Long term review: Maruti Suzuki Swift AMT

Among all the long term cars in our fleet, it’s a well-known fact that the car driven by me usually clocks the highest mileage every month, as I frequently take trips to Mumbai and other places. Which makes having a reliable, convenient and efficient car absolutely essential for my use. Unlike the previous generation Maruti Suzuki Swift, the 2018 hatchback has a fun element and that go-kart like feel which was there on the first generation of the car.

The Swift continues to be one of the best hatchbacks in the handling department, with great dynamics and body control. You can throw it hard into a corner and know it will stick to it’s line. There are few factors that hold the Swift back though. The 185/65 R15 Bridgestone Ecopia tyres while offering decent grip, are honestly designed to improve fuel efficiency rather than give you outright grip. Slapping on a set of stickier and wider tyres should help exploit the chassis’s true potential. But there’s nothing you can do about my only grievance with all the new generation Maruti cars – the lifeless electric steering.

“The 2018 hatchback has a fun element and that go-kart feel which was there on the first generation of the car”

You will feel most potholes and undulations, but the upside is that the high speed ride and handling is top notch. It has the highway manner of a bigger car and this gives you confidence when you are doing three-digit speeds. Previous generation cars would begin to rattle and squeak after a few thousand kilometres of use. But so far no signs of wear from our car, despite it having done over 11,000 kilometres, that too without a service, for which it is now overdue. One thing that has been slightly affected due to not being serviced on time, is the fuel efficiency which has dropped a little. This could possibly be due to older engine oil that’s been running in the car for all these kilometres. Hopefully Maruti will pick it up soon and have it serviced.

Living with the Swift and using it as my daily commuter, I have also discovered that the ergonomics are spot on in this car and that helps you focus on the road. Another recent discovery of mine is that the Swift is deceptively spacious. With the rear seats folded, I was able to move three small tables from Pune to Mumbai without much trouble. Despite the added weight, the ride stayed consistent and it did not bottom out. This theoretically means the Swift should be fine with a full load of five passengers on board as well. It’s something we intend to try out in the days to come.

Date acquired: March 2018

Total mileage: 11764km

Mileage for the month of October: 1068km

Costs this for the month of October:  Rs 0

Overall kmpl: 20.3