[TusharK]

Maruti Suzuki is celebrating 15 years since the launch of the Swift in India. The hatchback was introduced in the Indian market way back in 2005.



In the last 15 years, the Swift has gone through 3 generations. Maruti claims to have sold more than 2.2 million units of the car. The model is said to have led the premium hatchback segment for 14 years.

The third generation Swift was launched at the 2018 Auto Expo. According to Maruti, since its launch, the Swift has garnered close to 30% market share. It was the highest selling premium hatchback in FY2019-20.

Link to Team-BHP News

[romeomidhun]

Source: https://www.thehindubusinessline.com...le31835692.ece

"We were all so used to working on the ‘Jelly Bean’ design that the initial sketches of the Swift really seemed radically different and unbelievably sporty. The Zen was the premium hatch at that point in time. So, there were some initial thoughts about whether the Swift was too radical for the Indian market."

The same CV Raman now says 3-door Jimny won't be suitable for Indian market. Age reduces (risk) appetite.

When companies like Kia and MG are investing thousands of crores for launching new products including EVs, the leader who is supposedly having a huge cash reserve is just brooding over it and not taking any risk.

[ValarMorghulis]

I remember the first Swift in our colony in Delhi. The neighbour right in front of our house got one back in 2005/06 and immediately everyone was interested in it, especially 'cos they got it for a steal (I think there was in introductory price initially). Long story short, soon there was a deluge of Swifts and the uncle couldn't stop beaming basking in his correct decision and influencing everyone.
We got one soon after in 2009 which, to this day, serves us fabulously and has traveled from the narrow lanes of Karol Bagh to hilly slopes of Almora, Baghweshar, Ranikhet and pretty much most of North India.
Swift was a phenomenal product which pretty much revived Maruti.

Time for Maruti to bring another game changer?

[Revmatch99]

Still remains one of the most fun to drive hatchbacks on sale today, even more fun to drive than the over hyped Polo and Punto. The only other hatch that can match the fun to drive factor is the first gen Figo. Although an unwelcome change in the current gen is the steering feedback.

[arindambasu13]

Owned both the G13B first gen Swift (my father's) as well as the K12 Swift (my own) over a total period of more than 12 years. One of the most exceptional and fun to drive hatchbacks ever to hit Indian shores and a true legend. Remains an all time favourite car for me.

If only they had brought the Swift Sports 1.4L to India, I would have bought it eyes closed. One of my dream hot hatches, for sure.

[arjab]

The SWIFT was a path breaking moment for Maruti in India.

As a brand builder it was par excellence. Overnight, Maruti was catapulted from being viewed as a manufacturer of humdrum, bland-as-celery econo-box's to the makers of a snazzy, youthful, futuristic looking car loaded with the latest technology. That the first gen SWIFT drove like a hoot and cornered like it was on rails was the added icing on Maruti's cake. Add the legendary reliability of the venerable G13B four pot motor and the recipe was perfect for to bring out the hidden Michael Schumacher in you!

The fact that the trims started creaking in a brand new car after driving a 1000kms, the tight rear-seat legroom, the dark seating environment at the back, the vanity-bag sized bootspace and the band-aid thin rear windscreen,(which in the lower trims without the rear wash-wipe), made rear visibility, especially at night, non-existen: all were forgotten when you sunk into that commodious driver's seat, (which in my opinion is still the best in the segment despite the original model being 15 years old), flicked the gearshifter through its gate and gave it the beans!
The fact that it sniffed out corners like a terrier on a hunting trail and then dived into it with the alacrity of an eagle swooping in on its prey - were all to be experienced.
Much of this was due to the suspension setup. The original Gen-1 SWIFT came with anti-roll bars at both ends, (in later versions this was deleted), the setup was firm - and yes the low speed ride was bad! It crashed and thumped its way over pot-holes, and in Calcutta where i live, it did a fine little jig everytime one crossed the infamous tram tracks!
But up the pace, flick the gearlever into 2nd, point the nose into that bend waiting for you - and boy - oh - boy was it fun! For those who stay in North Bengal and are familiar with the Darjeeling district my humble suggestion: drive a Gen-1 SWIFT up Pankhabari, in the dead of night, (and time yourself),to know the real meaning of FUN!

Yes, the new SWIFT's are better, more comfortable with all the modern digital trappings. But its still a fun machine to pilot. And that is the SWIFT's appeal: it is an affordable fun car to own and drive, with practicality and low ownership costs. That it is a formidable combination is borne out by the sales numbers!

[tharian]

Maruti has couple of anniversaries this year, the other being 20 years of the Alto, if am correct.

The Swift 15 years back was one of the differently designed cars among the rest and it sure did turn heads back then.
My dad back then booked the Swift soon after it was launched and we took delivery of a silver Lxi exactly 15 years ago to this week. Till then he was driving and habituated to M800's since he bought his first one in '88 and so this was a refreshing change.

This car is still with us and run just 63k kms and I had got the Fitness renewed recently as well. There is a known issue of the early makes with rust forming over time on the chassis number under the bonnet. Thankfully they passed this car since the unique number was legible.
The car unlike his previous cars has seen just a handful of highway trips and does more of short distances everyday with the initial couple of years seeing use only on weekends. All this with a missed service in the second year made a rough engine which now after me driving it and giving it the beans once a while has improved.

It is a sort of beater car in terms of his driving style and has few parts replaced like the clutch plates, rear dampers, thermostat, wiper motor, boot struts, gear knob, driver seat belt, link rods and a wheel bearing. The AC system was overhauled when the car was less than 5 years old and works fine since then, except there is no heating in the cabin since the coolant pipe was leaking coolant in the driver foot well and was disconnected.
The window winders on the front doors has rusted and had to be replaced, but that was because of daily washing of the car.
There is a head gasket leak as well which is not very bad and I have left it as it is. Recently after a engine bay wash before taking it to the RTO, the guy washing it accidentally yanked the gear cable shifter and disconnected it. I drove the car in 3rd gear to the Service centre around a km away and got it fixed in less than a minute.

Needless to say, it is one of those modern cars, but yet not expensive or complicated to maintain which is why I want to retain it. Not to forget the fun engine it has which is addictive when it gets into that sweet spot.

[TejasKinger]

I think given the Maruti Swift's popularity, much like that of the Maruti 800, all of us at some point would have some really good memories with the car, even if we didn't get to own one.

My Grandfather, back in the day, used to own a Red Swift VXi. It was from one of the early 2005 batches. We remember being blown away by its finesse, power, and features (for 2005 standards).

Fast forward to 2010, I was all of 19, and I had barely learned how to drive. My fondest memories are of me sneaking out with the car on the pretext of running errands and then bragging about it to friends

Sadly, I don't have any pictures of the car, but she is still with the extended family serving as a beater. The bodywork is in tatters, but chugging along just fine, no issues.

I also had the chance to rent both Gen 1 and Gen 2 Swifts on two separate trips to Goa, once in 2012, and the next time in 2018. Both were thankfully in great condition, allowing me to peacefully soak in the beauty of the narrow, twisty Goan roads.

[DicKy]

If there was a customer clinic or focus group sort of study done to find the ideal family car for Indians in the later part of 2000s, it would have resembled an Indica Vista.

Yet, radical styling, sporty drive, impractical space and layout aside, it has become one of India's largest selling cars, beating Alto in many months.

Seems funny that something seen as a fun hatch for singles in other parts of the world, is seen as The family car in India

Like how many countries could say that their number one selling car is a fun to drive model

The first gen Swift, the feel of being in the centre of axis(?) when taking turns was awesome.

Big question on safety and the interior rattling aside, this is one of the best options for first car buyers. Well, the market agrees too.

[GipsyDanger]

An icon indeed.

If the WagonR was our Ford Cortina, the Swift indeed was our Ford Capri: Practicality traded in for sporty looks and handling.

How we all howled in pain when the lovable jellybean was finally put out of pasture and it's name was instead slapped onto an ugly box....then Maruti said, "let there be light" and came to our rescue, the Suzuki Swift.

15 years later, the nameplate rightfully earned itself a position among the likes of WagonR and Alto.

Like the Zen, it appealed to the mass market and the enthusiasts alike. The mass market loved the reliability, equipment levels,fuss-free ownership backed by an enormous service network. The enthusiasts loved the handling, and the performance and immense tunability of the 1.3 and the equally likeable K-series.

And of course, the national engine. The 1.3 DDIS has the Swift to thank for its immense popularity in the segment.

No car (Not even the Zen) has ever caused such a stir in the car community before, appealing to different crowds all at once, a car with hardly any compromises, and frankly no car has ever come even close since then.

Here's to more years with the one cheerful, eccentric car that stood out among the sensible boxes in the stable. It kinda nails the basics of a hot hatch: You don't need enormous power and a big price tag to have fun! This means all things to all car-lovers.

If it weren't for the infamous resale value, my next car would've almost certainly been a 2014 Swift ZXI! Fingers-crossed for finding a good one.

[chiranjitp]

One fine evening in July 2005 I went with my uncle to get some groceries from the nearest Supermarket. In the front parking lot there was this car parked for display purpose, it looked unlike anything I had seen on our roads. Both me & my uncle forgot about the shopping part & directly went to check the car. The display car was in blue in color & looked so good, looked like a car from the future. The signboard behind the car read "SWIFT, you're the fuel". So the car's name was Swift, I figured out. Remember in 2005 I was a 11 year kid (though fully onto cars even then). The car had so many curves, the sweptback big headlights, the bulky rear, everything looked very unique & eye catching.

Then a SA came, opened the car & asked us to check out the interiors. The interiors felt even better, there was no exposed metal parts here, everything was covered with plastic. The dashboard was long & big, had all 4 power windows, so no need to manually roll the windows. The SA then started explaining the features to my uncle, the Swift was very loaded for that time. Two things caught the fancy of the 11 year old me, first was the ACC, just set the temperature like you would do in a Split AC (many places in 05 still had Window ACs with manual adjustment), how cool I thought. Next thing he told us that the Swift had some 6/7 computers on board, by that time I was already into Computer games (Project IGI anyone?), I asked the SA to show me the 6/7 computers . I don't remember the exact reply that he gave me, but I am sure he didn't give me a satisfactory answer. The 11 year me was very excited with the prospect of having 6/7 computers inside a car, surely I could play my favorite game in one of them. Finally we left the place & the SA gave me a brochure of the Swift, I liked the car so much that I still have that brochure with me, 15 years later.

Swift launch brochure:













It was in September 2018. I received a message from Dbhpian & very good friend Leoshashi, that Dbhpian SS-Traveller was looking to sell his 2006 Swift ZXi. He was specifically looking to sell the car to someone who would take proper care of her. Since the car belonged to a BHPian & was the top of line ZXI (with airbags & ABS), I was very interested in the car. This was kind of a one time opportunity to buy a first gen Swift, the car that I have been wanting to buy since the last 13-14 years.

It's been almost 2 years since I bought the Swift & even now when I revv the engine hard, a big smile is plastered on my face. The car even in 2020 doesn't feel outdated, both equipment & performance wise. Performance wise it can out accelerate most 1.2s. It's still one of the few cars under 10 lakh that can cross the 100 kmph mark in 2nd gear.

On the flipside build quality is bad, it rattles unlike any other car. The suspension is a bit stiff as well & NVH levels are average at best. For me the Swift has needed some maintenance, that too rather frequently. Though one hard pull in 2nd gear makes it all worthwhile.

My 06 Swift ZXi:

[keroo1099]

Its been an amazing 15 year ride with my Swift and I have loved, and am still loving every minute with her.

I was a bit of a nut and modified mine within the first 1000 km.The engine was ported/shaved, cone filter added, SS end can, a decat, and second hand OZ rims procured from Chennai with really odd sized 195/65 R14 tyres (forget the brand). Like I said all this happened over the first few months of ownership which made it a hell of a lot more fun to drive.

Over time added a pioneer head unit with comp's in front and coax at the rear and a sub in the boot. At some stage early on in its life I got 90/100 bulbs for the headlights and HID's for the fogs which made night drives a lot easier.

Its done 85K to date, and has been relatively trouble free over this period. The clutch has been changed once, the water pump a couple of times, It's eaten two batteries and I finally changed the ORVM's this year after struggling to keep the original ones from fading. The suspension became weak a few years ago so I experimented and stiffened/lowered it by using cut coil springs and struts from a Diesel Swift and also changed the brake rotors. The ride in the city is stiff, but levels out beautifully on the highway. I upgraded the brakes a bit by getting steel braided hoses and Bendix semi-metalic pads for the front on a trip to KL. The AC compressor finally gave up the ghost last year so had to fit a compressor from the newer gen Swift. The poor thing has gone through its fair share of knocks and bruises (rear doors and boot) but has come through without a hiccup and thankfully without any signs of rust. Whatever mild rattles I had had been fixed with a thin sheet of foam on the inside of all the door pads and some additional damping with a Wurth spray.

This car makes me smile every time I take her out, which means FC time in November.


The interior plastic still looks good and doesn't show any sign of fading


Second hand OZ rims with brand new rubber from Madhu's

[ashvek3141]

Aah! So many memories with this beautiful car.
I still remember going to the grand launching of this car with my Dad at our local dealership in 2005. I was in the 10 grade back then. This car was nothing that was seen from a Maruti before. In a sea of the 800's, Zen's & Omni's, this was like a breath of fresh air. I was in complete awe of this car. It was standing in a bright red shade right in the middle of the showroom, with the hazards blinking amidst the confetti bursting, champagne popping, and what not! The dealership, I remember even held a small quiz for the audience about the car and I had answered most of the questions; and had secured a prize even! Not sure if it was a first place though.
Fast forward to 2007, the Swift Diesel was launched. And my Dad, who used to simply hate diesel-powered cars for obvious reasons back then, was simply blown away by the test-drive of the Swift Diesel. So much so, that we had immediately booked one after the drive. A Pearl Arctic White Swift VDi was our first Swift. What a car it was! The amount of TORQUE it generated was simply unimaginable for a hatchback back then. It actually took away the stigma that was attached to the diesel cars all these years.
I infact learnt my driving in this very car. During the early days, the amount of power it generated used to give me shivers, but it was equally thrilling. All the more, the initial batches of the Swift were without the ABS; trust me, it was a nightmare to get this car under control from high speeds. I did have my fair share of drives in this beauty. We had this car for close to 5 years and approx 60k KMS IIRC.

What next? A Swift ZDi this time. That was the kinda of love we both had for this beauty. But this time, chose to go with the top of the line variant. With no compromise in safety; Airbags and ABS were a 'luxury' feature in 2011 and hence chose the ZDi trim. Heck, my 2011 Swift proudly carries the badge of 'ABS' on the boot. LOL.
Thanks to TBHP and GTO, we realized the perks of holding onto the cars for max period; and today our Red Beauty is over 8.5 years already & clocked 1L KMS on ODO. I still love driving it every single day. Though the 2nd Gen Swifts were a bit tamed, the fun to drive factor was never lost.

Having said that, I am not a big fan of the 3rd Gen Swift. No offence to the owners of this new car; but those who have driven / owned the 1st / 2nd Gen Swifts will know exactly what I am talking about.

If there is one car which changed the image of the brand Maruti Suzuki, it is this! And I am sure not many will disagree.

- A MS Swift fan forever.

[flyingsaucer]

15 years! Nostalgia coming through in spades!

I remember running behind a tennis ball while playing street cricket only to see a parked swift. The fact that I remember it 15 years later speaks volumes about how I felt when I first spotted the car. It was love at first sight. I was 13 back then and we owned a 1991 M800. To me, the swift was the stuff of dreams. It looked mean, aggressive, and sporty.

Cut to 2013 and I've just graduated out of engineering college. Decide to save money for a few months and buy a car. Look at some options - the i20, the grand i10, the i20, the figo, and of course the Swift. My brain did say grand i10 - it was more practical and had a host of fancy features. I remember being enamoured by the rear AC vents (segment first?) and the cooled glovebox (you can keep coke cold over the entire trip!). Almost booked the car but my mind went back to 2005 and to my 13 year old self chasing a tennis ball only to look up in amazement. I realised that even though I might have a happy grand i10 ownership experience, I would always go down the what-if rabbithole everytime a swift went past me on the highway.

I booked the Swift ZXI in early 2014 and a smile escapes my lips everytime I put my seatbelt on. My girlfriend and I have made countless memories thanks to this and there's no way we're ever parting with the car. Just. So. Much. Fun.

[GTO]

Count me as a big fan of the Swift ! If I was looking at a hatchback, a red Swift would be a top contender. Stylish, chuckable, fun to drive, lovely cabin, modification-friendly and the sweetest 1.2L n/a petrol engine there is. In order of priority, I like the current gen Swift & the 2nd-gen, but not the 1st-gen as I don't think too much of the 2005 car's quality, 1.3L petrol and ride quality. But Maruti really got the 2nd & 3rd gens bang on.

This is how I'd do up my Swift: