Swift, Stylish and Sweet

I am driving this car from 7 September 2007. My views are of course based on this limited period of about 20 days. Still, I am competent and experienced enough to make a resonably good judgment about the car.

Firstly, the car is simply fantastic. The view from the driver's seat resembles that from an aircraft cockpit. The car accelerates fast. The pickup is uniformly strong in all gears. The pickup remains very good even with full AC. Gear shift is a pure pleasure. If you are the type who derives a kick or two by zooming past other hapless vehicles on the road, then look  no further. This is the one for you.

The power steering is extremely good and so is the AC. The suspension is not very smooth, but it is rugged and would serve you for a longer period unlike the smoother versions. As I am still in the running in period, I have not exceeded 100 kmph. But, let me tell you that you can touch 100 kmph without any apparent extra effort. In fact you may miss to notice that you are already going that fast. Currently I am getting about 15.25 km per litre of diesel (with AC on approximately 30% of the time). I hope it improves after the first service. I have heard that the initial deliveries of the LDi had 20+ kmpl mileage. Subsequent to some corrections Maruti had done to the Engine Control electronics, the mileage has dropped to about 17-18 kmpl. I think, I can touch that figure after the first service.

Frankly, I am yet to see any demons, if any, hidden in this vehicle which might surface after some time. But, my sincere belief is that a Maruti vehicle might not spring such nasty surprises later.

The rear of the Swift is a bit wider compared to the front. So, you have to be careful while squeezing your way between other vehicles. If you use the front as a reference, then you are likely to err about the rear clearing through the same space. So, be careful if you don't want scratches on your car body rear.

Maruti could have provided the rear parcel shelf and similar little things like the left OVRM, vanity mirror, etc in the LDi model itself instead of reserving them for the VDi. Any way, that is part of the deal, so you can't complain.

When you compare the Fuel Cost+EMI for the Diesel and Petrol versions of Swift, you would inevitably come to the conclusion that the Diesel version makes much more economic sense even for moderate running of about 400 km per month. And once your EMI is over, then the entire fuel cost saving accrues to you. In that sense, this car is superb value for money.

Though the Indica V2 Diesel gives better mileage and is much cheaper, I would still recommend Swift Diesel to anyone on any day. For the simple reason that the Swift is in a class of its own. The Indica is a poor cousin.

I would get back with more information once I am through with the first service and some more exhilarating driving. Hope you find this review useful. If you have any specific queries, please e-mail me.

G. Syam Nath

Bangalore

Great pickup and performance, good fuel economy, stunning good looksRear is a bit wider than necessary, no parcel shelf.