Suzuki Swift VXi
Dear mouthshut readers, this is not a full fledged review of Suzuki Swift. You can check
out the engine specifications and colour availability in the company website. I am gonna
write this review from consumers point of view and all the opinions mentioned are after
careful evaluation of the car.
As you know Swift comes in three variants LXi , VXi & ZXi (LXi: Zero frills: no wheel cup,
drab interiors, no power windows, no fog lamps & extensive use of cheap plastics. Verdict:
if you are looking for basic Swift Looks and comfort this is it, it is 20K to 30K cheaper
than the VXi version and gives you the freedom to upgrade to Suzuki certified components
like power windows and wheel cup for that VXi Look, when you have the budget.)
VXi.
This Variant of Swift is a perfect blend of Comfort, Luxury and a complete value for money
package. At 4.6 lacs it is a better package than any other car in this segment. For me
Swift was a kind of ‘Love at first sight’ especially the Bright Red one so I sold my ageing
Maruti 800 for a New Swift. I am now a proud owner of Swift, and I‘ve been using this car
(VXi) for 5 months now. I’ll be keeping this write up as simple as possible, so that it
will be useful for everyone who dreams of this machine.
Styling:
Exteriors:
To put in one simple word – ‘Superb’. Hats Off to the decision of Suzuki to bring such a
beauty to India. The design Team has done a commendable job here. With the aptly sized
honey comb grille on the front with a prominent Suzuki Logo on it, superior styling….swift
simply ROCKS!! (2nd looks guaranteed)... The paint work is of top quality (go for a Teflon
coating; most of the dealer workshop has this facility) Swift (Red & Black) has more road
presence than any other car in the Indian Market (upto 12 Lakh segment, except the new
Honda Civic). With the Mini Cooper Styling and highly responsive engine….it has all the
qualities to be a boy’s 2nd Girlfriend. The entire car is a bit bulky, both looks wise and
dimension wise.
Its chunky clear head lights, adhering to the contours of the cars, the fog lamps all add
to the beauty of the car. Almost all the other cars in the same segment looks puny then
compared with Swift _parked side by side. In this variant you get, 2 black colored
internally adjustable side mirrors, which adds around 20 cms to the width of the car if
both are tilted forward.
You can find the use of cheap, black colored plastic on outside (mostly at the glass
beading and Cowl- below the windshield wipers), which is actually a huge let down, because
this kind of plastic has a tendency to fade to gray color. Then there is a tilt-able Radio
antenna on the top. Coming to the rear side…big tail lamps, the top end of the tailgate is
slightly projected outwards on the rear to be like a small spoiler.
The tailgate, hood and the petrol tank lid can be opened from inside. Then there is great
14 inch Tubless Radial tyres that very efficiently cushions the road irregularities and
gives a sporty look to the car. Swift has very less ground clearance when compared to other
cars in its segment. So it is advisable not to go for rally kind of driving on pot holed
roads.
Let us get to the luggage space beneath the tailgate; Swift has ample luggage carrying
capacity for a family of Four or Five. The one drawback I found in this section is that the
rear seats are not 60:40 split. If Suzuki could incorporate that in the next batch of
Swift, then it would be a prudent decision. The rear seats are completely foldable
(remember no split folding….) in case you need extra storage. Overall... good luggage space
for a small family.
Interiors
Let us now graduate to interiors: for VXi I would give 4/5. you cannot find ultimate luxury
inside but overall the interiors are pleasant. Silver/gray touches (For VXi & ZXi) on the
door trim, dash panel, AC vents gives a classy finish. The steering wheel is made a bit
small like that in Ford to give a sporty driving experience. Now let us see the interiors
Section wise:
Dash Panel/ Instrument panel/ Trim below the Gear Lever
Great contemporary styling here, with ample storage space and CD player Bays the space is
well managed. There is provision for CD Storage, Bottle or Cup Holder and 2 ash tray (bin)
holders…..and yes, they give a Free Ash Bin too…. The AC vents are all well placed with all
the switches with in the reach of the driver. The driver does not have to lean forward to
access the knobs and switches. The instrument panel is quite striking, there is a
Tachometer along with, speedometer, fuel gauge and Heat level indicator, Digital trip
meters….there are some extra goodies too, like Driver Seatbelt indicator, Door Ajar
Indicator. Then the usual Power System Indicator (EPS) etc. There is beep indicator also,
if the driver side door is ajar.
The Plastics Used for trim parts are of good quality, and to a certain extend scratch proof
too. Gear knob grip is comfortable, no unnecessary sounds while shifting gears.
Pros & Cons
Pros: > Good utilization of space, superior build quality, good quality plastic for trim,
great instrument panel, correct positioning of switches and AC vents. The overall fit and
finish ‘excellent’.
Cons: >The entire Dash panel/ Instrument panel are different pieces, ie too many
Plastic-Plastic Joints resulting in squeaking noise while driving. (Even the authorized
workshop people could not eliminate this squeaking sound). If you look at most of the Mid
range to high end cars the instrument panel assembly is one single unit.
Continued in Comments Section................
