The third generation Suzuki Swift was launched in 2010 and Maruti brought the car to India in 2011. The Swift has been a massive success for Suzuki globally and more than 30 lakh units have been sold worldwide (almost 50% have been sold in India alone). The Swift has created such a fan following which has led the vehicle to become the undisputed leader in the hatchback segment in India. No other hatchback has been able to touch the Swift in terms of sales, even though many accomplished automakers have tried to derail the Swift’s dream run.
Now with the Swift being almost three years old in the market, Suzuki is planning to give it a mid-life facelift, which will be launched in India in early-2014 (mostly at the Auto Expo). So what changes can we expect? There will be a minor exterior update with new headlights, bumper, grille, wheels and tail lights. The overall body structure will remain unchanged with the mechanicals and underpinnings remaining unaltered. Suzuki will also make changes to the interiors, which will be minor and we can expect new features on the car.
Maruti Suzuki might add an automatic variant of the Swift (petrol) to the lineup, which will be the same 4-speed unit which does duty on the DZire and Ritz. Hopefully the company addresses the braking issues found on the current vehicle and offers ABS standard across the range, like they have done with the diesel-powered Ertiga. Expect a minor price hike when the 2014 Maruti Suzuki Swift goes on sale in our country. The facelifted model is expected to be unveiled at a motor show later this year.
