The Maruti Suzuki Swift has been one of the company’s best sellers and now for 2021, to make the Swift a more attractive package, Maruti Suzuki has given it a mild facelift with a bunch of new features. The 2021 Swift gets tweaked outputs, slightly refreshed styling, cruise control and dual-tone paint finishes.
Design
The design of the 2021 Swift facelift isn’t a radical overhaul of the existing Swift. What’s new is the redesigned grille that gets garnished in chrome bits. The Swift can now also be had with a dual-tone finish where the roof is a different colour than the body and Maruti Suzuki offers its customers three such finishes to choose from, namely, Pearl Arctic White with Pearl Midnight Black Roof, Solid Fire Red with Pearl Midnight Black Roof and finally Pearl Metallic Midnight Blue with Pearl Arctic White Roof. However, this can only be had on the ZXI+ variant. The interiors of the car have also been mildly refreshed with revised upholstery.
Engine
The 2021 Swift facelift gets the new 1.2-litre four-cylinder K-series DualJet engine that gets two injectors per cylinder and also dual VVT for the intake and exhaust valves and cooled exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) which helps keep efficiency and emissions in check. The addition of these technologies to the engine means that Maruti Suzuki have managed to squeeze 7bhp more and the engine is now good for 89bhp at 6000rpm and 113Nm. The engine is mated to either a five-speed manual or a five-speed AMT, or like Maruti Suzuki calls it, the AGS transmission. The increase in power doesn’t come at the expense of fuel economy and the company claims that the 2021 Swift is even more efficient than the outgoing Swift with fuel-efficiency figures of 23.30kmpl for the manual variant and 23.76kmpl for the automatic variant. The engine is also equipped with an idle start stop feature that should aid with efficiency.
Equipment
The 2021 Swift facelift now gets cruise control and features like ESP (Electronic Stability Program) and hill-hold assist come as standard on the AGS variants. The new Swift also gets bigger brakes. The MID (multi information display) in the instrument cluster is now a 4.2-inch colour TFT unit.
Commenting on the launch of the new 2021 Swift, Shashank Srivastava, Executive Director (Marketing & Sales), Maruti Suzuki India Limited, said, “Since its launch in 2005, Swift has revolutionised the premium hatchback segment in India. Swift with its sporty performance, upright stance and unmistakable road presence emphasizes individuality that stands out from the crowd. This ‘coming of the age’ car was designed keeping in mind the evolved preferences of the modern-day customer. Over the years, Swift has earned the warmth of nearly 2.4 million customers. The new Swift takes this legacy a notch higher with a new powerful K-series engine, sportier dual tone exterior, best-in-class fuel efficiency and enhanced safety features. We thank our customers for their unwavering support throughout and are confident that the new Swift will also win the appreciation of our customers.”
Pricing and variants
The 2021 Swift facelift gets a slight bump in prices ranging from Rs 15,000 to Rs 24,000 across the different variants.
The 2021 Maruti Suzuki Swift will rival the likes of the Hyundai Grand i10 Nios and Ford Figo. With fuel prices skyrocketing, the claimed increase in fuel efficiency would be a feature that should have many takers.