We have tested the new 2018 Maruti Suzuki Swift in both manual and AMT variants. The new 2018 Maruti Suzuki Swift Video review embedded here covers almost all aspects of the new car, including the design changes, differences between variants, new features, space, comfort, performance and the drive feel of the new petrol and diesel AMT versions. Check out the exhaustive review below, or scroll down further for a quick text review which covers all the important points in a brief, yet informative manner.
New 2018 Swift Exterior design
The new 2018 Swift has 20mm longer wheelbase which has led to enhanced cabin room, although the car’s overall length is shorter by 10mm. The new Swift is also 40mm wider, offering more shoulder room with 24mm extra headroom as well. The new car is lighter and is based on the 5th Gen Heartect platform on which the New Baleno and DZire are based as well.
The bonnet is new, so are the headlamps, the grille and the bumper. The headlamps get projector lamps as well as LED DRLs, although this feature is available only in the ZXi/ZDi Plus variants. L to Z variants get normal headlamps with no projector or DRL. On the sides, the door handle has moved up to the window. The greenhouse are is now bigger to let more light in.
New 15 inch alloy wheels – machine cut two-tone for Plus variants, simpler alloys for V to Z variants and 14 inch steel wheels for the L variants.
At the rear, the car gets new LED combination tail lamps.
Overall, the design is evolutionary. The new Swift looks pleasing to the eye and mildly sporty too from certain angles. There won’t be any attrition from the Swift brand for the looks at least.
New 2018 Swift Interior and Features
The new Swift gets a new dashboard, new instruments, a new centre console with touchscreen or buttons (based on the variant), new flat bottom steering wheel with mounted controls, better seats and redesigned door panels.
The dashboard is now lower allowing better visibility. Instrument console is analogue with a digital MID similar to the previous Swift. The HVAC controls are entirely new and are very well done.
The overall look of the cabin, with a black, sporty theme is quite nice. Things have been put together well, although it would have been better if there were more soft to touch surfaces within the cabin. Parts of the dash are hard plastics which, in comparison with the competition feel less premium.
Backseats offer more knee room now, along with more shoulder width and better head room. It’s a comfortable place for two, though a third occupant would be a bit of a squeeze. The seats are now 60:40 split and easy to tumble down.
There’s no AC vent for the rear occupants though, nor is there any power socket. The rear door panels too don’t have space for a proper 1 litre water bottle and can store only a 500 ml pack. There are no additional cavities on the panel either to store articles. The thick C pillar dampens the airiness inside the cabin, although the space itself is sufficient and the Swift backseat is more confortable now than it ever was.
The boot space has been enhanced by 28 percent, or by 58 litres and now stands at an impressive 268 litres, which should be sufficient for a small family to go out on a short holiday.
New 2018 Swift Engine, Transmission, Performance, ride & Handling
The engines on the new Swift have not been changes, and it continues to be powered by a 1.2 litre petrol and 1.3 litre DDiS diesel motor as before. The petrol motor dishes out 83PS and 113 Nm while the diesel is rated at 75 PS and 190 Nm. Minor tweaks have been made to improve the driveability, refinement and efficiency of the two engines, although they are still very properly identifiable as the ones on the previous gen car.
In that sense, the petrol motor remains reasonably tractable and refined with very good fuel efficiency and slightly better fuel efficiency too. The Suzuki 1.2 petrol is one of the best petrol motors out there, and it continues to remain so, with its practical, efficient, refined nature.
The Diesel motor too, is the same as before. The 1.3 litre DDiS diesel is slightle more tractuable, and mildly more refined. You can feel a very mellow pull starting from 1300 revs, which gets a bit more perceptible at 1500 revs. Post 2000 rpm, you can feel the pronounced kick which signals that the turbo has spooled up and will deliver its best performance through the mid range. It’s a practical, frugal and fairly punch unit – absolutely one of the best you can buy across segments, and we love it for its character, efficiency and performance.
Both engine are mated to the 5 speed manual transmission which we are all familiar with. Short throws, fairly slick and sorted ratios. Anyone who complains about that gearbox is a whiner. The headline news this time, however is the introduction of the 5 speed AMT or the AGS by Maruti Suzuki on both petrol and diesel engines.
The AMTs on the new Swift do their job well, which is to provide a two-pedal control and convenience at a reasonable price. The AMT on the Swift comes with a manual mode as well which puts the driver in control. Auto shifts are fairly smooth with part throttle, especially once you get the hang of how to modulate it well for the best response. Mashing the throttle or lifting off all too suddenly does put the auto trasmission in a bit of a spot, where it pauses momentarily to figure what needs to be done next. However, for everyday city usage it would be a fantastic options for lakhs of peole who are increasingly looking for a reliable automatic option. The AMT option is also much more economical than a proper torque converter, CVT or dual clutch transmission. It’s really a great convenience, especially in our congested cities, at a very small price premium.
Of the two AMTs however, we would anyday pick the petrol-AMT combo over the diesel-AMT as the former is smoother and more seamless than the diesel system which has a bit more delay and a slighly more pronounced shift pause.
The New 2018 Swift, as we mentioned, is lighter, features a new suspension system and is a little different in terms of ride and handling. The suspension is sprung slightly on the firmer side, and could have done with a wee bit softer setting. At slower speeds it feels tad stiff though the ride settles down as you gather speed.
The steering feels light and inert, although the grip from the tyres, and the sturdiness from the chassis is pretty good. The car holds its line even when driven aggressively around bends, though the light steering doesn’t do justice to the car’s able chassis. A bit more heaviness, a tad more connected feel would have made the new Swift even more fun to drive.
As things stand, the Swift is one of the best engine-transmission combos we have on offer with linear power, good performance and great efficiency. Expect the new car to offer even more fuel efficiency than the outgoing model as it’s lighter. The balance betweel ride and handling is pretty nice too though a bit more feedback from the steering is what an enthusiast always craves for.
Verdict
The new 2018 Maruti Suzuki Swift is an improvement over its predecessor in every department. It’s more spacious, more refined, more polished, better equipped, safer, lighter, and as claimed by Maruti, has better performance too. The prices are not out yet, and unless they’re too wildly higher than the current model, we don’t see a reason why we’d not recommend this much loved hatchback to our friends and family. Go ahead, book one if you love your Marutis – it’s one of the bext exponents of the brand out there.
New 2018 Swift Price, availability and Variant Wise Details
The new Swift will be launching at the 2018 Auto Expo. The bookings are open though and you can book one for yourself right away at the nearest Maruti Suzuki dealership. You can check out all the variants and their respective features in the images below
New 2018 Maruti Suzuki Swift Image Gallery
A few Maruti Suzuki dealerships are offering huge discounts across the model range for the month of February.