With an aim to reinforce its presence in the superhatch segment, Maruti Suzuki India Limited launched the all-new Swift at a starting price of Rs 6.49 lakh that goes up to Rs 9.64 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi). The fourth generation Swift will go on sale in the country from May 9, and will be taking on another superhatch Hyundai i20.
The country’s largest carmaker announced that the car will also be available at at a subscription rentals, starting from Rs 17,436 per month (The rate includes the cost of vehicle, registration, maintenance, insurance, and road side-assistance).
"As a market leader, we took the responsibility to re-energize the hatchback segment at a time when this segment really needs a catalyst for growth,” Maruti Suzuki MD & CEO Hisashi Takeuchi said before unveiling its bestselling model.
While pre-bookings of the new Swift are already underway at Maruti Suzuki dealerships across India, customers can place their orders by paying a token amount of Rs 11,000. The automaker has already booked 10,000 units and deliveries are likely to start from next month.
While talking about the new-generation Swift, he said ,“Since its launch in 2005, the Swift brand has pioneered the dynamism in the premium hatchback segment and has captured the hearts of millions of customers."
He revealed that the company has invested an amount of Rs 1,450 crore in the development of the premium hatchback. This includes investment in tools and dyes for the vehicle as well as the new and more environment-friendly Z-Series engine.
He also said that out of a total six million Swifts across 169 countries in the world, three million are present in India, making it the largest market for this hatchback. He stated that the all-new Swift would be manufactured at Suzuki Motor facility in Gujarat, from where it will catering to its customers in the domestic and overseas markets.
Same platform, different engine
Designed at its parent firm Suzuki Motor Corporation's global R&D centre in Japan, the fourth-gen Swift continues to be underpinned by the ‘Heartect’ platform that also underpins Brezza, Baleno, Fronx, XL6, etc. It comes with six airbags as a standard feature across its trims. It will be available in six variants: LXi, VXi, VXi (O), ZXi, ZXi+ and ZXi Dual Tone.
The new Swift is powered by all-new 1.2 litre, Z-Series engine that produces 80 bhp at 5,700 rpm and 112Nm of torque at 4,300 rpm and is mated to either a 5-speed manual transmission or a 5-speed AMT. The company claimed that the ARAI-certified mileage is 24.80 km/l for the MT and 25.75 km/l for the semi-automatic version.
Meanwhile, Takeuchi noted that the hatchback segment continues to be a high-volume segment and contributes roughly 28 percent of total passenger vehicle sales.
“For us to maintain our leadership position, it is important to cater to diverse customer segments. Interestingly, the premium hatchback segment contributes nearly 60 percent of total hatchback sales," the MD and CEO said. He didn't reveal if the company has any plans to introduce a hybrid or CNG version of the all-new Swift.
Upbeat on compact cars
Meanwhile, Takeuchi affirmed that it is “betting big” on hatchbacks, which still contributes majorly to its total sales. In his view, with only 32 vehicles per 1,000 people compared to over 600 in developed countries like Japan, India presents a vast pool of "car aspirants".
"As car ownership rises, the hatchback segment will serve as an entry point for many customers and will thus expand the market. Therefore, the hatchback segment will continue to remain relevant for India and our focus on this segment will be consistent," he noted.
The auto major expects the premium hatchback segment to grow to 10 lakh units per annum by 2030 from seven lakh units currently.
"We aim intend to cater to the diverse needs of customers as we aims to sell 40 lakh units per annum, including exports, by 2030-31," affirmed the MD.
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