2018 Maruti Swift Review – The Balancing Act

Maruti’s game changer car has been the Swift. Launched way back in 2005, it has only been growing in numbers. This hatchback which redefined the segment has been getting periodic upgrades. Now in its third generation, the Maruti Swift 2018 promises to raise the bar further and take this brand to a new level. We drive the all-new Swift and tell you whether it will be a good buy or not. Read further to know more about it.

Does it look better?

The 2018 Maruti Swift is not a facelift but an all new car. It is based on the same platform which underpins the Ignis and Dzire. This new platform comes with a host of good things. It makes the car lighter, yet stronger. Bigger, yet compact. To put it in simple words, the Swift is now a much more desirable car that before. Though the design philosophy has been maintained, it gets some nice touches. The front is new and gets new headlamps with projectors and daytime running LEDs.

The grille is all new single aperture design. Now, this is different from the Dzire, which gets a chrome lip on the grille. The Swift gets an all black one. The side looks similar to the earlier model, but the floating roof concept is enhanced, as it gets a black band across the rear side end. The rear door is also different and has a handle with is embedded next to the C-pillar. The Swift gets 15-inch alloy wheels. These are silver painted ones and the top end trims get a black machined or diamond cut finish on the wheels. The width of the car is now increased by 40mm, hence it looks broader and is more spacious as well. The wheelbase is also longer.

The rear is the portion which gets the biggest change. Here the car looks completely different from its previous generation one. It gets a jetting out set of taillamps. These are LED ones and look very attractive. Now the rear end is a matter of choice to like or dislike. Frankly, we were not too impressed with the way it appears. The bumper is also all new.

How is it inside?

This is where the biggest change of the car is. Not only in the look, but also fit, feel and finish. The new generation Swift gets an all now dashboard, similar to the Dzire. It is a layered design one. The interiors have an all black theme. There are twin dials in the instrument cluster, with an MID. The steering wheel is same as the Dzire, but instead of the wood treatment, it gets an urban satin finish, which looks classy too. It has controls mounted on it, which are for bluetooth telephony and audio. there is no cruise control available.  The AC vents in the centre are round instead of the rectangular ones, seen on the Dzire. The Auto AC knobs are round with three dials and it looks very cool.

However, what stands out is the manner in which it is put together. The fit and finish is brilliant and the materials feel very premium. There is a good amount of storage space as well. In the centre console you can place your mobile phone and wallet and there are cup holders too. The door pocket can take one litre water bottles. The seats are new with more bolstering and better cushioning.

The touchscreen is similar to the one seen on other Marutis and gets Bluetooth, Apple Car Play and Android Auto. The screen is tiltled towards the driver for easier access and visibility. Lower variants do not get a touchscreen system.

The rear in the Swift now feels much more spacious than ever before. Tall adults can fit in easily. There is adequate knee room and head room. Rear AC vents still don’t make it into the Swift, which is a tad disappointing. There are height adjustable rear head restraints. The boot is now much bigger at 268 litres and can pack in decent amount of luggage, for a hatchback.

How does it Drive?

The new generation Swift not only retains its fun-to-drive character but takes it a few notches higher.

The engines are the same as earlier. The petrol is a 1.2-litre K series engines with 84 bhp of power. The diesel is also the same 1.3-litre fiat sourced DDis unit. It belts out 75bhp of power. Both engines are mighty quick and do not go on the power figures alone. The new Swift is much lighter, hence the performance is even better now.

There is a new addition of an AMT. The AMT is available in both diesel and petrol, however comes only in the Z variant. The top Z+ does not get an AMT in either fuel versions.

Performance is one thing, but when coupled with refinement, it takes the car to a different level. The Swift feels excellent to drive. I was particularly impressed by the way it handles. This hatchback is very nimble and the steering response is better than any recent car from Maruti. I drove up some hard twisties in Lonavala and the way this car handled curves at reasonably high speeds, was fabulous. This is not exaggeration at all! I have been criticizing the steering response of Maruti cars, but this new Swift is excellent. It brings out the driver in you.

The silent cabin is also mighty impressive as Maruti has done a lot of work on the NVH levels. By using additional sealants and sound deadening materials, the result is a cabin that feels premium. The steering wheel also adds to the driving pleasure as the top variants get a leather wrap around and feels great to hold. The steering wheel is small and the flat bottom makes it feel extremely sporty.

The only downside is that the suspension feels a bit stiff at low speeds. But it feels fine at higher speeds and also keeps the composure of the car in check.

Kitna deti hai? (Mileage)

This is a fuel efficient car. The petrol manual should return around 13-14 km/l in the city 16-17 km/l on the highway. The AMT will be around 11-12 km/l in city and 15-16 km/l on the highway.

The diesel manual will return 14-15 km/l in the city and 22-23 km/l on the highway. The AMT will return 13-14 km/l in city and 20-22 km/l on the highway. These are in real driving conditions.

Should you buy it? 

Well, lets put it this way, why shouldn’t you? Well, you can test drive the car and see for yourself, however, the fact is that we are very impressed with this new version of the Maruti Swift and believe that currently it beats all its competition as a fantastic package. As of now, the 2018 Maruti Swift is the best buy in its segment.