Introduction

The blue Swift you see here is the third-generation of the hatchback already available in our country. And, the red one here is the 2021 Swift that has been recently launched. It continues to adorn a very stylish and sporty design. More importantly, it has now gained a more powerful engine with greater fuel efficiency, slightly re-worked looks, dual-tone colour options, and also some new features.

Honestly, the tweaks are not very major in comparison to its predecessor, but there are quite a number of changes to speak of. We'll be soon doing a full-fledged review of the latest car, but for now, shall be looking at how different it is from its previous model.

1. Design and looks

Its front end might look similar, but look closely at both models and you will see the changes. The sportier-looking front fascia now gets a bolder grille. It features a cross mesh design as against the previous horizontal line pattern seen on the older model. There's also a new sleek chrome bar placed at the centre of the grille, which helps in adding an aesthetic effect to the new model. Save for these updates, the rest of the design remains unchanged.

2. Colour options

Interestingly, new dual-tone colour options have been announced apart from the standard colour palette. So, the previous six single-tone options have been carried over. And additionally, buyers can now choose from the three new dual-tone schemes as well. These are namely the Pearl Arctic White with Pearl Midnight Black roof, then the Pearl Metallic Midnight Blue with Pearl Arctic White roof, and then this, the Solid Fire Red with Pearl Midnight Black roof as you can see here.

3. Dimensions

Well, this is not a change that you will easily notice, but this model has grown marginally in terms of the overall length. While the previous model stood at 3,840mm, the new Swift, on the other hand, now spans 3,845mm in length. Meanwhile, the other aspects like its width, height, and wheelbase have remained unchanged at 1,735mm, 1,530mm, and 2,450mm, respectively.

4. Updated engine

With this year's update, the hatchback also gets a slightly more powerful engine. This is the 1.2-litre DualJet petrol engine that was introduced in the Dzire last year. It's still a four-cylinder unit that has received some internal changes. As a result, the engine now delivers 89bhp of maximum power and 113Nm of peak torque. It is higher as compared to the older 83bhp 1.2-litre K12 mill even though the torque output remains the same. What's more, this model has also gained an idle start-stop feature for more fuel economy.

However, on the transmission front, it retains the same five-speed manual gearbox. Buyers looking for an automatic variant also have the option of the five-speed AMT unit.

5. Fuel economy

Then comes the much-asked question of what's the fuel efficiency. You'll be glad to know it has only improved. Thanks to the mechanical updates and an added start-stop feature, this engine now delivers a higher 23.2kmpl of fuel economy. This is for the manual we've got here, and even the AMT version has a claimed figure of 23.76kmpl. From the records, the pre-facelift Swift was known to deliver a little lower 21.21kmpl.

6. Features

Inside, the design and layout remain the same, but with the addition of some new features. Some noteworthy updates include new fabric upholstery, cruise control, and auto-fold functionality for the ORVMs. In addition to that, there's also an updated instrument cluster with a colour MID to differentiate it from the older model.

Though this is the top-spec ZXi Plus model that we are looking at, we're told the lower Vxi trim also gets a feather-touch stereo added. This unit continues to get Bluetooth, USB, and AUX connectivity. Meanwhile, the rest of the feature list along with all the safety equipment has been carried over as it is.

And, to remind you of all the kit on the fully-loaded model, there's this 7.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system compatible with Maruti's Smartplay Studio mobile app. Then, a rear-view camera, automatic climate control, LED headlamps, alloy wheels, and many more.

Conclusion

As an overall proposition, the new Swift only adds more value to what was already an interesting package. Yes, the prices are now slightly up over the outgoing model. But, with prices ranging from Rs 5.73 lakh to Rs 8.41 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi), it still is a good competitor to the Ford Figo and its prime rival - the Hyundai Grandi10 Nios.

Pictures by Kapil Angane