I bought my Black Swift ZXi in June; it has been a 6 months of amazing driving experience hence. This car is without doubt the best hatchback available in India as of now.
Pick-up and Speed: It is slow to start with in gear 1 and 2. However, it is quick to respond to the accelerator after that. You would not know and you’ll be clocking 80 kmph within no time. I drive in Bangalore and regret that I am at this place. I wish driving this pace machine on Delhi roads. Good thing is that it does not jitter at speeds > 130 kmph unlike cars like wagon r and Santro. All this is accentuated by the sports-car like gear-shift.
Fuel Efficiency/Economy: City conditions with the Automatic Climate Control on, it easily gives 12.5 km/litre. ACC switches off the power intake once the car temperature is equal to the temperature outside, so more efficiency. This is an added benefit of going in for ZXi.
Drive/Maneuverability: Absolutely brilliant. The engine hardly makes any noise; the co-passengers would never feel if you are accelerating unless they see the panel. Driving in city is easy, given large side-view mirrors on either side.
Extra Frills: ZXi comes with alloy wheels and they look really cool. There are 4 speakers in the car (on each door) and their quality is good. All you need to do is to get a stereo attached, and you are ready. The panel is easy to read and very intuitive. The fog lamps may not be of a great assistance, but good to have. Body colored mirrors and door latches look great and more aligned with the great looks that the car has.
Ground Clearance: Not good. Try having 5 people on board and jump a bad bumper (like one on Sarjapur road near Jakkasandra), the suspension goes out with a thud. Maruti must do something about this.
Interiors/Style/Looks: The car looks richer than all its hatchback cousins. The seats are big and really comfortable. Driver’s seat and belts can be adjusted vertically. Inside styling is immaculate. Only issue might be a small glove box. I guess having a additional glove box like one in Honda City ZX would be better here.
Safety: VXi (with ABS) and ZXi are fitted with airbags and have ABS on board. I tried stress testing the brakes (off course on the test drive), and they were great. Only bit of caution, try to have your kids travel at the back of the car due to the airbags hooked to the dashboard.
Dealer Feedback: RNS is new to South Bangalore and seem to be very responsive and open to feedback.
Overall, an absolute peach of a car. If you are planning for a hatchback with all the world class features, this is it. I guess it’s better than some of the similar priced sedans (Aveo and Accent). A great car to own.
Thanks,
Sudhanshu Mohan