[romeomidhun]

Originally Posted by motorworks

However the whole aspect of fun to drive and hot hatch are incorrect terminologies for all the three generations of swifts. They have been good to drive, affordable, but nothing beyond that. Just because a car sells in great numbers it has no right to be classified as fun to drive and labelled as a car for the enthusiasts.

Floor the 1.2K series - it is fun, and not lethargic at the higher RPMs as some of its competitors. And not all people want 0-100 in 5 secs.

"Fun" is not always "speed".

Originally Posted by motorworks

Most of you might agree that the Swift also has very average brakes, so what good is a fun to drive enthusiast's car which does not sharp braking?

Average breaks / car not stopping completely with half clutch was a story of the past. New ones don't have this problem. Reviews are written when the models are launched. It is not getting updated along with the updates to the cars.

Originally Posted by motorworks

If one were to classify the Swift as an enthusiast's car then what would you call the ford Figo which has always beaten the Swift in on-track performances?

"Figo is a driver's car" doesn't mean Swift can't be like that. Is it?

Moreover, hard-driving a smaller capacity engined car is more fun than driving a higher capacity engined car.

Originally Posted by motorworks

Let's just acknowledge it for it is and not get carried away with the general perception. If you want an enthusiastic car under 10-12 lakhs then you always have the Polo TSi and even the abarth Punto.

Not all enthusiasts are rich enough to buy a TSi or Abarth. Why you are setting the 10-12L limit? If the limit is 8L, Swift is there. With all its fun.

And after all the fun driving, you need to service your car on regular intervals, right? That should not take away your fun.

[sandx]

Not all enthusiasts are rich enough to buy a TSi or Abarth. Why you are setting the 10-12L limit? If the limit is 8L, Swift is there. With all its fun.

And after all the fun driving, you need to service your car on regular intervals, right? That should not take away your fun.

Bang on point. I think it's advantage Swift if someone even looked at buying one before investing in a TSI or an Abarth, all other positives and negatives withstanding. It is after all a new gen common man's car and no one can take it away from it (unless Maruti bungles on the price).

All said and done Maruti has upped the game in this segment, let's see how the competition pans out.

On the Figo comparison, Ford's sad attempt at the Figo S is deplorable. There are other things than the engines which matters a lot. One look at the dash layout and I will be having nightmares, and whoever thought about that "put your own phone in the hole cause we couldn't fit in something else in the budget" deserves a razzie award.

[chncar]

Originally Posted by CarguyNish

Like both the New Swift & Baleno ?, Here is a solution for those. Who should buy what!

Both the Swift and Baleno are relatively new hatchbacks in the B-Segment. And this has potential for confusion among buyers.


Want a fun-to-drive hatchback? Swift 1.2 Petrol MT
The Swift Petrol is about 80 kilograms lighter than the outgoing variant, and the weight saving makes a big difference in terms of performance. The car accelerates faster than the outgoing model and the 1.2 liter petrol engine loves to rev to the moon. Add a balanced chassis, slick gearbox and taut suspension to the equation, and what you get is a totally involving car – the Swift 1.2 MT.

I'd have to question the idea that the Swift is more fun to drive than the Baleno. The main issue with the Baleno is that the steering is pathetic (way worse than the older steering that Maruti had with the Ritz/Old Swift - which itself wasn't considered in the league of the Punto or Old Figo/Fiesta), this is the single biggest weakness that takes away any FTD pretensions. By most accounts, Maruti has gone with the same steering system in the Swift as well.

Take any sweeping curves (highway driving and speeds) with the Baleno and the chassis does fine, the brakes are just about OK but the steering is downright scary. Limits the "fun" that can be had.

Of course, doesn't make any difference to the idiots who race about in dense city traffic - the steering is perfect for them.

[Dr.Naren]

The dealers have started receiving first lot of new swift. Launch date is 9th February.

[MercFan]

Originally Posted by honda_dude

One of my colleagues brought the 2017 swift here in New Zealand. Just sharing some pictures for everyone as I believe most of the specs would be the same for India apart from the push button start.

The pictures are from the dealer listing.

Nice pics thank you for sharing. What I would be interested is the following:
Is the build quality the same?
Any differences in feature list?
How much does it cost in NZ?
I'm sure the alloys are different and the engines too.

Furthermore, I think, Suzuki once killed SX4 with Dzire. They will never repeat that fiasco with Baleno/Swift.

Having said that, even if Swift sportz is launched in India, it will be a Nexa offering and will be priced much above the Baleno.

[motorworks]

Originally Posted by romeomidhun

Floor the 1.2K series - it is fun, and not lethargic at the higher RPMs as some of its competitors. And not all people want 0-100 in 5 secs.

We risk going off topic, But let me try and give a quick reply. Firstly, do not take words out of context.

I never said speed is fun and neither did I set a limit of 10-12 lakhs for an enthusiasts car. I only stated that a lot of us seem to classify the Swift as an enthusiastic car or fun to drive without it actually being genuinely one.
Let me ask you something, the first gen Ritz was near identical in terms of mechanicals and everything to the first gen Swift. Did folks classify the Ritz as an enthusiasts car? People have an emotional connect with the Swift, because of its name and the way it looks. People assume that it's a sporty hatch back partly due to its naming and also due to its rather sporty quirky looks. Not saying that the swift's engine is mediocre, it does rev well, but that is about it. About 10 years back there were not many cars like the Polo TSi and Abarth Punto, so people had limitations in what they could buy.
Even though the Swift is one of the better hatch backs around and relatively more involving to drive than say a Hyundai i10 Grand or anything like that, let us just call a spade a spade. The Swift is a good car, good to drive, but is it sporty and the car for the enthusiasts? I for sure think no! You are entitled to your opinion since some of these factors are also subjective and also depends on expectations.

[honda_dude]

Originally Posted by MercFan

Nice pics thank you for sharing. What I would be interested is the following:
Is the build quality the same?
Any differences in feature list?
How much does it cost in NZ?
I'm sure the alloys are different and the engines too.

Furthermore, I think, Suzuki once killed SX4 with Dzire. They will never repeat that fiasco with Baleno/Swift.

Having said that, even if Swift sportz is launched in India, it will be a Nexa offering and will be priced much above the Baleno.

Hey MercFan,

With regards to your questions.

1. The build quality is a bit better with regards to consistent panel gaps and fit and finish.
2. The Swift comes with different engine options here in NZ
1.2 manual, 1.2 auto, 1.0 turbo. I believe it does not get offered in diesel here as you need special road permits for diesel cars in New Zealand.

Below are the features listed on the dealer listing
Adaptive Cruise Control, Lane Change Warning, Paddle Shift Controls, Push Button Start Stop, Stability Control, USB Interface, Auto Headlights, Daytime Running Lights, Proximity Key, Rain Sensing Wipers, Reverse Camera, Tinted Windows, 2 Sets Of Keys, Bluetooth, Dual Zone Air Conditioning, Engine Start Button, GPS/Satellite Navigation, Engine Immobiliser, Steering Wheel Controls.

3. As there are no car manufacturing units in New Zealand, new cars are a bit on the expensive side.
A 1.2 Auto will set you back by $20,000 (approx 10 lacs INR) and a 1.0 turbo would start anywhere in the range of $26,000 (approx 13 lacs INR).

They do have different alloy wheel designs as compared to Indian market.

I hope I was able to answer your queries.

[deetjohn]

Interesting to note that there is a plastic flap on the rear bumper along the wheel well à la the Fiesta and Octavia. Also, love the shape of those front seats.

But I don't like the fact that Swift's characteristic center mounted rear fog lamp is missing from the variants here. However, I can see it on the Sport. Same for the analog temp gauge which used to sit next to the tachometer!

Have said this before, but cannot help still. Hate the new rear door handle. It was a fad from many years ago and is not practical too. And it is ruining the side profile. Previously, the A and B pillars were black and the C was fully body colored which made it look very pronounced. That gave the car its wonderful sweptback profile.

Hope the new one delivers on the road though. Now, everyone is calling the second generation diluted. That wasn't the case. I upgraded to a 2011 ZDi from a 2007 LDi and I would prefer the former over the later any day. The steering was amazing - light but accurate and fast. The one in the first gen was needlessly heavy but lacking precision and it was really clueless around the dead center position. Same for the suspension, the second gen had that nice balance of ride and handling and it cornered flat. The old one was very harsh and delivered only over well paved tarmac. And it never got the tyres or the wheels for the job. In comparison, the Z was perfect in its stock form.

That brings me to the alloys. The asymmetric pattern with its thin spokes were absolutely fantastic in the second gen - a set of 15" which looked like 16" in person. And they ruined it with the face lift. This one looks like 14" in comparison and I don't like the little support triangles for each spoke.

Anyways, eagerly waiting for a drive.

[volkman10]

Suzuki SWIFT finds a place in the '2018 World Urban Car' top five finalists. ( just announced!)

The 2018 World Urban Car was narrowed down to these top five finalists:

1. Ford Fiesta 2. Hyundai Kona 3. Nissan Micra 4.Suzuki Swift 5. Volkswagen Polo

Link

[romeomidhun]

Originally Posted by motorworks

...the first gen Ritz was near identical in terms of mechanicals and everything to the first gen Swift. Did folks classify the Ritz as an enthusiasts car?

Never, but with reasons.

For a car in this range, fun is when you take fast curves, fun is when you change tracks quickly like a go-cart, fun is when your car moves quickly from stand-still when you floor the pedal, fun is when your car giving a sporty thrumming sound in high RPMs.

For Ritz, the first 2 are not as confident-inspiring as Swift thanks to its tall body and seating.

[SoumenD]

Any idea if the lower variants come with a rear wiper? I just can't fathom why such a basic(but really important) safety feature is now-a-days offered only in top end variant. Is it that expensive? Was shocked to see, even a 14L Creta seems to have it only SX+ onwards

Is there an option to retro-fit it in lower variants? Would it void warranty as I guess electricals would be touched?

[teemus]

Originally Posted by romeomidhun

Never, but with reasons.

For a car in this range, fun is when you take fast curves, fun is when you change tracks quickly like a go-cart, fun is when your car giving a sporty thrumming sound in high RPMs.

For Ritz, the first 2 are not as confident-inspiring as Swift thanks to its tall body and seating.

To be fair, the first gen was sure more Fun-To-Drive than the later iterations, which were a much toned down version of the the original. But it's true, Swift has an emotional connect and is comparatively more FTD than others from the Maruti stable.

On caomparison with Figo, I believe the Figo TDCi puts a much bigger smile on your face especially with the sorted chasis and the crisp responsive steering; not to forget amazing brakes.

[Dhruba_Nazira]

Originally Posted by romeomidhun

For a car in this range, fun is when you take fast curves, fun is when you change tracks quickly like a go-cart, fun is when your car moves quickly from stand-still when you floor the pedal, fun is when your car giving a sporty thrumming sound in high RPMs.

Absolutely. I would like to add some more to the list. Fun is when you don't look at the fuel meter too often. Fun is when the ASS experience is pleasant. Fun is when you (the car model) are not alone on the road. Fun is when you know there will definitely be a service centre nearby if there is any breakdown. Fun is when you are assured of a high resale value.

[motorworks]

Originally Posted by Dhruba_Nazira

Absolutely. I would like to add some more to the list. Fun is when you don't look at the fuel meter too often. Fun is when the ASS experience is pleasant. Fun is when you (the car model) are not alone on the road. Fun is when you know there will definitely be a service centre nearby if there is any breakdown. Fun is when you are assured of a high resale value.

And Fun is when the EMI is the lowest, and may be it is Fun when the bank says it's ok, you do not have to pay the EMI.

Sorry, couldn't help that! No offence! But we seem to equate fun with things that are not actually so! In any case I give up on this debate on what should be genuinely classified as fun to drive.

Back to the topic, the new Swift is a far more neutral car, will surely attract thousands of orders every month and rightfully so. I have always felt that this is a car that has some kind of a cult fan following in India. Do not see any competing brand like Hyundai upstage the Swift just as yet.

[romeomidhun]

A slight modification to the grill will give it a different face than DZire. Or, DZire should get this update.