Maruti Suzuki on Tuesday announced a significant engine upgrade and a bevy of new features for its top-selling premium hatchback Swift in order to challenge rival Hyundai’s new i20 that has seen strong demand with over 40,000 bookings since its launch in August. At Rs 4.42 lakh (petrol) and Rs 5.56 lakh (diesel), the starting prices for the new Swift is lower by almost Rs 50,000 over the new i20.
The Swift, currently the second top-selling car in the country with average monthly volumes of 17,000 units, will now be around 10% more fuel efficient in both its petrol and diesel versions. In terms of features, it gets push button engine start, electric retractable outer rear-view mirrors, reverse parking sensor and bluetooth connectivity for the audio system. It is also given a new bumper design and alloy wheels, and a new colour — Mysterious Violet.