I decided to move up from the Alto 1.1 Vxi which I was driving to a Swift in Feb 07. For me the choices were between the Zen Estilo Vxi and the Wagon R Vxi. However, I didn’t quite like the interiors of the Zen Estilo(specially the huge protruding dash) and the "missus" didn’t like the Wagon R’s looks, also the fact that these cars all shared the same engine from the Alto 1.1, and I was looking for an upgrade.I did consider the Ford Focus for a while, but the price and low fuel efficiency was a deterrent.
The choice then logically moved onto the Swift and we settled on a Black Swift Vxi.(We’d also checked out the Getz, but the Swift beat the Getz 4 to 2 on our ratings). For us, what made us chose the car were the features, the hot 83 bhp engine, looks, price and the low ownership cost of a Suzuki product. This fact was borne out by our experience of having owned and driven Suzuki cars over the past 6-7 years. Suzuki cars are typically inexpensive to run and maintain, compared to any other car(other than the Tatas) in the country at the moment and that was one of the key points in our consideration.
We got the car on Feb 15th, with the odometer reading 7kms, it’s been with us for 6 months now, and has clocked up 12k kms already, without a niggle.
Most of us donot pay any attention to the break-in phase of the engines powering the cars we buy. The manual says that the car should be driven at varying speeds.generally going easy on it, for the first 1000 kms. now here’s an interesting article on "how to break-in your engine for more power": https://mototuneusa.com/break_in_secrets.htm which appreared in the Power News Magazine and serves as a reference to all die hard car and bike enthusiasts. The article suggests one should run the car hard, put it through the gears and change the oil after the first 20 miles(32 kms), for a dramatic increase in power output across all rev ranges(compared to the traditional "drive-it-easy-for-the-first-1000kms type").
I followed the above break-in procedure and can confirm that this car now has a much more responsive engine than similar cars. How did I come to this conclusion? Well, I had the chance to drive a friend’s Swift Vxi(March 07, grey) from Surat to Mumbai recently, and for all the 280 kms when I drove, I had a pretty good time to access the performance of the same engine in a similar car, but this felt slightly sluggish. so maybe there is some truth in the article above! I also get a fuel efficiency of 15 kms per liter(with AC) in Mumbai, which is pretty cool.
It was also during the Mumbai - Surat drive that I got to experience the back seat ride first hand(being used to driving my car, this was a first to me, on a Swift). decent leg room, good ride quality. a lot of people have complained about the narrow and tiny rear side windows.I failed to see why.from the inside the view was good enough.The AC chills instantly even in the hot summers, with the black car having been left parked outside in the sun. it’s a pretty impressive feat!
The acceleration even with the AC on is excellent, top speed on the express highway is impressive, we regularly touch 170kmph on our drives to Pune/Lonavala, and cruise at 150 kmph effortless. the cabin’s quiet and noise and vibration free even at this speed and the engine revving between 3500 to 4000 rpm. Infact, the first time, the wife and a friend in the backseat could hardly feel that we were doing 160 - 165 kmph, even as me and my co-driver friend were watching the speedo climb all the way to 165 and stay there. with 4 people in the car and the AC on, it was still very silent and smooth.unbelievable!(It shouldn’t be difficult to believe for the bhp to weight ratio for the Swift is an awesome 83bhp/Ton. compare that to 75 bhp/ton for a Wagon R or Zen Estillo, or 53 bhp/Ton for a Ford Ikon 1.3)
A word of caution here: Always use seatbelts(even rear passengers should use them), and pay attention to mainatining a proper tyre pressure. Tyre pressures should be adjusted when still cold(preferably within 1 to 1.5 kms of driving, as afterwards the tyres will heat up and it would be difficult to get an accurate pressure), and for long durations of high speed runs it is advisable to keep the tyre pressure up by 2 to 3 psig. (I try to check up my tyre pressure at a service station near my office, which is just about 900m from my parking. so am sure I get as correct a reading as possible). There are some Tyre basics here: https://btinternet.com/~madmole/Reference/Tyres.html
The gear shift’s sharp and precise, with a short throw and a neat "click" which I find cool:), the day/night rear view mirror’s a nice touch. the door open and key not removed indicators are helpful. the cabin lights come on automaticall when you switch off ignition and pull out the key. it’s pretty nice. you dont have to open the door to get the light on. it’s pretty useful as you can check your stuff.mobile/docs/cd’s/keys.etc. before getting out. and the light stays on even while you close the door .(maybe to let you check if you left the keys inside or some other stuff) and fades out slowly once you lock the door.
The speaker and CD/MP3 slots are pre-wired, all you have to do is connect the head unit /speakers and you are ready to go.
Two minor gripes: Minor recurring body noise/rattles, rear view rather limited.
Overall, it’s a thrill to own and drive a Swift.provides a very good value for money. I would recommend it to anyone aiming to upgrade from a 1.0/1.1 L small car in a crowded metro like Mumbai.
I