In a world that’s shoving EVs and SUVs down our throats, there’s nothing like a small, manual hatch with tidy handling to serve as a palate cleanser.
I’d be lying if I said EVs aren’t perfect for the urban grind, which is where I do pretty much all my driving. Quiet, peppy off the line, seamless progress uninterrupted by gear shifts, and the ability to ‘fill up’ while I’m sat at my desk in the office – it’s a no-brainer, really. But I’d also be remiss not to point out that they feel monotone and soulless, and yes, that matters even on my commute.
So, when the Autocar India Swift rotated into my possession after a series of back-to-back EVs, it proved to be a much-needed injection of attitude on my mundane Monday morning. Petrol, manual, and wrapped in the pretty and petite package of a premium hatchback, just looking at it makes me wonder why we, as a car-buying populace, have strayed so far from the light.
Cute, sporty look with sufficient space; a Swift hallmark intact on new car.
I burst out of the gate on a chirrup of clutch-popped wheelspin, just because I can, though I stop myself short of pulling the handbrake as I turn out onto the main road. But that’s what the Swift does to you after just a few metres of driving. After one-note EVs and big, fat SUVs, this feels small, feisty, and ready to be wrung out. The steering may have gotten lazy lately (it pays off in traffic), but the chassis is as tight as ever.
The new Z12 three-cylinder naturally aspirated petrol engine, which has caught mountains of flak from keyboard warriors everywhere, is nowhere as bad as it’s made out to be. At its worst, it feels sluggish at low revs, which I do have to suffer through as I crawl my way to the office, but you soon learn to drive around it. This is likely a case of conservative fuelling at low revs to give the best economy, and boy, does it deliver on that front. Even in constant traffic, it rarely dips below 13kpl!
Hilariously good fuel economy, even in rushhour, start-stop traffic.
Let it rev, however, and it feels nice and peppy. What it’s lost in outright smoothness compared to the old K12 four-cylinder, it’s made up for with greater potency in the mid-range. Apologies for getting all road testy for a moment there, but it’s nice to enjoy a simple, honest-to-goodness petrol engine after a long time.
Where the Swift disappoints is in Maruti’s obstinate obsession with cost trimming, which has made a fun, premium hatchback feel like a budget item in places. The sticker price has certainly gone up, and leaving aside the decision to go with a cheap AMT for the auto gearbox (a decision I mercifully don’t have to suffer), it’s small things that also pinch in the long run. Like the lack of an auto-dimming mirror, low-quality fabric for the roof liner, and just one (very weak) cabin light placed up front, which in turn highlights the lack of backlighting on the switches and USB ports.
No backlighting on switches, USB ports makes them hard to find in the dark.
On the topic of annoyances, Maruti’s idea to show turn-by-turn navigation directions from Google Maps in the MID display is noble, but it completely overrides all other information (including that amazing fuel economy meter), and it cannot be turned off unless you end the navigation.
Unlike other fleet cars that I try to keep for as long as possible, I know I’m not going to hold on to the Swift for much longer. Apart from being quietly coveted by the rest of the team for being small and relatively hassle-free to live with, it’s also a regular feature on shoots as the camera car, and with good reason. Fun as this was, it’s back to the silent treatment for me.
Navigation directions in MID handy but can’t be switched off; blocks other data.
Also see:
Maruti Swift long term review, 4,500km report
Maruti Wagon R, Swift and Celerio get up to Rs 65,000 off this month
