Swift VDi ownership: A Running report

[GeekSrik]

just do the mandatory checks what they suggest and that should be fine.

[D1ISTHE1]

Congrats Pal
Got great alloys and nice color, i have a midnight blk (VXI), the rear view prisimatic mirror is part of the problem, the problem lies in the design of the rear windshield which happens to be a lil small. But i tell you if you take a 400km at a strech drive, you'll be amazed how comfortable the seats really are. One more thing,what kind of Seat covers are you opting for (if you opt for). Go for the ones that retain the shape of the bucket in the seat.
Enjoy ur new swift

[mobike008]

Gill, if the eventual cost is 4K+ then its best to claim the insurance.

[rijo_tj]

hi guys i am Rijo from kerala. Recently my dad brought me a brand new Swift Diesel VDI version and that too a Black beauty.

Till now i have done approx 3500km on the road. I am writing this to to you guys to know about the mileage part. I am right now getting a mileage of around 15-16 kmpl in city driving conditions with AC on at level 2.

What I mean by city driving conditions is that, its not like the big cities like Banglore or Mumbai or Chennai. The traffic is pretty moving out here. But i need to mention it has got a a very big share of potholes for that matter.

I think the mileage I am getting for my car is a bit low
than wat i would have expected at this stage,sumwhere around 17 kmpl is what i hoped for. i have completed my first service only.

I would like the advice of the esteemed technical gurus out here in this forum as to how i should drive my car to get the best possible mileage out of the vehicle.

-->What should be the ideal gear changing ratios?

-->Should i maintain the very often mentioned 2000rpm on each of the gears or is that applicable to only the fifth gear?

-->Is the fuel being used an important criterion in deciding the mileage? I use the IBP petrol pump's fuel right now.

-->Is the road conditons i meantioned i drive in regularly in any way decreasing my mileage?

-->Will the car's mileage increase after the forthcoming services?

Other highly valuable suggestions on how to drive the car to get the maximum out of the car in terms of Fuel Efficiency would be highly appreciated.

And one more thing is that i havent changed the tires of my car.Also no performance modd devices are attached

Cummon guyss i really hope you woudnt dissappoint me.....

[abhilash_iv]

@Rijo
I am driving a Swift VDi which has now covered 11K kms. Initially me too got 16 -16.5 kmpl in Kochi city limits. But after 10K service it has come up to 17.5 - 18 kmpl. And around 20 kmpl in highways. All with full time A/c. So I suggest you wait atleast till the second service, before getting worried about the mileage.
Regarding the driving practices, I hope gurus will be responding soon.

[blorebuddy]

I am jealous you guys...I never get this much milegae with AC in Bangalore traffic conditions. My best mileage with 50% A/C in Bangalore city is 16.5kmpl

[kuttapan]

I guess these guys are touching the accelerator once in 5 minutes, LOL....

@blorebuddy - Does 1 km here or there matter to us DDis owners? I guess not. But even then it is only natural for us to get greedy for more mileage.

[sarswift]

Hmm good to know one Km here and there is ok for us ( finally got my swift VDi on sunday). Have not been able to go for second tank fill , so have no idea what milage I am clocking. But more the merrier.

[vibzez]

I get a mileage of 16 too. I drive at a steady brisk pace, with neither a heavy foot, nor very light. I keep my car at a constant 55-65kmh.

Worrying too much about fuel efficiency ruins the fun out of driving. Just maintain a good pace, and enjoy your driving. Also, realistically speaking, there isn't much difference between 16 and 17 kmpl.

[GeekSrik]

hey all of you

firstly i think the swift must return 15-16 with ac in crowded cities like bangalore. secondly a lot relies on not changing gears too often. for me i drive mostly in third or fifth gears. only when i come to a full stop do i get into second or first. the idea is to use the torque when you release the clutch pedal (instead of pushing the accl pedal) to make the car go forward.

another difference is that when you brake smoothly and want to just pick up again, DONT change this beauty to lower gear. just continue in the same gear (arguably you wont have all the 75bhp assisting you at this juncture) but the pickup again will be gradual and in effect you would not have changed the gears at all, which means you save fuel.

next is the fuel we are using. both me and jaggu have used both shell and ioc normal diesel. both of us find the mileage is better with the latter. so always use the correct fuel.

the last but most important point is change to 5th gear whenever situation permits. this way fuel consumption is lesser, and the mileage higher.

hope this helps!

[vibzez]

GeekSeik is bang-on right. That is the correct way. Comes with a bit of expeirence too.

[vkochar]

Yeah Geeksrik has explained it right.

I mean a km here or there really depends on one's driving - you cannot get 17kpl just because another guy somewhere is getting 17 too - trust me, you will find people getting 13 or 14 as well.

So best thing to do is not to change gears too often and keep it in 5th whenever possible.

[GeekSrik]

ok it was my turn and i had just woken up from an afternoon nap, not completely refreshed. I was approaching a line of vehicles standing at a red signal when i saw that the signal turned green. so instant thought was and went to the right side of the road overtaking everything reaching the front of the queue (typical indian mentality eh! dunno why i did that!) unfortunately i landed in a cops waiting net. after some discussions he said the fine for overtaking was Rs.600 (never knew it was that high) and asked me how much I can pay him, and asked me to "take care" of him. since it was no major offense and I didnt hurt anyone or anything, I gave him 100 bucks and he asked me to get lost. i was ready to pay a fine too, but he insisted that I pay only him.

moral of story : drive the swift after being fully awake.

[GeekSrik]

today i completed 5800 kms with my car about 1000km after second service. no major issues until now. barring a couple of scratches on the bumper and side mirrors due to pesky two wheeler guys who are impatient about getting home.

the car itself likes to be driven smoothly and not revved out of the way. the tyre seems to lose pressure faster these days but I am still not concluding on that stuff unless i observe on a longer run.

[s0uljah]

Originally Posted by GeekSrik

only when i come to a full stop do i get into second or first. the idea is to use the torque when you release the clutch pedal (instead of pushing the accl pedal) to make the car go forward!

Yep something I learned with the Palio/Siena D's for the highway best way to maintain mileage is minimal braking and gearshifts. The momentum/torque timing is all you need to have a good drive and cheap