The new Swift is expected to be here in August.
When you look at the old Swift and the upcoming 2011 version, it is like a spot-the-difference contest! Only those who are complete Swift admirers will be able to tell the existing Swift and the upcoming 2011 Swift apart.
But the fact is, that the 2011 Maruti Swift, due for launch soon is an all new car. It will have slightly more legroom in the rear and marginally better shoulder room. However, external differences are hard to spot, except if you look closely.
The new Swift is slightly longer, with speculated external dimensions of 3,850 mm x 1,695 mm x 1,510 mm (length x width x height), with a wheelbase of 2,430 mm. The current Swift measures 3,760 mm x 1,690 mm x 1,530 mm, with a wheelbase of 2,390 mm.
Take a look at the existing Swift and the upcoming Swift from similar angles, and you will see the subtle differences.
The 2011 Swift has a larger headlight that is swept further up the front fender.
The bonnet too is raised and closes on top of the fender, keeping with the new design trends, instead of flush fitment like the existing Swift.
If you look closely at the doors, you’ll see that there’s a change in the rear quarter glass shape, while the fender appears to be flared more.
This is likely considering the new Swift has a longer wheelbase, pushing the rear wheels further back.
When viewed from the front, it’s difficult to spot the differences. The bumper has a slightly wider stance on the 2011 Swift, with reshaped fog lamp inserts, besides the longer headlamps. The grille remains identical to the existing Swift.
From the rear, the 2011 Swift looks distinctly different, because of the redesigned tailgate and the position of the number plate. The tail-lamps too are different, getting a more sharply raked design, with clear-lens treatment in two strips. The rear bumper too appears larger than the present Swift.
Seen in profile, the 2011 Swift appears marginally longer to the trained eye, as well as flatter. The height of the car has been reduced by 20mm. The rear door design is slightly altered, as is the design of the C-pillar and the angle of the rear windscreen.
The photos of the 2011 Swift you see here was what was unveiled in Australia. Let’s hope Maruti maintains the same level of equipment for the India-specific version. The dashboard looks a lot like the Kizashi’s. From these photos, we can see cruise control and phone controls mounted on the steering, but we wonder if Maruti will offer this in India. Electric mirrors are likely to stay, and most likely even the new design of the stereo system, and steering audio controls.
The 2011 Swift’s instrument panel also looks a lot like the Kizashi’s. What’s interesting to note is the inclusion of a multi-information display. We hope Maruti retains this feature on the India-specific version too. The silver-rimmed chunky speedometer and tachometer look good, while the fuel gauge and temperature gauge are neatly positioned and blends well with the design.
For the moment, Maruti is expected to launch the 2011 Swift with the existing engines. We expect the new Swift to be powered by the same 1.2-litre petrol engine that produces 84 hp and the 1.3-litre DDiS (Multijet) diesel engine that makes 75 hp. However, Maruti may choose to introduce the higher-powered VGT version of the 1.3 litre diesel used in the SX4 that makes 90 bhp of power.
