New Maruti Swift bookings open

Maruti Suzuki has officially teased the all-new Swift ahead of its India launch on May 9. The company has also commenced bookings for a token amount of Rs 11,000 that can be made online or at dealerships. This will be the fourth-generation model of what has been a very popular hatchback in India, and comes with evolutionary styling, interior derived from more premium Marutis and a brand-new heart.

1. New Swift bookings open for Rs 11,000
2. Gets an all-new Z Series 3-cylinder petrol engine
3. Rivals the Grand i10 Nios, Tiago

New Maruti Suzuki Swift exterior and interior

The new Swift has very familiar shape and stance, and with its bulbous nose and rounded surfaces, the design is more evolutionary over the outgoing model. Sources say the India-spec Swift will come with its own unique bumpers and alloy wheels, will be marginally longer but narrower than the outgoing Swift and have the same wheelbase.

The interior of the Swift is all-new but familiar as it shares parts with the Baleno and Fronx. Some of the dashboard panels and the housing for the 9.0-inch touchscreen are slightly different, but the infotainment unit, the HVAC controls with toggle switches, the steering wheel and the switchgear on the doors are all too familiar. Expect a step up on the safety front as features like six airbags and ESP could be offered as standard.

New Maruti Suzuki Swift powertrain, specs

Perhaps what’s most exciting about the new Swift is that it gets an all-new powertrain under the hood. It gets an all-new 1.2-litre, three-cylinder, naturally aspirated petrol engine that’ll replace the existing K12 four-cylinder engine. Sources tell us that the company has set high fuel efficiency targets, and that power and torque outputs will be similar to the outgoing K12’s 90hp and 113Nm; mild-hybrid tech could be on offer as well. However, it remains to be seen if Maruti continues to offer an AMT or upgrades the gearbox to the 6-speed torque converter found on other Maruti models here.

Upon launch, the new Swift will continue to rival the Hyundai Grand i10 Nios, the Tata Tiago and the Citroen C3. Expect a reasonable hike in prices over the outgoing Swift that’s priced between Rs 6.24 lakh-8.83 lakh (ex-showroom). In fact, Maruti Suzuki hiked prices of the outgoing Swift just weeks ahead of the new model's launch to make the new car look comparatively less expensive.