Sep 20, 2010 02:37 PM
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Well, its been a long time since I owned a Swift VDI, I wanted to wait long enough to write a good unbiased review.
Firstly, what struck me the most about this beautiful piece if engineering is the handling and control. For a hatchback, the control is remarkable. Cornering at high speeds was never more assuring than in the Swift.I will break down the review into 4 segments, which will help potential buyers to evaluate and come to a conclusion easily.
Drive/Handling/Control I was a racing freak, did quite a bit of road racing and drifting. The swift is a pleasure to drive, on the tarmac roads, on dirt, highway straight stretches..everywhere. It has got phenomenal control, owing due to its stiffer/independent shock absorbers. The stiffer shocks mean that the drive is less cushiony and the rear seat passengers can at times feel the bumps of the road. But honestly, the Control Vs stiff ride trade-off is worth it. The turbo boost kicks in at around 2000 RPM and you will suddenly feel a pull and the acceleration is amazing at even higher gears. Overtaking can be easily undertaken without bothering to change to lower gears. Braking in this car too matches the fantastic acceleration.
The small and crisp gear lever is a treat to drive with. The gear shifts are decisive and easy to make with the gear ratios matched perfectly to the indian roads. Pitted against its rivals, the Indica DLG/X, Getz, Fabia, the Swift has the best drive ability and handling.
Rating: 5/5 Fuel Economy: My swift gave me around 18-20 kmpl initially and peaked after the 2nd service to give around 20-22, but this again came down and settled around the 16-17 kmpl mark. This is fairly good considering the pick up this car can offer and its a diesel car, so its quite economical on the wallet. I always used the Extra Mile/ Speed versions of Diesel and I would like to believe that it did make a difference to the overall health of the car and helped keeping up its fuel economy.
Rating: 4.5/5 Value for Money I think this is the strongest of all the aspects of swift which wins many customers in its favor. I drove much bigger cars (octavia, fiesta etc ) than the swift in diesel but, Swift definitely possesses one of the best diesel engines there is and for the price of about 6 lakhs. Swift feels like a BIG car to drive with the maneuverability of a small car. It has struck a perfect balance. The features swift has to offer for the price is remarkable, the ABS option is a welcome addition. The smartly thought out dash board gives a very good sporty impression. (It hasnt changed much since 3 years, Maruti could have done a bit better here to jazz up the dash a little). The front seats are very comfortable and the steering feels light at low speeds getting heavier at higher speeds, the best EPS I have driven with.
Rating: 5/5
Styling:The Fat boy model of the swift makes an imposing impression, you either love it or hate it, but you cant ignore it. I personally loved the shape and style of the swift, this is a very subjective topic, left to the tastes of individuals. My rating is as follows,
Rating: 5/5
To sum up, after owning the Swift for 3 years and clocking 70, 000 Kms, I have had hardly any trouble with it. It has always been a pleasure to take it out on spin, cruise, drifts, races, long highway journeys, busy city traffic hops. You name the ride, the Swift delivers!! Never been happier with any other vehicle.
