An apt family car for city and highway use

Exterior Exteriors in the swift are good. Many people have liked the looks which was something unconventional. The metal used for the body seems to be a bit thin and you can feel it when you press on it. The bumpers are of decent quality in can easily absorb small impacts without getting damaged. The outside rear view mirrors fold beckwards as well because of which they do not break easily when a biker/cyclist bangs against them. The steel rims are pretty much standard like in most other cars. The headlights could have been more powerful and is problematic on the highways. As for the fog lamps they are very good and give sufficient visibility in the required conditions.

Interior (Features, Space & Comfort) In terms of features, this car will not make it to the top of the list. There are many cars out there which have many features in them. While the interiors are better than some manufacturers they could have still been better. Space in the rear row is something that Maruti has not given much thought to and is cramped for 5 full grown adults. The car is just average in terms of comfort. The shock absorbers are just above average and any irregularity in the roads can be felt inside. The comfort could have been much better. Ac also is not great and does not cool the cabin fast in summer. Something Maruti should definitely address ina  country like ours

Engine Performance, Fuel Economy and Gearbox This car is a pure performance car. The 1.3l engine is great to drive and easily pulls from slow speeds in higher gears though you can hear some knocking if the speed is too low. Even with 5 people on board the car performs well and is very responsive as well. The gear box is not that great. Sometimes the car slips into neutral while shifting the gear which can get irritating. Also if you stop the car and immediately engage the neutral you will hear the slattering noise without the gear getting slotted but this is there in almost every car.

Since the metal thickness is lesser this vehicle gives good FE at the cost of high speed stability. In city you can get around 12+ depending of how light or heavy your foot on the accelerator is and on highways you can easily get around 15-17kmpl. Not bad for a 1300 cc engine. Highwat stability as mentioned is not good if there are only 1-2 people on board. With people it becomes much better though. Steering is better than some cars but still needs improvement. At high speeds the response is not so good.

Ride Quality & Handling This is not one of the best handling cars out in the market. There are much better cars when it comes to the department of handling. Ride quality is strictly average, could have been much better 

Final Words While this cannot be termed as a premium hatch (atleast I would not) it still is a good hatch offering you most features. It performs well and is low on the pocket when it comes to maintenance and FE as well. maruti A.S.S.C. is one of the best around and you wont be disappointed in this area. However certain areas like rear legroom need to be improved. Unfortunately in the new swift they have slightly improved the legroom but the boot space is horrible. Maruti needs to consider this to make it an all round hatch. You can hear rattles at around 15k kms itself. 

Areas of improvement Rear leg room, AC, handling, highway stability, overall built quality, headlamp throw.