The Z-Series engine could be offered in other models like the Baleno, Fronx, Ignis and Eeco in the future.

Suzuki recently showcased the fourth-generation Swift concept at the Tokyo Motor Show. As per a new report, it would be the first model to get Suzuki’s Z-Series engine.

The new Suzuki Z-Series engine (codenamed: Z12) is said to be a naturally aspirated 1.2-litre 3-cylinder unit. It will replace the current 4-cylinder K-Series engine.

The report states that the new Z-Series engine will be more fuel-efficient while maintaining the power output of the K12 unit. Peak torque, on the other hand, is said to be slightly higher, with better low-end grunt, making it ideal for city usage.

Being a 3-cylinder, the engine’s overall weight will also be lower than the K12 unit. Overall emissions are also expected to reduce, allowing Suzuki to achieve its CAFÉ targets. The Z-Series will be paired with hybrid tech in the international market.

Suzuki’s Z-Series engine is expected to debut in 2024. It could also be offered in other models like the Baleno, Fronx, Ignis and Eeco in the future.

Source: Autocar India

The new Maruti Suzuki Swift is expected to be launched in India sometime in 2024

Suzuki has officially revealed the fourth-generation Swift at the Tokyo Motor Show. It is expected to arrive at our shores sometime next year.

The Swift Concept showcased at the event looks production-ready, and we can expect the India-spec Maruti Swift to adopt a similar design.

Speaking of design, the new Swift looks like an evolution of its predecessor. It carries forward the floating roof design. The car has a new design grille and sweptback headlamps with L-shaped LED daytime running lights, a clamshell bonnet and a thick shoulder line. The rear has been given a slight nip and tuck and features more angular tail lamp units and a dual-tone bumper.

The interior of the new Swift looks similar to what you get in modern Maruti Suzuki products. The dashboard has a layered design with a floating touchscreen head-unit in the centre, a 3-spoke, flat-bottom steering wheel and a new HVAC module. The concept appears to have a semi-digital instrument cluster.

Suzuki is likely to offer the next-gen Swift with a hybrid powertrain in the global markets.

The international version of the Swift will be powered by various hybrid powertrain options.

Suzuki is all set to unveil the next-generation Swift Concept at the Japan Mobility Show, scheduled between October 26 - November 5, 2023.

Ahead of its unveiling though, the carmaker is said to have released a single image showcasing the new Swift Concept. The car seems to carry forward similar dimensions compared to the current model, with slightly tweaked styling - indicating the new-gen version will be an evolution of the existing Swift. Also, though Suzuki states that the model showcased is a Concept, it could be very close to the final production version.

As per reports, the international-spec Suzuki Swift will feature active high beams, a driver monitoring system and dual-sensor brake support for its AEB system. While the details are still unknown, the 2024 Swift will be underpinned by a slightly updated version of the Heartect platform.

Inside, the 2024 Suzuki Swift could offer features like a 9-inch touchscreen infotainment system, a more digitised instrument cluster, wireless charging, a head-up display and a 360-degree camera; to name a few.

The international version of the Swift will be powered by various hybrid powertrain options, apart from the standard petrol and turbo-petrol engines.

Source: WhichCar

Fuel efficiency in Bangalore hovers around 12-14 km/l whereas on highways its between 20-23 km/l.

BHPian PrideRed recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Never thought the car would cover so many miles in a year. Not that other cars have clocked lesser miles. The majority of the KMs were in the city barring 2-4 highway drives. Completed 10K service which cost Rs 1500. Left mirror cap had broken, the replacement of which cost 700 bucks. Alignment was done at 10K. Other than these, it's been like fill it shut it forget it kind of car. The size is perfect for the city, AMT is jerky but if you change your driving style and drive it like a manual it's just fine for the city. Manual mode is quite fun, especially on empty stretches. Surprisingly, there haven't been many rattles which the Suzuki is well known for. There are quite a bit of battle scars and I haven't bothered to get them fixed. The paint quality is just okay and nothing to brag about. The car feels stable at low 3-digit speeds and there is not much juice left after that or takes a painstakingly long time to gain higher speeds. FE in Bangalore city hovers around 12-14 km/l whereas highway FE varies between 20-23 km/l. AMT is a bit jittery on cold starts which becomes fine after the engine warms up.

I am visiting the Suzuki service centre after ages and the experience has been surprisingly good so far. Accessibility is a big advantage and no matter which city/town you are in, there is always a centre close by. So far all the services had free labour, will have to see how paid the service is. The part prices of Suzuki are super cheap however the labour costs seem comparable to other manufacturers. For example, the cost of a mirror cover was some 200 bucks, whereas tax and painting charges were about 500! The best part is you are spoilt for choice when it comes to service, there are 3 service centres within a radius of 5 km of my home!

The best part I like about the car is the engine and the steering. While the engine is a bit slow to rev up to 3K, from there it goes quite ok to about 6.5K and has a nice note. The steering is quick (almost like a go-kart), and makes for fun driving on curvy 2 lanes. The suspension is on the stiffer side, and while I like it, I am surprised not many complain about the ride quality, especially since it sells quite a lot month over month. Better safety would have made this a perfect city car, wish Suzuki addresses this with the next version.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

The next-gen Suzuki Swift could be powered by a 1.2-litre mild-hybrid engine.

Japanese media is reporting launch timelines for the fifth-generation Swift. Reports suggest that the new model could arrive later this year, while the Swift Sport could debut in 2024.

As expected, the 5th-gen Swift is expected to get major design changes both inside and out. Reports suggest that the hatchback will feature a stylish exterior with rounded edges while maintaining the concept. The interior is also expected to be improved.

The Swift Sport will reportedly debut in the spring of 2024. It is likely to be powered by a K14D 1.4-litre turbo-petrol engine paired with a mild-hybrid system. On the other hand, the standard car could use a 1.2-litre mild-hybrid unit.

The next-generation Swift is expected to be launched in the Indian market sometime next year. The Swift Sport though, is unlikely to be part of Maruti Suzuki's product portfolio.

Source: Bestcarweb

Tata's build quality has actually gone up by a huge leap. The interior is well-made as well.

BHPian vivek_saha1304 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

HISTORY: This is a long story about why I had to part ways with my old car. Please scroll past this to the new car section if not interested

Our cars are not just machines which require regular maintenance and fuel to carry us safely wherever we want to. We love our cars with all heart and treat it as family member and it all pays back on that one day when you need your car the most, be it to save you from a major accident or to rush to an office meeting. Something quite similar happened to me the previous year on the 11th of June, 2022 when we met with a fatal accident around 3:30 pm. We were travelling from Kolkata to Jamshedpur to my uncle's place to consult a doctor. The traffic was close to nil because the previous day there had been inter-religion riots in Howrah, West Bengal so there was army intervention and some areas were sealed down.

So we made good progress for most part of the journey after which we decided to take a break and switch drivers. My dad was driving until now, but he seemed tired from all the glare of that afternoon sun, so he asked me to drive. As luck would have it, my phone was in my trouser's left pocket and somehow it slipped and fell. I unbuckled my seatbelt to pick it up and then forgot to wear my seatbelt. We were now almost 50 kms away from Jamshedpur town and were approaching the intersection where the dreaded accident took place- the place was "DHALBHUMGARH." I could see from almost 500m ahead that a truck was parked or as it seemed to me and my dad, with both left and right wheels left to shoulder line. Not even a wheel was protruding out on the highway. So I flashed my lights once and even honked a little and continued with the same speed. Just as we were approaching the truck, it suddenly decided to take a U-turn and turned its wheels and came onto the highway. The truck was so long that I had no space left to zig-zag my way out of it. Even if there was some space my high speed wouldn't allow me to turn the steering wheel even by an inch. I panicked and braked so my wheels had completely locked up as my car had no ABS, and to top that off I was in a non-airbag car without a seatbelt. The car hit the truck's front wheel and it probably jumped from inertia. Me and my parents had completely blacked out and when I opened my eyes I saw that my father somehow managed to get out of the car struggling to breathe, I had hit my forehead on the windscreen and also severed the lower portion of my left arm when it hit the armrest. I somehow kicked open the door and went round the car shouting "MAA!! MAA!!" and tried to open the left back door.

That is when I realised that my left arm was not working and it was bleeding like hell as if someone was pouring a bottle of red wine down my forearm. I blacked out again and luckily there were some people to hold me. They carried me in a police van and then my mother also had to be carried but I could walk. We were then taken to Tata Medical Hospital(TMH) where we got to know that my mother had a shattered shoulder and hip joint. My left forearm was in bad shape and it needed an immediate operation. My parents decided that it would be better if we had all medical treatment in Kolkata. So that night we booked an ambulance and rode through the night to Kolkata. The next morning we arrived at Apollo Gleneagles, Kolkata and the three of us were admitted.

Now comes the surprising part where most people would not believe the car I was driving and how did we manage to come out of it alive.

We were in a 2016 model MS Swit VXI. It's very hard to imagine how this car saved us. I'm sure there was some supernatural power which protected us but still it's beyond my belief.

I'm also attaching some pictures after the accident to realise how major the impact was. I knew that even if the insurance co. somehow manages to pay for the repair it would still be packing a few problems. But unfortunately, the repair cost came out to be much higher than the IDV and we had to take that sum of money and let go of our car. That is when I decided to buy Altroz.

Buying experience

I knew that the safest hatchback back then was the Tata Altroz, so one casual day I decided to call and ask for a test drive of the Altroz(P). I liked the design very much and when I shut the door, I immediately realised its build quality. The heavy doors, butter-smooth steering wheel, ultra-light clutch and somewhat smooth gearbox gave me a good first impression. But the bummer came in the form of an underpowered, noisy and harsh 3-cylinder engine.

Having owned Swift for almost 6 years and Polo for 11 years I was truly disappointed with the three-cylinder NA engine.

As soon as the test drive was over I told the salesman that I wasn't happy with the engine as such, but I would consider this to be on my buying list whilst I TD some other cars. He then suggested that I should try out the diesel engine once. A couple of days later he came around my house again with a diesel model, and this wasn't a TD model. The Dealer had bought an Altroz (D) for his personal use which surely made me feel confident about the car. It had run 24000 kms and there wasn't a single noise coming from the interior. I was impressed that the clutch was extremely light even in the diesel version. The engine though audible enough, was not harsh. I could feel the vibrations of the petrol engine on the pedals but the diesel somehow was smoother. I may be wrong but the gearshifts in the diesel model felt much smoother than the petrol. As soon as I was on the main road I could clearly feel the superiority of the diesel mill. The engine was way more responsive, it pulled nice and clean in every gear and moreover, it had almost no knocking issues. My dad was blown away by the fact that how far diesel has come in terms of refinement. Most people sitting on the inside would not notice that it is a diesel engine unless informed. The diesel pull was very addictive, and boy oh boy was I happy with the way the car handled. I think after VW, Tata tunes its cars the best in terms of handling and ride comfort. The car was able to overcome all speed breakers and at the same time give me as much confidence through the corners as my Polo does.

I had made up my mind about going with the diesel option, but a premium of 1.25 lacs came as a surprise to me and my dad. With budget being a factor we had initially decided to go with the XM+ petrol variant which cost around 8 lacs, but the diesel one cost 9.4 lacs, which was out of my father's budget. So we had to downgrade to XE+ and settle for that one. Even that cost 8.5 lacs on-road.

So with a token amount of 11k, we booked the car and waited for it to arrive. The car arrived around 40 days later when I and my childhood friend went for the PDI. It was the 22nd of October and the car was manufactured in October itself. I was delighted to have such a fresh car straight out of the factory. The PDI went well and there was another son and father duo who had come for their PDI of the Punch. Since it was their first car, they had little knowledge about it and asked me if I would check the car for them. The car was July made and the rest all was okay. Even in that car, I felt that the gearbox was not as smooth shifting as my diesel car. Maybe it's something to do with the clutch mechanism or not. Don't really know.

1000 kms were covered very fast and reached a service centre close to my home the very next day. Everyone is aware of the state of Tata Service centres but I was very lucky that the one near my house is actually very good. Both the staff and mechanics were very friendly and they welcomed me to freely stand beside my car and watch it getting serviced.

The first free service meant just visual inspection of every bit and torquing all nuts properly. I always believed in changing the oil after the first 1000 km so went ahead with it. TM Genuine 0w20 oil was used and it claimed to be fully synthetic. Was charged around 3200 for the oil and 300 for the filter.

The engine was a lot smoother post the oil change, and mileage increased as well. I believe this car is designed to run endlessly on open highways the way the suspension has been tuned for stability and the way the motor chugs along at 80-90 whilst returning an avg of 25 to 26.

POSITIVES

1. Tata's build quality has actually gone up by a huge leap. The interior is well-made as well. There are hardly any squeaks coming from the plastic parts and the multimedia buttons seem to be of good enough quality to last long, hopefully.
2. I think the diesel engine is the most sensible choice among the three because it has good power as well as efficiency.
3. Within a city without AC this engine delivers stunning mileage, of 16 to 17km/l. And not to forget my daily route is North to South Of Kolkata which is packed with traffic any moment of the day.
4. The steering is at a different level altogether. I have driven the Polo for thousands of kms on the highway but Altroz's steering wheel is more direct as well as responsive.
5. Headlights are actually good and I don't think I will be changing them soon.
6. The Harman music system is truly exceptional at this price point. I won't be changing this as well except put a touch screen system a couple of years later.

NEGATIVES

1. The AC when switched on makes a whining sound which increases with the rise in RPM. Having told TASS they said it was normal in Altroz. Would like to hear from anyone who has a diesel model on this topic.
2. Mileage takes a serious hit with the AC always on. I may be procrastinating but I think the whining sound indicates that something is wrong which is also the reason mileage takes a hit. Non-AC mileage was around 16 to 17 which has dropped to 13 to 14 with ac on. Refuelling has been done only from COCO Pumps and all calculations are based on tank to tank method.

Apart from this, the car runs like a dream. Have no problems with it.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

The Alto K10, Celerio, WagonR, Swift, Dzire, Brezza and Ertiga is available in the Pearl Midnight Black exterior colour.

Maruti Suzuki is celebrating its 40th anniversary with the launch of its Arena Black Editions. As the name suggests, models like the Alto K10, Celerio, WagonR, Swift, Dzire, Brezza and Ertiga are now available in an all-black colour scheme.

The Arena Black Editions get a new Pearl Midnight Black colour option on select variants, details of which, will be revealed at a later date.

Maruti Suzuki’s Arena range of cars are also available with new accessory packages priced between Rs 14,990 to Rs 35,990. These include seat covers, cushions, mats, trim garnishes, chargers and vacuum cleaners.

Earlier, Maruti had introduced Black Editions of its Nexa range. The Nexa Black Edition is available in Zeta and Alpha variants of the Ignis, all variants of the Ciaz, Alpha and Alpha+ variants of the XL6 and Zeta, Zeta+, Alpha and Alpha+ trims of the Grand Vitara.

Earlier, Electronic Stability Program (ESP) was only available in the top-spec ZXi Plus trim.

Maruti Suzuki has updated the Swift and Baleno for the 2023 model year. While no major changes have been made to the car, Maruti is now offering ESP as standard across all variants of both cars.

The Maruti Swift is offered in four variants: LXi, VXi, ZXi and ZXi Plus. Earlier, Electronic Stability Program (ESP) was only available in the top-spec ZXi Plus trim.

The Maruti Suzuki Swift is powered by a 1.2-litre petrol engine that makes 89 BHP @ 6,000 rpm and 113 Nm @ 4,400 rpm. The engine is paired with either a 5-speed manual or a 5-speed AMT. The Swift also gets a factory-fitted CNG option.

Earlier this week, Maruti also updated the Baleno, Ertiga and XL6 with new connectivity features.

Maintaining a car has become an expensive affair be it fuel or servicing.

BHPian sumeethaldankar recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

So I got a fat service bill from a service centre which is classified as a major service. The work includes engine oil, oil filter, air filter, spark plugs, coolant change and brake oil change. I refused ac filter change and wheel alignment and balancing. The total amount is 14k for a 2019 petrol Swift MT.

I am only keeping quiet because of the 5-year warranty and am beginning to think if the warranty is even worth it not. And oh yes there was an offer which was going which led me to a discount of a paltry 800 Rs on various items. I serviced the car one month ahead of schedule for the said discount.

I am seriously thinking of switching to a decent garage but most players are out to fleece you and good and honest garages are hard to come by. My warranty expires in 2024 Mar and I am not sure if I will continue with Shivam or even other Mass garages. Making a rapport with a regular SA is also not helping as many keep switching jobs and you find out that your regular guy has left the company.

Maintaining a car has become an expensive affair be it fuel or servicing. Oh and to add the icing to the cake, I had asked them to check if the clutch cable needs adjustment and they recommended a clutch overhaul stating that the clutch is hard. My car has done 16k kms and I think after owning 2-3 cars I know what a hard clutch is. Also as a cherry on top of the cake, they did not clean the engine bay and I got the car back with the same rat droppings that I hope they will clean during service but in the end, it so happened that I ended up cleaning the damn deposits myself thinking of the 14 grand I just spend on them.

When I sent pics of the same to the SA all I got was "sorry sir we do not wash the engine bay but we just polish it and we forgot to polish same" He asked me for my address so that he can send someone on Mon (car was serviced on sat) to "polish" the engine bay. I am just not interested in letting them touch my car for now.

I had an Rs 11k bill in 2021 Mar without the spark plugs and air filter charge.

Here's what BHPian Sherlocked had to say on the matter:

These four items look suspicious:

1. FIP Calibration: Rs. 2100 plus taxes
2. Diagnostic Charges: Rs. 340 plus taxes
3. Side slip and Brake tester: Rs. 1250 plus taxes
4. Super cleaner: Rs. 322

These 4 items together have added around 4000 bucks plus taxes! Otherwise, the bill looks okay for a synthetic oil change.

You should raise a dispute with Maruti for these items if you didn't ask for them.

Here's what BHPian subhro1988 had to say on the matter:

My Dzire diesel was completed 5 years recently and has completed 70,000 km. In each Maruti paid service I have spent ~Rs. 8000 on average. Maruti's service is definitely not cheap.

Since I have opted for Synthetic Engine oil it's on the higher side. Below is the breakup:

The total comes to Rs 92,709

Here's what BHPian whitewing had to say on the matter:

My 2011 Swift petrol has run 51,000 km. Serviced at approx 1-year intervals.

Service Rs 35,803 - 9 paid service plus 5 tyre rotations with alignment and 3 wheels balancing and a rat bite to the fuel pipe.

Parts Rs 45,333 - including 4 new tyres, 1 battery change and misc spares like bulb/ORVM mirror etc.

This works out to an all-included average of ~7,300 per annum over the 11 years of ownership

Insurance Rs 62,059

No major repairs till now, touchwood.

Was told during this service cycle that the engine mounts are due for a change, which I have not done, since I could not hear/sense any vibration nor could I notice any change in the engine note associated with it. Need to take a second opinion on this.

My most recent service cost ~5k

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

Maruti could be looking to introduce ADAS tech on some of its domestic offerings.

A Suzuki Swift Sport was recently spotted testing in India. The car appears to have been imported from a right-hand drive market to test ADAS features.

As the name suggests, the Swift Sport is a more aggressive version of the standard hatchback. While it is unlikely to be offered in India, Maruti could be looking to introduce ADAS tech on some of its domestic offerings.

The Swift Sport test mule has a unique front fascia and is equipped with a radar module, along with other sensors necessary for features like lane keep assist, radar-guided cruise control, lane departure warning, and automatic emergency braking; among others.

Unlike the standard Swift, the Swift Sport is powered by a 1.4-litre turbo-petrol engine that makes 127 BHP and 235 Nm. The engine is mated to a 6-speed manual gearbox.

Source: Anubhav Chauhan