After driving the Santro for about a year & half (before that I had a Maruti 800 for almost 20yrs)Recently I got an Swift VXI.
I had a Santro which was a good upgrade from the Maruti 800. I had bought it 2nd hand from a Doctor and is giving very good service (I will be disposing it off but am gonna feel bad about it).
But the Swift is a very nice car. I had an option of choosing between Swift VXI and Indigo LS. My family swung in the favor of swift for its classy edge over the Indigo ( The sales staff at Wasan Motors, Mumbai were very indifferent). Though it was a hatchback we opted for it.
*Space
*It is as wide as an Indica (I travel in a car pool were the other three cars are Indica), the space at the rear is not as in Indica but can easily accommodate a 6 foot guy.
*Driveability
*The drivability of the car is excellent. The engine revs up beautifully. If it was not for the tachometer (rpm), It is difficult to know if it is running, there is no sound. It accelerates very smoothly and response to the drivers pressure on the pedal is good. I have driven on higher speed on turnings and there was no indication of a roll, it is very steady. The gears change like magic. Changing into the 5th gear while at 40 kmph is good and does not affect the performance of the engine.
Suspension Tyres & Brakes
This one has tubeless tyres and makes the ride much more smoother. Its grip on the road is good. Brakes have an ABS, and hence work like magic. The suspension is good as the ride is smooth.
Mileage
My car has done about 1100 Kms till date. City driving yields a max of 9 km/litre. May be it shall improve when it crosses 3000 kms (thats what the mannual says). the sales man at the showroom - Ratan motors Chembur informed before sales that it clocks 12 - 13 kms/lit. But during the first service I was told it would be 9 - 10 max. Maruti needs look into the information given by its dealers, they could be misleading.
*Interiors
*Its interiors are well designed and the instrument panel is attractive. A/c is effective and needs to be regulated. Possibly the AC climate control would be a good addition for Maruti to add as in ZXI model. I was surprised to see the black colors seat. It goes well with the grey color of the car.
*Negetive
*The front bumper is low and tends to hit the kerb while parking. It should be higher than the kerbs.
My earlier view of the car was that it was not attractive especially for its look. Its broad rear side was a negative. But its performance is good. It has kept the Maruti name high
*Update: June 23/08
*It is more than a year since I have the car and just checked the mileage recently. IN city conditions my car gives 9.75 Km/Litre, Any one who wnats to buy this car may note the same. Maruti dealers claim 12 - 13 kms but it is not true.