Is this a Maruti Suzuki Swift or Baleno? You decide [Video]

The Maruti Suzuki Swift has achieved cult status in the modern car world and can be termed an icon. It all started in 2005 when Maruti Suzuki dared to offer a more premium experience in the compact car category with the Swift. There are many first-generation Swifts which are still running on the roads, which is proof of their mighty reliability. Here, we bring to you a first-generation Maruti Suzuki Swift which has been restored to the condition of a brand-new car, with a pinch of Baleno in it.

A restoration house from Mumbai called Shivam Autozone tried to restore an old first-generation Maruti Suzuki Swift, which was in a really bad state. The car had rust and dents all over, while its rear windscreen was broken too. The restoration house took 22 days and gave this Swift a much-needed makeover, which now makes this car look brand new. However, as a part of the restoration, the Swift got its front grille replaced with that of the first-gen Baleno hatchback, which makes the front proportions look a bit off.

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However, even then, the restored Swift here looks neat with a fresh new dual-tone coat of shining red with white, with the roof and outside rearview mirrors painted in white. The headlamps and tail lamps are restored too, while the wheel caps are also painted in a theme of black.

The cabin updated with new materials

On the inside, the cabin of this Swift also looks refreshed with soft touch artificial leather layer over the entire dashboard. The seats also get PU artificial leather covers, while the door panels get faux wood inserts to add some contrast to the all-black cabin of the Swift. In this restoration process, the Swift also received a new set of speakers and a subwoofer with a custom woofer box from JBL.

All the details of this restoration have been showcased through a YouTube video by Vinay Kapoor. However, the video does not reveal the restoration works done on the mechanical front. We believe that the engine and suspension might also have gone under exhaustive restoration, given the prior condition of the car. The tyres look brand new though.

The first-generation Maruti Suzuki Swift arrived in India in 2005 with a 1.3-litre four-cylinder 80 PS petrol engine. Soon, this engine was replaced by a more efficient and refined 1.2-litre K-Series 82 PS petrol engine. The lineup of Swift also saw the addition of a Fiat-sourced 1.3-litre four-cylinder 75 PS diesel engine.

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