[roadie_swift]

Man, oh man, how I'm loving this thread.. In fact, I'm going to send a print to my parents, who have chided me ever since for buying a non-practical car.

I did a TD in March 06, and was bewitched - I paid the money first, then and there, and then told my folks and wife what I had gone and done.

What's more, I could not afford it, then. In fact I came to afford the Swift - the EMI as well as the running cost - somewhere around 2008. Had to face ridicule from some of the more "practical-minded" colleagues, including taunts about the mileage. But what the heck - I was loving it, and I'm loving it even now - 66000 kms on. Long live the Swift.

[StreetAddict]

Fantastic Write-up sid . Awaiting the next part!

[fz_rider]

@ sid
I envy you! You haven't left a single point for me, to write in appreciation of the KING of hatches!

[arjunrudra]

Brilliant Tribute. This car is definitely worth it, Just got into the family a month back.Really loving the car a lot.
BTW mine is Black swift vdi which finished its first service and second service in the first month only , meaning it did 5404 kms to be precise in exactly a month.

[Safari_Beast]

Excellent write up Sid .

I have booked ma Toy i.e swift D on march 14 .

I am dream of it day and night to transform that ma swift D to toy looks . :P

I just love this toy .

Its total fun to drive car .

[vikramk]

Fantastic thread and I'm so much looking forward to the next few parts.
As a proud Swift owner for 7 months now, nothing interests me more than articles about the car which I find is one of the best to drive.

Thanks a lot of the detailed 'biography' of the Swift.

[sidindica]

Part 3: The heart of the matter

Engineering a car, especially catering to wide variety of audience from sensible to senseless to sporty to young and old alike, you need the right engine which qualifies as an all rounder suited to the characteristics of the swift.

Kisi ne kaha hai,
yeh dil na hota bechaara,
kadam, no hote aawara,
jo khoobsoorat koi apna humsafar hota...

Of course, this humsafar is khoobsoorat enough to make heads turn but Suzuki engineers also had to prove that it had the go to match the show, so a variety of engines were developed based on various needs and demands in different countries.

• The M13A engine- developed as a part of new engine family in the new millennium, this petrol motor is specifically developed as an entry level motor for the swift, but don't be fooled by calling it "just entry level". Displacing 1328cc, this 4 cylinder engine produces 92 bhp@5800 rpm and a peak torque of 116nm@4200 rpm, quite high to say the least. Equipped with advanced all aluminum cylinder head and block, 16 valves and a double overhead camshaft, it is extremely light and friction free and requires relatively low maintenance. Benefits include optimal performance, mileage and low emission standard. Meets Euro 5 norms. Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin and South America are the key markets for this engine.

• The M15A VVT engine- again an evolution of the M13A with increased displacement, this all aluminum 1490 16V DOHC 4 pot power train produces its peak horsepower of 101 at 5900 rpm and 133 NM of peak torque at a high-ish 4100 rpm, bearing yet another testimony of Suzuki's high revving motors. Similar technology is employed but as compared to the M13A, it gets an added benefit of variable valve timing or VVT for smoother engine operation, low maintenance and exhaust emissions, not to forget excellent fuel efficiency. Key markets include Latin America, South America, Europe, Asia Pacific, hometown Japan, Australia and New Zealand.

• The G13BB engine- This is a completely different motor that can trace its roots back to 1994 when it was launched in the esteem. Designed and developed specially for only two main markets-India and China, this engine has taken the Indian youth and tuner community by storm due to its lightweight all alloy construction, high revving characteristics, easy to run and maintain, high fuel efficiency and easy availability of parts. It is also to modify and tune for higher performance, as easy as it can be by just tweaking the ECU and you have the ultimate street performance machine. heavily updated by Indian arm maruti in 2000 by addition of fuel injection, ECU controlled electronic fuel pump and dual distibutorless ignition and the addition of 4 valves per cylinder, this engine has again been heavily updated for application in the heavier swift. New lighter plastic intake manifolds, new cylinder heads and gasket, bigger valves and an upgraded emissions system make it a worthy powertrain for the car that has the mission to provide affordable excitement to everybody in an extremely price conscious market. It retains its 16V SOHC layout in the interests of cost, lightweight and fuel efficiency. Statistics come in as peak power of 87 bhp@6000 rpm and a peak torque of 115nm@4500 rpm, these figures may seem highish but the engine has a flat torque curve for optimum performance across varying rpms.

• The 1.3L DDIS Diesel engine: This is the engine that has the nation swooning and going crazy over the swift, because simply, diesel rocks. Did I Ever Say Eternal Love? Yes, of course. But one thing to remember is that Europe too has craze for diesels and form a large chunk of the manufacturer's sales and profits. Since Suzuki had no prior experience in designing and developing common rail diesels, they signed an alliance with GM which already had an alliance with Fiat, the original creator of this revolutionary 1248cc MULTIJET diesel. With this alliance, Suzuki too got its own version and badged it as Suzuki DDiS, or Diesel Direct Injection System. Winner of International engine of the year, the Fiat based motor is extremely light weight and compact and weighs equivalent to comparable petrol engines. It too has an all aluminum 16V DOHC layout with 5 step pilot injection technology for high torque at low rpms, high fuel efficiency, low maintenance and most importantly, has an in built EGR for low CO2 emissions, a prime requirement in the EU. When the turbo spools, this car can outperform the best of petrol compact cars on the highway, thanks to its high torque of 190 nm@ 1750-2250 rpm. Equipped with a fixed geometry turbocharger with inter cooler, this common rail motor produces its peak power of 75 horses at 4000 rpm. High performance and high mileage, what else one can ask for? This engine option for the swift is available in almost all the key markets globally.

• The 1.2 K12M engine-Making its debut in the Indian market- only swift from April 1, 2010, this is an all new engine designed to keep environmental regulations and extremely low emissions in mind. Already available in the EU markets is the Splash, and in the Indian market in the Ritz, this engine promises to carry forward Suzuki's legacy of building extremely competent and refined 4 cylinder compact motors which, in addition to having a good balance between power and efficiency, are also environment friendly. To keep in line with the government's small car tax saving norms, this downsized 1197cc engine produces 85 ps@6000 rpm and a high torque of 113nm@4500 rpm. Most importantly, the engine weighs around 30 kilos less than the erstwhile G13BB, so expect performance and fuel economy (certified as 17.94 kmpl by ARAI) to be equally good. Key features include extremely lightweight advanced all alloy construction, maintenance free chain drive system and long life spark plugs for increased reliability and reduce maintenance and service costs.

Transmission and drive train

Depending upon the markets, a variety of transmission choices are available.

• The M13A comes with 4 speed automated manual, in addition to standard 5 speed manual.
• The M15A comes with 4 speed automatic, in addition to the 5 speed manual.
• The 1.3 DDIS comes with 5 speed manual only.
• The G13BB and K12M too come with 5 speed manual only.

The swift's engines are transversely mounted powering the front wheels and in select markets like eastern Europe and Japan, a four wheel drive system known as 4X4 drive 4 is also available as option.
The Indian market models only have front wheel drive ad manual gearboxes for both petrol and diesel.

Steering

• All swift models around the world come with advanced P-EPS electrically assisted rack and pinion power steering for aided handling, increased mileage ad lower maintenance costs.
• select models in addition come with speed sensitive EPS to improve handling and control at varying speeds, increasing safety.

Suspension and brakes:

• the key to swift's superb handling lies in its RBSS or rally based suspension design, inspired from the swift JWRC car.
• The front wheels are independently suspended with standard McPherson Strut and a stiff coil spring with rigid gas filled dampers.
• The rear wheels follow a semi independent torsion beam and coil spring design for aided stability while cornering. This too carries gas filled dampers for a smooth ride.
• Braking is aided by ventilated discs at front and leading plus trailing show drum at the rear.
• ABS is part of standard equipment on top variant in many countries and is available as an option in the middle end variants, Indian market included.

Wheel and tyre sizes:

Depending upon market needs, requirements and priorities, the swift comes with a variety of wheel and tyre combinations:

• The M13A is available with a choice of 165 / 70R14 or 185 / 60R15.
• The M15A comes with 185 / 60R15 as standard.
• The 1.3 DDIS gets similar options abroad- a choice of 165 / 70R14 or 185 / 60R15.
• The Indian market G13BB/K12M comes with a choice of comfort oriented high profile 165/80 R14 or 185/70 R14 sizes, while the DDIS sticks to 165/80 R14 tyres.

Now that the car's open heat surgery is performed, its time to turn on the ignition, vroom and feel the sporty drive.
But hey, did I say "sporty" drive?
Yes, all the versions of swift come with one common ingredient- a sporty drive.
But hey, do you know that there is a true top end variant of the swift which promises all the chills and thrills of a hot hatch and comes exclusively power dressed for it?
Yes, of course, its the Swift sport 1.6, all about it coming up in the next part.
Till then paint the town red, and orange, and green, and blue, because you are the fuel!

[recshenoy]

wow, what a write up sid, As usual superb pics aligned with the write up!
i dint know that 21K Swift were booked even without TD when it was launched!

If i am not wrong, Swift is most sought after car for modifications!. i havent seen any other car modified as many as swift!

Hope Swift Sports and 2 door swift will be introduced in india!

PS: Even after 5 years of launch, Swift has sold 12.5K last month!

[gemithomas]

Sid. You ROCK!!! Seriously man. You should think of automotive journalism.

[sidindica]

Part 4: The Swift Sport-an exciting hot hatch

Apart from the usual mumbo jumbo variants available in many parts across the world, Suzuki also developed a hotter variant of the swift and aptly named as the sport. Yes, a real swift sport.

Lekin Apne desh mein ek bahut badi problem hai.
Haan ji, problem.
Woh yeh ki yahan ke logon ko "sport" ka asli matlab nahi pataa.
Woh sochtein hai ki gaddi mein anginat kaale ghodde, kutte, billi aur fal sabjiyon wala sticker ke saath holi ke rang bhar dene se sport kehlata hai.

Arre, dikhave pe na jao, apni akal lagao.
Clear hai?

Already on sale since 2006 in many parts of the globe, it gets its own specific bits and pieces. Lets have a deeper look into it:

Styling:

Available in both 3 and 5 door versions, the swift gets its own specific GTI body kit.
These include specifically designed front bumper with integrated three part mesh grill and air dam, the famous boomerang headlights are now projected with smoked lenses, specific side skirts to match the side body contours perfectly, 16" multi spoke alloy wheels which look gorgeous and convey a sense of dynamism, integrated air dam with dual exhaust pipes, chin splitter and a rear diffuser in addition to a GTI specific rear bumper.
The rear boomerang taillights too ooze style with smoked lenses and a tailgate spoiler complete the mean look.
Available in jazzy paint shades like red, yellow, blue pearl, white and silver, every shade gives the car a different personality and suits all types of buyer demographics. Young ladies in particular love this.

The insides:

The insides, too are refreshing and jazzed up with special touches which include:

• leather wrapped steering wheel with brushed aluminum spokes and red stitching
• leather wrapped gear knob with red stitching
• silver finish on audio system with MP3/WMA, aux-in and steering mounted audio controls
• drilled aluminum pedals
• chrome ringed instrument dials
• seats in part leather and part fabric combination with red cross stitching
• sporty body hugging front seats with integrated head restraints
• aluminum scuff plates on door sills
• electrically adjustable OSRVM
• dual airbags, side and curtain airbags for safety

The powerhouse:

To ensure that the swift has the go to match its show, Suzuki's engineers have developed a powerplant especifically for the swift sport.
The engine is M16A VVT (yes, the same engine that powers our very own ess guna chaar (SX4) sedan) but is heavily modified for its application in the swift.
Using lighter aluminum cylinder block and heads, this all aluminum engine chruns out an awesome 125 horses at a high 6,800 rpm and a high torque of 148 Nm at a high 4800 rpm, enough to get your expression grinning from point to point.
Zero to hundred is dispatched in 8.5 seconds and top speed is close to 200 kmph, more than enough to put a grin as wide as an Africa in your face.
But that does not mean that the engine is a guzzler. If ran on correct quality fuel, this engine can return a combines mileage of 7.3 litres per 100 km. Dual personality, yet the same at heart?
Isn't it?
So, don't fret your brains and decide between performance and mileage. With the swift sport, you get the best of both worlds.

Transmission:

• This version of swift gets a specific close ratio 5 speed manual gearbox with a spring loaded shift mechanism for perfect shifts top extract maximum performance and optimal mileage to make every drive a pleasure.

Steering:

• This version to gets an advanced electrically assisted rack and pinion P-EPS speed sensitive steering system with a quicker ratio and a higher capacity electric motor to increase steering feedback and vary response according to driver inputs and demands.

Suspension:

• This version of the swift too gets the front independent McPherson Strut with coil spring and gas filled dampers and torsion beam with stabilizer bar, coil springs and gas filled dampers for pin sharp handling.
• The spring and damper rates are different, in fact, the springs are stiff in order to make the car more driver centric and fun to drive.

Wheels and tyres:

• As with many hot hatches, large diameter wheels with wide and low pro tyres are standard in this version positioned as a sporty alternative.
• 195/50 R 16 tyres on multi spoke alloys are standard fit for all countries where it is sold.

Brakes:

• Specific to the swift sport, the front gets a larger diameter ventilated disc for optimum controlled stopping power.
• the rear gets a solid disc too.
• four wheel four channel anti-lock braking system is standard to keep the brute force in check and aid safety, especially under wet and slippery surfaces.

The drive:

Turn on the ignition and you know that you are in treat as soon as you hear that raspy exhaust note coming out of those poked out dual exhausts. the sporty wraparound console is driver centric and with a tilt plus telescopic steering column and a height adjustable driver seat, driving position is faultless for all human frames.

Power at your disposal comes from a high revving 1.6 motor which clocks zero to hundred in much less time than even you can pronounce the whole name of the car!

With great power, of course comes great responsibility and the car comes equipped with a rigid safety cage, all round airbags and 4 channel ABS to keep you secure, in case any unforeseen happens. Not only that, the car comes with decent ride and pin sharp handling for you to not only enjoy those straight roads, but those hair pin bends, like you enjoy your life's ups and downs. And to top it off, sexy good looks that would make any landscape proud.
the swift sport's combination of all roundness also makes it an extremely easy car to live with, so boy racer or weekend getaway, you can have it all in one.
Pity that maruti hasn't launched one in India despite we people clamouring for it and receiving a positive response at all auto expos at which it was dislayed.
Maruti, are you listening?

Lekin kaun jaane ki
Main aur meri tanhaai aksar yeh baatein karte hain
Tum hoti to kaisa hota, tum yeh kehti, tum voh kehti
Tum is baat pe hairaan hoti, tum us baat pe kitni hansti
Tum hoti to aisa hota, tum hoti to vaisa hota
Main aur meri tanhaai aksar yeh baatein karte hain...

OK, enough of day dreaming! lets get back to jiving..oops driving..

Now that we have admired this avatar from afar, its time to get back and
start a journey across the golden quadrilateral in this incredible India, a journey called swift.
The swift is more than just a nameplate. In fact, it changed the perception of Maruti from a maker of dull and boring cars to one that has excitement and enthusiasm in it.

The swift has all the core values of Maruti that has made it India's numero uno manufacture, read trust, reliability, fine after sales service and brand recognition, yet it targets a go getter at heart, one that is ambitious, young, aspirational and determined to stand out in a crowd.

May 25, 2005. A beginning of a new era. A journey that passed many milestones, broke sales records and made all kinds of car buying people crazy, and continues to do so even today.

But what makes this car unique and stand apart in an overcrowded hatch segment?

Find out all this and more on the swift's Indian journey, coming up next.

[determinus]

Fantastic write up! For a moment, when I saw the title, I thought they have decided to move on from their golden goose. Baleno may have huge fan following here, but Swift is the car that certainly made people change their view on Maruti cars (atleast for me). Hope they plonk in an AT in the 5th anniversary edition! That should make its reach complete!!

[carboy]

Originally Posted by determinus

Hope they plonk in an AT in the 5th anniversary edition! That should make its reach complete!!

Ghee & Sugar in your mouth.

I have a 3 yr old Swift Vxi. Before buying, I changed my mind, a 100 times for 2 months before buying a Swift because though Swift fitted all my other requirements - I really wanted an Automatic. Finally I decided to get the Swift because there was no automatic which fitted my needs in that segment.

If Swift comes out with an Automatic Version, I would trade in. Not immedietelly but within a year or two.

[supremeBaleno]

Hey sid, nice writeup. The Swift sure has its shortcomings (like any other car), but it surely was one major milestone in Indian motoring given the way the market received it and continues to do so even after 5 years.

Wish there was a 1.6L option available here - that would have been awesome.
Maybe it is still not late for Suzuki to have a top-end version with 1.6L engine option.

And while they are at it, they should also give a ZDi trim with Airbags - don't diesel-drivers require safety ?

[Ajay_J]

Originally Posted by supremeBaleno

Wish there was a 1.6L option available here - that would have been awesome.
Maybe it is still not late for Suzuki to have a top-end version with 1.6L engine option.

At least as limited anniversary edition.As is... S1600 Sport version. Amen.

[sidindica]

Part 5: The Swift's Indian journey

Ever since its launch on May 25, 2005, the swift has had a dream run that many of its competitors can only dream of. Even today, the average period goes for 20-30 days for petrol and about 60-80 days for the blockbuster DDiS. The swift is perhaps currently the number choice amongst the young and the tuner community and its design and simple engineering make it extremely mod friendly.

Its not uncommon to spot a swift with two tone paint jobs, pimped up skirts and spoilers, modified head and taillights and all sorts of engine modifications like custom headers,turbos and kompressors, high performance conical air filters, free flow exhausts, NOS kits, extra wide tyres in wide alloys, high end discos on wheels etc.

The swift's relatively light kerb weight as compared to that of the competition also plays a major role here.

Now that we had talked everything about the car in my previous posts, lets go back to the day of May 25, 2005 when the car was launched to the Indian public:

Jagdish Khattar, the then top honcho of MSIL, had commented on the swiftt's launch, "the swift today heralds a completely new dawn in the history of maruti, as it signals a paradigm shift in the world of compact cars, the swift carries forward all the traditional virtues of Maruti-value for money price, refinement, fuel efficiency, top class after sales service and above all, reliability and trust that has made maruti the numero uno car manufacturer in the past 20 years, yet is targeted at a new generation of customers, a car for a young India, as we target the Indian youth since our country has one of the highest percentage of youth population on earth."

But before that, the car had to be promoted in such a way that it captures the public's attention and what better way to showcase the car in Bollywood with three top class superstars in the helm and a big banner to top it all?

Yes, I am talking about Yashraj Film's Bunty aur Babli which starred three of the country's top stars-Amitabh Bachchan, Abhishek Bachchan and Rani Mukherjee in lead roles. Produced by Aditya Chopra, it showcased a garnet orange swift in a song and a couple of sequences and perfectly geled with the stars' image that time.

Despite the trash storyline and the film getting negative reviews, the EQ (entertainment quotient of the movie) had made it a summer blockbuster which forced me to watch it in a theater, even though I am not exactly a movie buff. This proved to be vital in garnering enough pre release launch hoopla about the car.

The Indian hatchback market was just starting to get mature and the supermini segment-or the B segment of hatches, was created by Hyundai with its Getz 1.3. People perceived its price of 4.5 to 5.25 lakhs as a bit too high and the car was a slow starter, struggling to find buyers despite being a competent product and winner of ACI car of the year 2005.
Expectations are high. can the swift make the cut?

As promised on the morning of May 25, 2005, the swift was unveiled to the Indian public at a shock price band of 3.87 lakh for the base LXI to 5.20 lakh approx IIRC for the top tier ZXI, with middle models VXI being [riced at 4.3-4.5 lakh price band.

Eight colours were offered, classified into two categories:

• garnet orange (energy)
• mint frappe (energy)
• beam blue (energy)
• solid bright red (energy)
• midnight black (elegance)
• silky silver (elegance)
• royal gold (elegance)
• azure grey (elegance)

Red and silver were hot in demand, with orange initially followed by grey. Other colours sold less, yet the swift looked striking in any of those shades it was offered.

Three levels of trim were offered and it carried some equipment which were first in a small car.

• base model LXI-AC/Heater, PS, coloured bumpers
• middle model VXI-LXi plus tachometer, rear seat head restraints, wheel caps, matt black A and b pillars, central locking, power windows and telltale warning lights.
• VXI with optional ABS.
• top tier ZXI, which was incredibly well equipped with dual dirbags (first compact car to have this feature), ABS, automatic climate control, alloys, rear parcel tray, driver's seat height adjuster, body coloured handles and OSRVM, wider tyres etc.

Though the ZXi was the model to have, maximum people opted for VXI followed by LXI and the car was on a month's wait, especially after a week's booking numbers saw 21,000 confirmed orders many of them even without test drives and visual inspections. Such was the trust in Maruti brand.

Apart from the design which looked too futuristic and radical, it was either a love it or hate it affair. Some liked the sporty mini cooper inspired good looks, others called it a frog. Competitors were baffled and resorted to unethical tactics in order to make a dent on swift's sales yet failed miserably.
Since this a swift dedicated thread, I will not waste time in decribing the competitor's reaction, since this is already discussed elsewhere in full detail in the other thread:
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/collec...nt-future.html

The car was selling initially at an average of 3,000-3,800 units per month. But the initial run was not exactly wwithout its fair chare of niggles. Mounting complaints of front suspension eating tyres and poor mileage, some people reporting as low as 8-9 kmpl rang alarm bells at Maruti and the company temporarily halted swift production to rectify these issues.

As always to win back customer trust, maruti recalled all the earlier model swifts and replaced the front suspension lower arm with a new improved design which minimized tyre wear. Silently, too, tweaks were carried out to the engine management system to improve mileage and this regained customer confidence on the brand.
Slowly but surely the swift nameplate was proving to be a profitable venture for Maruti despite hiccups in the first year of production.
Fall 2006 Maruti was giving discounts as high as Rs. 30,000-35,000 to move out stocks of the not so popular ZXI model and Rs. 25,000 for the LXI, as the VXI model continued to be popular.

The swift also faced a peculiar hurdle-below par body rigidity with large panel gaps especially in the trunk lid area. Body rattles under heavy use were becoming increasingly common and despite maruti's improvements in this regard, it continues to persist today, as peer manufacturing pressure means churning out more cars than ever and as a result, loopholes. heavy localization too is blamed for this.

Yet, the swift continued to sell swiftly and by end 2006, sales were hovering at around 4500-5000 units per month.

Meanwhile, behind the curtains, a new engine plant was being built by MSIL at Manesar, at the outskirts of Gurgaon which would start churning out an engine which will not only prove to be critical for the car's long term future, but would also determine the company's profits in the long term.

Q1 2007 will see a launch that will forever change the way that our country sees diesel cars and will also dramatically change the fortunes of another company.

Yes, I am talking about the big gamble known as the Swift DDiS, all about which will be covered in the next part.

Yes, simply because, diesel rocks!