[arnabchak]

Completely agree to GTOs statement.

For a buyers market where in competition is extremely high, Maruti Suzuki has held on to its top position since its inception.

Right from the humble MS800 to the high end Kizashi, Maruti has offered something for all the segments.

It is foolhardy to say that they have not failed.
Yet, what is important is that "you fail if you fail to get up after you fall".

Mistakes, miscalculations are signs of risks companies need to take.

Estilo is a classic example. They completely misjudged the customer angle in re-modelling the classic Zen.

A mismatch with an atrocious "Pink" colour followed.

Yet, they took time and the Estilo has now been successfully replaced by Celerio.

Point to be made is that it takes time to evolve, however large a corporation you may be.

As for the bullock cart statement that Indians will buy whatever has a S logo, I beg to differ.

Indians are well informed and have both disposable incomes, high aspirations and a plethora of choice.

S logo sells because it offers "more" than all other Logos.

Reliability, lower cost of maintenance, high reach and availability of A.S.S, better resale, decent quality for the price you pay and most importantly, the peace of mind and pride that you have invested in something that has Indian roots attached to it.

[ank.nsit]

Originally Posted by Vik0728

I possibly could not agree more with you Sandeep. I, for one, have never liked Suzuki for their attitude towards Indians, such as:

1. Indians will even buy Bullock carts with Suzuki symbol.
2. We were the best in India and nobody will ever change that.

I would have agreed to your views about 6 months back. I too always thought that Maruti cars sell just because they are popular choice/because of Maruti's penetration even in tier-3 cities etc etc. I use to laugh when someone used to talk about buying a maruti for more than 5-6 lakhs.
But when I was in the market for purchasing a new car, I test drove Swift/Dzire & to my surprise the cars were amazing. It was then I realised that the Maruti is selling because of its amazing products not just for the heck of it.
I still can't believe that I spent more than 8 lakhs on a Maruti, but now every drive in my Dzire puts a smile on my face.

Originally Posted by Vik0728

Unlike its German or Italian counterparts, Suzuki outsells almost all its competitors in every class. So ideally, they cannot have an excuse that they can’t cater to petro heads by launching some truly performance oriented machines like the Swift Sport.

A company has to consider a lot of factors before launching any version model in the market.
Swift ZDi touches the price points of about 7.2 lakhs OTR. Any higher pricing variant will find a very few takers. With Maruti having a packed assembly line, any new such variant will be at the cost of production of other models/variants which are in demand. So, I do not blame Maruti for taking the populist approach, as everyone is in business to make money.

[giri1.8]

I am planning to get the swift as my next car, can anyone confirm if the facelift will be launched soon?

[volkman10]

Originally Posted by giri1.8

I am planning to get the swift as my next car, can anyone confirm if the facelift will be launched soon?

I doubt anyone can confirm this, but the launch is speculated to be in July.

[akshay87kumar]

Originally Posted by volkman10

I doubt anyone can confirm this, but the launch is speculated to be in July.

The dealers outrightly refuse any knowledge of facelift-swift. All they know is the ciaz, which they continue to say is the "new SX4".

[volkman10]

Maruti will launch a refreshed version of its highly popular Swift hatchback in India in November 2014.

The biggest change, will be the integration of daytime running lights into the front bumper along with a redesigned grille and headlamp package. The taillights too will get a redesign with the possibility of a full LED tail lamp package being integrated into the Swift.

The interior will get a nip/tuck with a better infotainment system with an inbuilt LCD screen with a navigation option for the top of the line cars.

The popular DDiS 1.3-litre, 4-cylinder, turbocharged diesel engine making 75PS will continue to be the most popular engine on sale. Whether Maruti decides to offer a more powerful 90PS version of the same engine, as used in the likes of the Eritga and the SX4, is uncertain

http://auto.economictimes.indiatimes...ember/39416068

[shashank.nk]

^^ the same article also mentions this:

Maruti Suzuki is also expected to offer both automatic petrol and an automatic diesel version of the new Swift.

Automatic diesel ? A Swift automatic diesel will surely set the charts on fire,though I think this is mere speculation as its not backed by any additional info on what type of autobox they'd be using. I don't think AMT will do.

[a4anurag]

Originally Posted by shashank.nk

^^ the same article also mentions this:

Automatic diesel ? A Swift automatic diesel will surely set the charts on fire,though I think this is mere speculation as its not backed by any additional info on what type of autobox they'd be using. I don't think AMT will do.

Why no to AMT? Since it is most a manual transmission there shouldn't be a problem.

Anurag.

[shashank.nk]

Originally Posted by a4anurag

Why no to AMT? Since it is most a manual transmission there shouldn't be a problem.

Anurag.

Is there any restriction to how much torque a AMT can handle ? I thought the torque of a diesel (190nm) is too much for it.

[zenren]

Originally Posted by shashank.nk

Is there any restriction to how much torque a AMT can handle ? I thought the torque of a diesel (190nm) is too much for it.

Tata has just launched the Diesel AMT option in Zest with the same Multijet engine, and that too in the higher state of tune of 90PS. So it is unlikely that there was any technical limitation on why Suzuki was not providing a diesel AMT option till now. It is most likely their priorities.

That said, Tata introduced Indigo CS to kickoff the sub-4m craze but it was Suzuki who really reaped the maximum out of it with the new Dzire. So, even if they come late into the game, they would leave their mark once they do come.

[shashank.nk]

Originally Posted by zenren

Tata has just launched the Diesel AMT option in Zest with the same Multijet engine, and that too in the higher state of tune of 90PS. So it is unlikely that there is any technical limitation on why Suzuki is not providing a diesel AMT option. It is most likely their priorities.

Thanks for that. So we may actually see a Swift Diesel AMT sometime in future if not immediately. I hope Tata's Zest ends the dearth of diesel automatics in the hatchback and C2 segment sedans.

[Sutripta]

Originally Posted by shashank.nk

Is there any restriction to how much torque a AMT can handle ?

AMT is an add-on to the normal gearbox/ clutch.

Regards
Sutripta

[amitpunjani]

Originally Posted by volkman10

Maruti will launch a refreshed version of its highly popular Swift hatchback in India in November 2014.



http://auto.economictimes.indiatimes...ember/39416068

So that means Fiat is minting money, first my selling 1.3 DDis Engine or National engine, now in addition they would be selling AMT or rather national AMT to various OEMs- TATA, Maruti, Mahindra surely on the cards.

Good go Fiat, by investing only in R&D

[a4anurag]

Originally Posted by shashank.nk

Thanks for that. So we may actually see a Swift Diesel AMT sometime in future if not immediately. I hope Tata's Zest ends the dearth of diesel automatics in the hatchback and C2 segment sedans.

If not a fully auto transmission setup, an AMT will be a big boon both FE and cost wise. Since it is an add-on the costs would be low and net price would be similar to a normal MT.

Anurag.

[Pam81]

AMT is never an automatic. It is Automated Manual Transmission.
I do agree for a car driver, as long as the clutch & shifting is not there, it is percieved as an automatic.
But technically, AMT can never beat the torque converter (TC) automatic in terms of torque provided. The torque amplication factor of Torque converter based automatic will be 50% more than the AMT based cars simply because AMT can't have too big gear ratio for first gear to match the TC automatic and hence it boils down to acceleration as a measure to understand these two are not same. Torque converter based automatics beat AMT's straight down. On the other side, FE will be improved, but by how much?

AMT will have to rely on electric or hydraulic actuation to perform the following:
1. clutch opening and closing
2. gear shifting

Well, either of the above actuation method must be eating away some portion of engine's power albeit in smaller amounts for very higher frequencies though (read city driving).

Couple of things will be interesting to see about AMT's reliability in Indian driving scenario. We have to do too many gear shifts in city driving, owing to traffic and what not..! For agressive drivers, AMT certainly not going to be a bliss. But for an average driver, only overtaking maneuver will be a dull experience!