Suzuki will launch the all new 2011 Swift in the UK after it makes it grand appearance at the 2010 Paris Motor Show in October. However, it is being reported that the Suzuki dealers in the UK are already taking orders for the small car and are promising the commencement of deliveries after the Paris Motor Show unveiling. The 2011 Swift will available this year only with the 1.2-litre K-series engine producing 94PS. The 1.3-litre Multijet variant is expected to be launched next year. The prices for the 5-door version are announced to be £10,445 (Rs. 8-lakh approx.) for the base SZ2 model (LXi in India) with the top end automatic model attracting £13,245 (Rs. 10.5-lakh approx).
India however won’t get the car at those ridiculously exorbitant exchange rates that the old woman in Buckingham Palace demands. Here the Swift will get slightly more expensive than the outgoing (current) model. At the same time, we won’t get the 94PS version of the 1.2-litre K12B engine either. Maruti Suzuki will continue to offer the 1.2-litre, 85PS derivative in the new Swift as well. The Swift that will be launched in the UK will get seven airbags as standard on all the variants. The Indian version however may get the driver-side airbag as standard even on the base VXi variant to up the game and remain in the lead. The top end S4 model in the UK gets push-button ignition and we expect that feature to make it to India too since the Nissan Micra is already offering it and has been received well for its novelty. Just like UK, the Indian version too will get its diesel variant after a 3-4 month gap from the launch of the petrol variant.
Speaking of which, the 2011 Swift as some rumors suggest, is expected to hit Indian showrooms as early as Diwali this year – thats hardly a month after the car will be unveiled at the 2010 Paris Motor Show. We haven’t heard of any test mules doing the rounds anywhere in the country yet so we aren’t quite sure about the news. But looking back the kind of secrecy the new Wagon R, Alto K10 and the A-star automatic came out with, we won’t be surprised if Maruti Suzuki do actually launch the car in November 2010 after testing it away from the prying eyes of the spy photographers. With big players like the Ford Figo, Nissan Micra and the Volkswagen Polo having turned on the heat on the market leader, Maruti Suzuki is expected to respond soon, real soon!