Maruti Suzuki Swift vs Swift dZire

We love a bargain in this country. We also love a good saloon, what with all the prestige that seemingly innocuous third box brings. So when the government announced that ‘small cars’ – which is what most Indians equate ‘hatchbacks’ with – would be defined by a four-metre length cutoff, it only served to further widen the chasm between saloons and their bootless counterparts. The excise benefits meant that soon hatchback makers everywhere got their measuring tapes out and began filing down bumpers to make the cut. Meanwhile, the saloons basked in the warm glow of premium adulation, with their Rs 10-lakh price tags and optional leather seats. But remember, we love a bargain in this country, so it wasn’t long before the regulations were exploited.

Enter the compact saloon – a concept that seems illogical and aesthetically compromised, but actually makes tremendous economic sense. Tata was the first to nip the idea in the bud with the Indigo CS, which has been a huge success. Maruti followed suit with its new Swift Dzire which, unusually, is actually shorter than the car it replaces. A length of just 3995mm means it is officially a small car, and as a result Maruti’s been able to price it cheaper than the old car too! So what’s the catch?

While it’s better resolved than the old car, tacking a boot onto a car with as prominent a bonnet as the Swift is bound to look awkward. It doesn’t look like a conventional three-box saloon, and we wonder how this will go down with the Indian buyer looking for that ‘big car’ feel. You also kiss 124 litres of boot space goodbye compared to the old car and the 316-litre capacity is abysmal by modern standards, which really begs the question – is the Dzire really any better than the hatchback that spawned it?

We love the new Swift – in fact we crowned it our 2012 Car of the Year. It has two fantastic engines, is fun to drive, very refined, handsome to look at and has a modern cabin. So it’s good to see that most of its good bits have been adapted to the Dzire in the saloonification process. But, acknowledging the premium expectations of the discerning Indian saloon buyer, Maruti has taken some very welcome steps to make the Dzire plusher.

The interior is now a two-tone black-and-beige affair, the faux metal ditched for faux wood. The bigger rear doors open to a more reclined seatback, softer seats and beige upholstery. They’ve even recalibrated the rear suspension so the chauffeur-driven are little less rattled.

So it’s clear that the saloon – or notchback, to be precise – has a few tricks up its sleeve, so surely it must cost a fair bit more, right? Not quite. With the Dzire’s special introductory pricing, there’s only a difference of Rs 53,000-66,000, variant for variant, between it and the hatch. If that sounds like a lot, remember the old cars were closer to Rs 1 lakh apart.

And what about India’s favourite car-buying question? Since the engine mapping and gearing are unchanged and Maruti has kept the kerb weights of the two body styles identical – the economy (at least on the diesels) is near-identical too.

On paper, there isn’t much between the Swift and the Dzire – it’s more about what you want from your car. Yes, the saloon offers a little more comfort, a more pleasant cabin and a bit more boot, but the hatch isn’t exactly terrible on these fronts either. As with the previous generation, Maruti is marketing the two cars very differently. It says if you drive yourself and don’t travel with passengers or luggage often, get the hatch, no question.

There’s also no question about the Dzire’s incredible appeal. Dealers tell us that customers who were waiting for delivery of their last-gen models were more than happy to upgrade to the new car, despite the reduced boot space. They also said most buyers had their heart set on the Dzire before they even stepped into the showroom and that some who came for the hatchback were even swayed into upgrading to the saloon. So, with the two priced so closely, will the new booted car cannibalise sales of its little sibling? It remains to be seen. Maruti maintains the current Dzire prices are only introductory and will go up over the next few months and, for many buyers, a tight budget governs the purchase. Still, with such a competent saloon at such an attractive price in a market like ours, we wouldn’t be surprised. We love a bargain, after all.

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Fiat, Suzuki ink pact for Multijet

Fiat to supply upto 100,000 diesel engines every year to Suzuki.

Fiat and Suzuki Motor Corporation have reached an agreement for the supply of Fiat’s small diesel engine -- the 1.3-litre Multijet -- to Maruti Suzuki. Fiat India will supply up to 100,000 Multijet 75hp SDE engines every year for a three-year period that begins in the third week of January. Production of the engine for Maruti will start at Fiat India Automobiles’ Ranjangaon plant near Pune.

These volumes will be in addition to the 1.3-litre Multijet SDE engines already licensed by Fiat and manufactured by Suzuki Powertrain India. The 1.3 Multijet is a BS IV four-cylinder, 16V engine. It powers the all-new Swift and these additional supplies will enable Maruti to fulfill its deliveries of the car to the over 100,000 buyers who booked it. An estimated 80 percent of demand was for the diesel version. The SX4 and Ritz are also powered by the 1.3 Multijet engine.

With the colossal swing towards diesel-engined cars in the Indian market, carmakers have struggled to supply enough diesel models to their customers. With over 100,000 bookings for the all-new Swift, the problem was particularly significant for Maruti. Earlier, Maruti Suzuki had imported diesel engines from its Hungary facility.

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Review and testdrive of new SWIFT DZIRE

We first broke the news about the sub-four-metre new Swift Dzire on our website on December 31, 2010. We also brought you the first pictures of the car on our website on April 26, 2010 and in our May 2011 issue. As you can tell, we have been tracking the evolution of this car very closely and that’s because a saloon car for potential hatchback money is not easy to ignore.

The second-generation Dzire is quite different from the car it replaces. For starters, it’s only 3995mm long so it is a whole 165mm shorter than its predecessor. To keep length under the crucial four-metre mark, the new Dzire sports an extremely short boot. As a result, the new Dzire looks more a notchback than a proper saloon.

The good thing is that the tail section is well integrated with the rest of the body and the whole look is more cohesive than the older car. Rear styling is neatly executed but the squarish profile of the bootlid links the new car with the older Dzire. Boot space, at 316 litres is a whole size down on the old car, but is large enough to hold a weekend’s luggage.

Maruti has tweaked styling to differentiate the Dzire from the new Swift on which it is based. The front gets a slatted grille while the bumper features a wider air dam and larger enclosures for the fog lights. It’s only aft of the B-pillar that the two cars really look different. The rear quarter glass has a more conventional fall to it and the rear door is marginally larger as well.

Cabin design is identical to the Swift’s though the use of beige plastics on the lower portion of the dashboard and door pads, and the light seat fabrics really enhance the ambience inside. The front seats, also from the Swift, are very comfortable, while existing Dzire owners will notice the increased space in the back courtesy the new Swift platform’s 40mm longer wheelbase. Rear-seat comfort is decent but the backrest is a tad too reclined. Adjustable headrests and a rear centre armrest do enhance comfort here.

As before, Maruti will sell the Dzire with two engine options – an 86bhp, 1.2-litre petrol and 74bhp, 1.3-litre diesel. Both engines are identical to those on the new Swift, as is the gearing. The K-Series petrol engine benefits from Variable Valve Timing and this has resulted in a 2bhp power bump compared to the older car. Driving the car at the media launch at the Buddh International Circuit, we were reacquainted with the engine’s good low-speed response, slight lack of mid-range punch and impressive top end.

Surprisingly, it was the diesel that was more enjoyable at the track. With the turbo on song past 1800rpm, the engine’s healthy mid-range performance allowed us to power out of the slowest corners with ease. In real-world conditions, that should translate to good driveability.

Gearshifts on the five-speed gearbox were smooth and light in operation too. This brings us to the big surprise – the new Dzire will also be sold with a four-speed automatic transmission on the petrol model. The gearbox complements the petrol engine quite well and shifts are smooth too. Moreover, it adapts well to changes in throttle inputs. It’s only when you floor the throttle that the build of power is slightly jerky. Maruti will offer the automatic in only the middle-level VXi trim so you don’t get many goodies like climate control, steering-mounted audio controls, rear defogger or essentials like a driver seat height adjust and seatbelt height adjuster. A fully loaded version would have simply priced the automatic out of contention.

The Dzire shares suspension hardware with the Swift, though the rear has been tuned for comfort. While it was not possible to pass judgement on ride quality given the smooth tarmac at the circuit, we expect the softened setup should rid the Dzire of some of the Swift’s low-speed firmness. The flipside is that the Dzire also tends to roll a fair bit more than the Swift. What we did like though was the feedback at the steering wheel and good body control even when driving the car at its very limit.

On the whole, the new Dzire makes a compelling case for itself. It is smart to look at, comes decently specced and is good fun to drive too. The engines are refined and also score on the fuel economy front with ARAI-tested figures of 19.1kpl for the manual petrol and 23.4kpl for the diesel. Automatic transmission only adds convenience to the package.

Whille Maruti will announce prichttp://carzera.blogspot.com/2011/12/maruti-announces-auto-expo-plans.htmling on February 1 at the car’s launch, we hear the new Dzire will cost as much as the model it replaces which will continue to sell in taxi avatar.

If that’s the case, Maruti has yet another winner on its hands.

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Suzuki reveals Auto-Expo plans

The upcoming Auto Expo in Delhi will see the Japanese bike-maker showcase its international range of sport and touring bikes. This includes the Hayabusa, Intruder M1800, GSX-R1000, GSR750, DL650A (V-Strom) and RMX450Z. The Indian range will be showcased too, with models like the SlingShot Plus, the GS150R and the Access 125 scooter. Also at the Expo will be the newly launched Intruder M800, which comes with an 805cc fuel-injected liquid-cooled, 8-valve V-Twin powerplant.

For visitors who wish to know more about each product, there will be a special interactive touchscreen stand that will impart product details. And that’s not all. The stall will also host Paintjam, a theatrical art performance by the internationally acclaimed improvisational speed-painter Dan Dunn.

The theme for Suzuki Motorcycle is titled ‘APNA WAY OF LIFE’. This focuses on consumers at an individual level and also shows how a customer relates to the Suzuki Motorcycle product in daily life.

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Maruti announces Auto Expo plans

Maruti Suzuki has revealed its plans for the upcoming 2012 Auto Expo.The big news for
 the small-car giant will be its aggressive entry into the UV segment with two models – both of which will be showcased at the Expo in New Delhi.
First up will be the global unveiling of Maruti’s first compact MPV, the Ertiga. As originally seen in our spy images, the Ertiga looks similar to the Swift from the front, with peeled-back headlights that stretch to the pronounced wheel arches. The rear treatment looks well proportioned, if rather generic in comparison. The Ertiga will seat seven and will come with petrol and diesel engine options.Along with the Ertiga, Maruti will also showcase a comp
act SUV concept.  Both these new models are the result of a joint effort between Maruti Suzuki in India and Suzuki Motor Corporation, Japan.  According to Maruti, the compact SUV concept has been designed in a record time of just nine months.
“As the market gets more competitive, we have to gear up for the new dynamics. We are thus showing the best we can offer. The new models like the SUV, MPV and MUV will prove to the world that we are future-ready. We need to get first-hand feedback for this,” says Maruti Suzuki managing executive officer marketing and sales, Mayank Pareek.
Maruti will also add another engine to its popular K-series family - the K14.  As the name suggests, the K14 is a 1.4-litre petrol motor that is equipped with variable-valve timing (VVT).  It will displace 1372cc and deliver a decent 95bhp. The Ertiga will debut this new engine, but will also be available with a 1.3-litre DDiS ‘Super Turbo’ diesel engine.
Some of parent company Suzuki’s international compact cars – like the Solio, Palette and MR Wagon – will also be on display at Maruti’s Auto Expo stand, which Pareek says are intended to “study consumer feedback."

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Suzuki reveals Swift EV Hybrid concept

Suzuki has released details and pictures of a new concept, this time a variant of the Swift, called the Swift EV Hybrid concept.

As the name suggests, this concept is powered by an additional battery that helps extend its overall range, a set-up similar to the Chevrolet Volt. While in motion, it is powered first by an electric motor and backed up by a small range-extending petrol engine. On battery power alone, the car has a 30km operating range.

No specific details have been mentioned, but it shouldn’t stray too far from the Swift Plug-In concept that was shown at the 2009 edition of the Tokyo Motor Show. The 2009 concept was based on the previous-generation Swift and featured a 658cc mill, offering 54bhp, working in tandem with a 74bhp electric motor, powered by lithium-ion batteries. Back then the series hybrid system offered around 20km of pure electric mode driving as compared to a 30km range for the 2011 concept.

In terms of looks, the Swift EV hybrid looks similar to the conventional version but features visual tweaks such as LED headlamps and tail lamps, a covered grille and wheels, modified interior that is white and green in shade and also features two large digital screens. The 2011 Swift EV Hybrid concept will be showcased at the Tokyo Motor Show. 

According to Suzuki, the Swift EV Hybrid is strictly a concept, although there are reports in the Japanese media that suggest that the hybridised electric hatch could go on sale sometime in 2013.

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Suzuki unveils Regina concept

Suzuki has unveiled details and pictures of an all-new concept car christened Regina. Suzuki calls the Regina a city-car concept that will be placed below the Swift.

According to Suzuki, this concept represents the firm's vision of "a next-generation global compact car with excellent fuel efficiency and low emissions thanks to lightness and superior aerodynamics".

There are no exact mechanical details revealed yet, but Suzuki says with a conventional petrol motor, this concept could return a fuel economy of at least 32kpl, which translates to a mere 3.1litres/100km.

The Regina concept, a 730kg four-seater, is 3550mm long, 1630mm wide and 1430mm tall and has a 2425mm wheelbase. Interior styling is rather minimalistic but is highlighted with all hues of green. 

The Regina concept will be showcased at the upcoming Tokyo Motor Show in early December.

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