The Hindu : Business : The Suzuki Swift

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, May 30, 2005

Business

Business

The Suzuki Swift

The car incorporates all features found in more expensive models

Specifications
- Body Type : Hatchback
- Engine Capacity: 1298 cc
- Maximum power: 87 bhp @ 600 rpm
- Maximum torque: 113 Nm @ 4500 rpm
- Fuel distribution: Multipoint injection

THE SUZUKI-Maruti combine revolutionised the automobile industry in India two decades ago and this time it has set new standards for competition. Very discreetly it has reminded other Indian automobile manufacturers that it intends to rule the market for some more years.

The newly launched Swift that took the company almost five years to build, is based on a brand new platform and a lot of inputs has been taken from Suzuki's two wheeler counterpart. The best designs and executions have always come from Europe. The Germans are considered the best and this time too they have proven so. The Swift has a robust, muscular look, typical of German automobile manufacturing traditions.

Inside the Swift, the driver enjoys an environment that reflects style, sportiness and driving pleasure. The wraparound look of the glass surfaces is reflected in the cabin design with a three-spoke steering wheel in it, a spherical gearshift lever knob and an illuminated ring around the speedometer. A clear instrumentation promotes enjoyable driving. The front seats offer support and anchorage and the driver's seat has a height adjuster.

A distinctive feature of the Swift is the automatic climate control system that is still not commonplace for a standard car. Another feature is the use of CAN (controller area network) system, a communication system that enables the various on-board computers to communicate with each other rapidly. It also helps replace complex and less reliable wiring systems with a `central nervous system' or mother computer that controls and monitors the six on-board computers monitor various functions such as the engine management system, monitoring and controlling of the ABS and EBD systems, the airbags, the power steering, the body control module (BCM) and the automatic climate control system. This unique feature first came in the Mercedes `S' class and the upper end BMW of the early Nineties.

The new platform provides the Swift with wide tracks (front: 1470mm, rear: 1480mm), a great overall width (1690mm), and a long wheelbase (2390mm). These dimensions not only make for interior spaciousness but also contribute to superior on-road stability and comfort. In the cabin, passengers have a safety shield from impact forces by a collapsible steering column, leg-injury-mitigating brake and clutch pedals, energy-absorbing trim and front-seatbelt pretensioners with load limiters along with driver and passenger-side front airbags (in the ZXi). Among Indian cars this feature came first in the Ford Mondeo some five years back. The Swift incorporates a range of active-safety technologies including four-wheel antilock braking (ABS) system (for the ZXi version), an electronic brake-force distribution (EBD) system (also for the ZXi version) that electronically distributes the braking effort as weight transfers to the front under sudden braking, and a brake-assist function that recognises a panic braking situation and activates the brakes quicker thus reducing reaction time. All these together help the driver avoid hazards. Another feature is the use of tubeless tyres which are designed, supposedly, to work against blowouts, reducing a puncture to a slow leak and providing better ride and handling.

With all seats in use, the luggage area has a generous capacity of 232 litres, which can go up to an extremely useful 368 litres with the rear seatback folded down. Plus, the luggage-area floor is smooth and flat thanks to torsion-beam rear suspension. The tailgate can be unlocked electrically at the push of a button, making loading and unloading easier. For further convenience, storage spaces for small personal items are located conveniently all around the interior of the car.

All features that are normally found on more expensive cars have been incorporated in this machine and the plus is the pricing. The cheapest or the entry level (LXi) comes packed with an air conditioner and a power steering as standard for just Rs. 3.87 lakh. The mid segment VXi with power windows, electric door locking system and many other features costs Rs. 4.05 lakh.

The last and the most loaded version that has almost every thing that a top end `C' category car has, along with a key-less entry comes for just Rs. 4.85 lakh. It also comes with a comprehensively upgraded 1.3-litre petrol engine that generates 87 bhp of maximum power at 6000 rpm, with a max torque of 113Nm at 4500 rpm and the usual five-speed transmission. Like in the case of the new Honda City, the engine has been tuned with the emphasis on performance at low and mid-range speeds and of course it can handle the high speed manoeuvres smoothly. The Swift is offered in eight vibrant colours that should appease the young and the old.

This present offer is an introductory one and Maruti Suzuki refuses to say for how long it will last. It also refuses to disclose the number of this machine that will be sold in this fiscal but confidently proclaims that all demands will be met efficiently. This car has put all the competition on alert. In fact, some of its own products like the Zen, Wagon R and even the Esteem are likely to feel threatened, but who cares as long as Maruti Suzuki's kitty keeps swelling.

TUTU DHAWAN

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The Suzuki Swift