Aug 21, 2006 09:15 AM
5080 Views
Hi,
I got a chance to testdrive the Maruti Suzuki
Swift.Well, a colleague of mine has bought it and i
thought I should lay my hands on that thing ...!!
Though the drive was a brief one, I have substantial
information .... fair enough to share with you....!!
Seat Belts on !!!
Styling & Interiors:
This new born baby from Maruti has 'love me or hate
me' kind of a look.THough the car looks stunning from
the front side, it isn't pleasing to look at it from
rear as it has that 'bulbous' look.The fact to be
accepted is that it is the best looking car from
Maruti's stable ever.The styling has opened a mixed
bag of emotions.My opinion is ...either Love it or
hate it ...and thats abt it ...!!
The Interiors are well finished with a high mounted
dashboard and a cool speedo console.The foot well is
low on space for a six footer like me.Quality of
materials used inside the cabin is good and the stalks
feel nice to operate.The Steering wheel feels good to
grip and a short throw gearshift lever is a nice bit
on the car.And wrt to the back seat, all I feel is its
cramped and less roomy compared to most other small
cars.
Engine & Drivetrain :
And now ... what sits beneath the hood of the Swift is
an esteem derived (G-Series in Suzuki's terms) 1.4
Litre petrol engine which puts out a healthy 88PS of
power.The esteem's engine is already a proven unit and
Maruti has decided to play it safe with the Swift's
engine ...rather than developing an entirely new unit
for the car.
Fire all the cylinders and the car is so silent at
idle.The engine responds to every small input to the
throttle with enthusiasm.The gearshift is slick and it
takes only short throws to slot the car into gears.The
foot pedals are nicely placed ...though I would have
liked a bit more floor space.The car I rode(top end
version) was equipped with an ABS (Anti Lock Braking
System).Frankly speaking it isn't worth it..to go out
and buy the ABS version as the ABS is needed only on
top end cars with high engine power.Wonder why Maruti
had installed ABS system on a small car ... is it more
of a gimmick ???
The drivetrain is smooth and reasonably powerful for a
small car though I would have liked to load it with 5
ppl and evaluate the performance.
Ride :
Ride quality is on par with most small cars and
nothing extraordinary here.
Fuel Efficiency :
Yet to be ascertained by my colleague .... !!! Many
auto forum members report a mileage figure of approx.
10kmpl in city and 15kmpl in highway.Many experts in
these forums feel that it is only marginally better
than the Hyundai Getz which is noted for its low fuel
efficiency ..!!
Notes :
1.Good handling coupled with a nice engine makes it
good to drive in city
2.Low on space ...especially at the rear
3.Cabin less airy and feels stuffed
4.Nice quality materials used inside
5.OEM stereo nice to listen
6.Maruti Service ...a major plus point for the car.
7.cost of the car makes me feel that it is overpriced
... !!
8.For the better part of nearly 5 lakhs you get just a
'small car' ????
