Well guys before I start, one question:
What happens if Tata 407 is crossed with Maruti Van?
The answer is WagonR with bonnet of Tata 407 and back of van
Sorry for the PJ.
However let me come back to my original intent of writing a review on Swift. It is said that there were some Indians on board the Suzuki’s Swift design team. Well I am not 100% sure about this. But there is one thing that I am 101% sure and that is there were some die-hard fans of our old lady Amby on board the design team. It is not a joke. Anyone doubting it, should compare the size of the A and C pillars and waist line of both the cars. ha ha ha.
Well after a long thought process, finally in first week of April 2006, I became a proud owner of Swift VXi. Well I am not going to list its specs since they are already there on the net.
With 1000 Kg of weight and sleek and sensual body, definately it is a head turner, especially in the country side. It has a power of a beast, always ready to zoom ahead.
So far I have clocked more than 4000 KMs with it both in city and on highway. The overall experience with this car has been great. It has a good pick up, easy handling (thanks to EPS), great stability even during cornering.
Let me rate this car on some critical parameters:
Pickup: Good
Mileage: Good. I am getting around 13-14 kmpl.(Would like to have feedback from another Swift owners)
Handling: Easy
Leg Space: Good in front row and satisfactory in rear
Comfort: Good. Seats are very comfortable. It’s easier to get in and out of the car and also gives good road view while driving
Stability: Good. Even 110 KMPH, it does not waggles and remains grounded, giving a feeling of security.
Braking: Good. Booster assisted brakes are a great asset.
AC: Good
GearShift: Short. A great improvement from 800 !!!
Cabin Noise: Almost zero when engine is idling. Sometimes, it gives the impression that engine has switched off
Some negative points:
# Material used for bumpers and dashboard is very light.
# Due to thick C pIllars and high waist line, reversing the car is difficult.
# Missing Dead Pedal
However there is one thing that puzzles me a lot: The owner’s manual states that Swift is equipped with booster assisted brakes. However the pamphlets given by dealers don’t carry this information !!!!!!. So, my query is that is this a plus point or not?
Update on 19/10/2009
I want to share my further experience after owning SWIFT For about 3.5 years and driven for around 23K KM. Most of these kilometres have been burnt on the highway for long drives. So, far the car has not given any major problem and has required only the routine service. The only failure that I have so far is the bulb of the cabin light.
Recently I drove this car to District Kinnaur in HP(Sangla, Chitkul, Kalpa) covering at total of 1300 KM in six days. It handled the treacherous and steep mountain roads very well and even the portions of the roads that had washed away due to landslides (There were plenty of these. More details in another review on Sangla Visit).
However low ground clearance of Swift is the only drawback on these kinds of roads, else it handles itself well and provides good sense of security. It doesn’t complains about the steep slopes thanks to the 1300 CC engine.
I am planning to take Swift to the Manali>Rohtang>Leh road sometimes in the near future. My only worry is that will the low ground clearance of Swift able to handle the roads. Has anyone tried other maruti/suzuki cars like Esteem, Zen, and Alto on these tough roads?