NEW DELHI: With an aim to revive the hatchback segment, Maruti Suzuki (MSIL), country’s largest carmaker, on Monday launched the fourth generation of Swift at a starting price of Rs 6.49 lakh that goes up to Rs 9.64 lakh (ex-showroom price). The new swift will compete against the expensive Hyundai i20 and another Maruti model Baleno.
The new Swift has improved mileage, lower carbon emission and additional safety feature where the company has made 6-airbag a standard feature.
The hatchback, developed with an investment of Rs 1,450 crore, is powered by a 1.2-litre Z series engine.It delivers 10% higher fuel efficiency with manual transmission at 24.80 km/l and 14% better mileage with Automated Manual Transmission at 25.75 km/l. Contrary to expectation, the new Swift was not launched with a strong hybrid option on Thursday.
The hatchback segment share in passenger vehicle market has seen sharp fall over the years due to growing preference for SUVs. It accounts for 28% of PV market. MSIL has 62% share here. “With 29 lakh customers in India, Swift brand holds special place in the hearts of customers.