New-gen revealed and India timeline
SUVs are all that anyone talks about these days in the car market. Irrespective of size, class and capacity, it’s all that anyone wants to talk about. But some still champion the cause of alternate body styles and at the top of the list is Maruti Suzuki who will launch an all-new generation of the Swift in the second week of May 2024. This is the fourth generation for the Indian market since the car arrived here in hatchback guise in 2005.
New-gen design highlights
One glance at the new-gen Swift and you can see that it is an evolutionary design with a new face, wheels, and tail lamps that do just enough to bring the car into a new generation. One of the biggest changes is that the rear door handles have moved to their conventional spot as compared to the pillar-mounted design of the third-generation car.
Inside, the cabin is largely familiar but with a new touchscreen, instrument cluster and a stacked centre console that gives the car a minimalist look. The Japanese market, where this new-gen car began its journey in November 2023, gets this car with a 360-degree camera, level-2 ADAS and a HUD. We expect the current feature list and the 360-degree camera as well as the HUD to be a part of the India-spec Swift’s package.
New-gen engine options
We are one of the largest markets for Maruti’s 1.2-litre four-cylinder petrol and we expect that it will continue with this engine in the Indian market. There’s a new 1.2-litre three-cylinder hybrid petrol but we don’t think this will come to India as it would raise the price of the car significantly, probably well above its expected price bracket.
Small effort or smart move
We have to look at the new Swift from two perspectives. The first is that Maruti’s small car sales have not dropped but have not grown either and that means Suzuki had to do just enough to ensure the sails get enough wind to keep the model line moving. This is no doubt helped by the fact that the Swift brand name has multi-generational takers all roped in by the same basic formula over the last 19 years. The next is that Maruti Suzuki has openly said that it needs to put its weight behind SUVs and BEVs and thus something that’s already successful requires little intervention a.k.a investment.