GOOD MOTORING
Head-turner hits the road
H. Kishie Singh

It’s cute, it’s cheeky and vastly different from anything that Maruti has offered in the last decade. However, it is old wine in a new bottle, but it is the bottle that will win hearts and turn heads. It is really a good-looking car. The most distinctive feature being the lights and the sloping bonnet. The headlights are almost upright and wrap around. The rear lights curve upwards and give the Swift a distinctive look. The flared wheel arches, a slim ‘A’ pillar, a gutterless roof and a ‘C’ pillar that slopes forward give the car a sporty look and an aggressive stance. The rear hatch swings upwards, as is to be expected, but nestles into the rear bumper. This makes the loading sill high. However, the boot is deep and holds a fair amount of baggage. The fit and finish is superb. The rear hatch also has a built-in spoiler which accentuates its sporty look.

The Swift has the series C-13 BB engine, which powers the Esteem too. It a 4-cylinder DOHC 16-valve engine, providing front-wheel drive. The engine has proved itself over the years and will provide the owner performance with reliability. It pumps out 87 bhp at 6000 rpm and max torque at 113 Nm at 4500 rpm. The engine has been tuned to perform at low and mid-range speeds. This makes city driving easier. It is mated to a 5-speed gearbox. The gearshift is a short-stroke design and provides a precise and positive shift.

Disc brakes, ventilated at the front are 194 mm and the rear drum brakes are 200 mm, which give the car good braking capability. In addition, it has ABS and EDB to assist in the braking. The air bags are standard. Another safety feature, the doors lock automatically at 20 kmph as you drive off.

Upfront the car rides on McPherson struts with coils, the rear has a torsion beam with coils. This results in a low floorboard and allows for a larger space for baggage.

With the rear seat upright, the Swift has a luggage capacity of 232 litres and with the seat folded, this can be increased to 368 litres. Another first, the outside rear view mirror (ORVM) folds both ways. It will fold but not break.

The newly developed platform has a wide track, 1470 mm at front and 1480 mm at rear. The width of the car is 1690mm and the long wheelbase is 2390 mm. All this translates into superior road holding and more interior space. Improving technology means having six on-board computers, which "talk" to each other. This results in eliminating the usual wiring, which is less reliable. The computers control the engine function systems, the ABS and EBD, air bags, the automatic climate control, the Body Control Module (BCM) and the power steering. The Swift has the P-EPS, which means the electric power steering motor is positioned on the pinion rather than the steering-column.

The automatic climate control with heating, ventilation and air-conditioning — usually found in more expensive cars — maintains a constant temperature in the cabin irrespective of exterior weather conditions.

The driver’s seat has an up-down height adjustment of 35mm and a fore-aft travel of 240mm.

The top-end model has a tachometer. The ‘0’ is positioned at the 6 o’clock slot, where the eye falls naturally. This is a reflection of Suzuki’s thoroughbred racing mobikes.

Tubeless tyres are standard. They deflate slowly and protect the mag-wheel rims. Other than providing improved ride and handling, they are easier to repair. And to help you drive through potholes and rough roads the rim and tyre size is 14".

The Swift, conforming to Japanese engineering standards, is developed in Europe for today’s global market and, yes, is made in India. The prices range from Rs 4.2 lakh to Rs 5.27 lakh for the top of the line ZXI model.

Happy motoring.