MacPherson struts up front and a torsion beam at the rear, but Suzuki claims it has tuned it for optimal handling and ride comfort. We'll have to see. One impressive factor is the safety equipment: The Swift we drove came with ABS, EBD and seatbelt pre-tensioners, and has achieved a four-star Euro NCAP rating in its crash test. For Indian customers there's good news too. Maruti will not be stinting in the way of safety and will offer ABS, EBD and twin airbags in front as standard on the top-of-the-line model. The middle variant too will have all these safety features as an option.
The Swift is very clearly a large hatch, not just one but two steps up from the Wagon R and Zen, and these dimensions elevate it to the same class as the Getz. With a 3695mm length, it's not quite as long but with a 1695mm width, it's a bit wider. The 2380mm wheelbase is not as generous and is in fact less than even the Indica. So how do all these dimensions translate onto the inside? Slip into the driver's seat and the width of the Swift is obvious. The front two seats are wide and generously cushioned, and the manual adjustments for height, rake and reach along with adjustable steering will allow most drivers to find their most comfortable position. The clutch pedal, however, is offset towards the transmission tunnel, and there's not much space to rest your left foot.
In the rear seat, legroom didn't seem as generous as in the Getz and the front seats would have to be finely adjusted to house four large passengers in complete comfort. However, if you are chauffeur-driven with no front passenger, the incredibly long front-seat travel (240mm) will allow you to pull the seat forward and release huge amounts of rear legroom.
The rear seat deserves special mention for the comfort it offers. Like in the front, the cushioning is spot-on, not too hard and not too soft. But what makes it truly stand out is the fantastic under-thigh support it offers, thanks to a deep seat base. This is a tribute to the Indian engineers who developed the Swift's back seat. No one knows back seat comfort the way Indians do! The seat back on the car we drove comes with a 60:40 split, but the Indian model will get a single-piece seat, which merely tilts forward.
The roof slopes at the rear and this eats into headroom and tall passengers are likely to have their hairstyles messed up. However, on the Indian model there will be no curtain airbags, and a different interior roof (again designed by the Indian team) promises to liberate a bit more headroom. The small rear windows give passengers a feeling of being hemmed-in, and overall the cabin doesn't feel as airy as the Getz. The Hyundai gives an impression of more space with its cab-forward stance and the raked windscreen that falls further forward. The Swift's rearward visibility isn't too great either, impeded by the thick C-pillar. The boot is pretty small and again not as generous as the Getz, which has more depth.
Where the Swift really scores in the interior quality and design. We have to keep reminding ourselves that this is the international model and the Indian one is unlikely to be as luxuriously equipped, but it's impressive nonetheless. First, the quality of the plastics, the switches and materials is far better than anything we have seen on a Maruti, even better than in the bigger and much more expensive Baleno. The controls are solid-looking and thoughtfully positioned. The combination of dark grey and graphite silver trim looks pretty good and there's a chunky three-spoke steering wheel and gear knob, which feel great to hold. The fascia slopes down, which looks good but means you can’t store anything atop the dashboard. The talking point is the sound system, whose controls are integrated into the dashboard and look really good. Tucked into a crevice in the top centre of the dashboard is a digital display that gives instantaneous read-outs of fuel consumption, time and outside temperature. The Indian model gets the gadget but it only displays time. The instrumentation is pretty straightforward, with a large speedo and integrated electronic odos taking centre spot. There's a tacho to the left with the revcounter needle resting at the 6 o'clock position, just as in Suzuki bikes.
The Swift comes with several engine options and the one we drove was powered by the M15A unit, Suzuki's latest 1.5-litre DOHC engine with Variable Valve Tuning, developing 101bhp.
But before you get too excited, let me tell you that this engine will not be available in India. The Swifts sold in India and China will initially come with the G13BB engine, the same motor that does duty in the Esteem and Gypsy. Of course, the engine and gear ratios will be tweaked to suit the Swift's driving characteristics. The G13BB is one of Suzuki's best engines as any Esteem owner will testify — but plonking the same 85bhp motor in a car that weighs nearly 200kg more is sure to blunt its performance.
The Swift, with a similar power-to-weight ratio to the Getz, should have similar performance as well. In terms of fuel economy, Japanese engines have always had an edge over Korean ones and here it's likely the Swift will be more frugal than the Getz. However, only a full road test will prove this.
Driving the Swift around Singapore gave an initial impression of great responsiveness. Okay, the engine won't be the same, which is a shame because it felt remarkably smooth and pretty quick too. The one flaw of the Esteem's engine is that with its all-aluminium construction and four-valves per head, it's plain noisy. Hopefully in the Swift, Suzuki has used enough sound-deadening material and technology to filter out excessive NVH.
More powertrain options are in the pipeline. It's possible that the Baleno's 1.6 motor will come in at a later stage and even the M-series engine, which meets tougher emission norms. The engine everyone will be waiting for is the 1.3-litre Multi-jet, which will be manufactured in India by Maruti under license from Fiat. However, this motor won't be ready until late 2006.
Most impressive was the Swift's handling, again a new benchmark for Maruti. The Swift comes with Electric Power Steering (EPS), with motor located on the steering rack. It offers good feel and feels precise unlike the lifeless steering-column EPS systems in the Alto, Zen and Wagon R. The ride was on the soft side, and the Swift did wallow and roll through corners but the overall body control was superb. For sure, Maruti will completely re-tune the suspension for Indian roads and conditions to hit the optimum ride-and-handling balance. The large wheels are well suited to India, and with a slightly higher tyre profile, the Swift's ride comfort could be hard to beat.
The thing about driving the Swift is that it makes you feel good. It's decently solid, responds well to your inputs and has superb street presence. But all that's no good if it doesn't come for a decent price. Maruti has told its vendors to gear up for 4,000 units of the Swift every month. To move that volume, the Swift will have to undercut the Getz — but by how much? Rs 40,000 at least, in which case the Swift is likely to bazooka the market with a Rs 4.0 lakh price-tag. This is yet another affordable car from Maruti's stable, but at last we have one that's affordable and desirable too. Very desirable. l