Next-gen Suzuki Swift unveiled, India launch in mid-2017

Suzuki Motor Corp has taken the wraps of the all-new Swift which is slated to come to India around mid-2017. Also known by its internal code name YSD, the all-new car will be the third generation of the Swift to be launched in India.

Unlike the current model on sale, the new-gen Swift has ample differences from its previous model. However, the shape of the bonnet and headlights and inset cabin, with its cockpit-like glass area maintain the identity of the Swift. The most prominent change is the protruding and suspended nose, with its new grille. It even has a chrome surround that runs around the border. There is also a blacked-out section on the C-pillar giving this Swift a floating roof. Also, for the first time, Suzuki has moved the ‘S’ logo towards the top of the grille.

India launch in mid-2017

Maruti will have to work hard to keep the Swift from encroaching on Baleno territory. This is partly why the company will soon launch even more upmarket versions of the Baleno, powered by an all-new set of engines. The first in this set will be the more practical Dualjet, a four-cylinder, twin-injector version of the 1.2 K-Series motor, and the other will be the three-cylinder 111hp Boosterjet for the sportier Baleno RS.

The new Swift for India, on the other hand will continue to use the 1.2 petrol and 1.3 diesel engine from the current car. However, the 1.3 diesel, currently tuned to make 75hp, might be offered in the higher state of tune. Also new in the Swift’s powertrain department will be the choice of an automatic with both the petrol and diesel engines, given the rising preference for automatics in our market. Both the automatics are also likely to get paddle shifters behind the steering wheel.

Other possibilities in the powertrain area are Suzuki’s new 1.5-litre diesel, developed in-house, and an SHVS system, like the one in the Ciaz and Ertiga. The carmaker is also evaluating the three-cylinder Boosterjet for the Swift.

The new Swift is also expected to be about the same size as the current car. Built on the same platform as the Baleno, the Swift is also expected to be around 15 percent lighter than the 890kg Baleno, giving it an advantage when it comes to performance and fuel economy. Weight reduction in the new platform has been created by using a simple smooth-flowing floor. These smoother paths transfer loads better than the angular ones that need more reinforcement. Overall rigidity, however, is 10 percent higher than the earlier platform.

Sporty interiors

On the inside, the next-gen Swift will be sportier than before. It gets a minimalist dashboard, a new upmarket steering wheel, and a sporty two-pod instrument cluster. However, the India-bound model is expected to get a unique interior that will be shared with the next-gen Swift Dzire. Fully-loaded variants are expected to get a touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and MirrorLink compatibility, similar to the SmartPlay system on the Baleno and the Vitara Brezza.

A high-performance Swift Sport model is also said to be in the pipeline, with the car slated to make its international debut late 2017. The Sport is likely to use an upgraded version of the 140hp 1.4-litre turbocharged petrol engine currently seen in the Vitara for international markets.

Earlier in April this year, the Swift crossed cumulative global sales of 5 million units. India accounts for 54% of that number, with 2.7 million units of the Swift hatchback and Swift Dzire sedan sold so far. 

Currently produced in seven countries worldwide including Japan, India, Hungary, China, Pakistan and Thailand, the Maruti Suzuki Swift has won Autocar India’s coveted Car of the Year award twice – in 2006 and then in 2012, when the full model change was introduced.

In its latest avatar, launched in October 2014, the Swift Diesel saw a 10 percent increase in fuel efficiency while the Swift Petrol’s fuel efficiency improved by 9.6 percent.

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