17th May 2010, 19:06
| #46 |
| Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Delhi
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Infractions: 0/1 (7) | Part 8: Life gives you what your heart dzires  Once again, it was team-bhp that showed the world how a "swift with a chipki hui dikki" would look like. And it made news globally. And people went aghast, berserk, groaned, moaned, croaked, creaked.... jitne bhi shabd kaho kum hai, to criticize the design. Some people even threatened to commit suicide if they ever see this car in production.. Man, it looks ugly, but also pugli. So, presenting the story of ugly and pugli sidindica style. See, anything that has a 3 box is considered to be a sedan, even in our country where this segment has emerged to be immensely profitable. I am talking about HCTS (Hatch Converted to sedan) segment. By sharing a large number of body panels and features, you save on costs and be able to price the car competitively. Same thing happened with the swift/dzire twins.  Swift DZire is a result of an indigenous project started in 2005 to design a three-box notchback version of the swift. Some changes have been made to the car’s overall styling to seamlessly integrate the boot. The wheelbase remains the same. The car weighs about 30-35 Kgs more than the Swift hatchback. Few modifications in the rear suspension have been done to cope with the additional weight of the boot and improve the ride quality for the rear passengers. Adjustments in the rear seat inclination have been made to improve the rear seat comfort and legroom.  Pre launch commercials bonged my head as they played continuously in FM stations while I used to go to my MBA classes, and boy....when it was launched, I thought-kya log is pugly ko kharidne ke liye pagla gaye hain? I waited to see that how far the impact of this dzirable bombshell can go. And it went here, there and everywhere. People queued up in hordes. And hordes with cheque books to get their first cars. Biiiilllll-uuuddd-yyy hell, wait periods rivalled that of expensive imported supercars. Sirji, teen mahine. Nahi sirji, cho mahine. Nahi sirji, nova mahina.. Holy cow! What is there in this car that the public is going crrrraaaaaazzzy about it? I even drove one ZDI yet could not fin anything revolutionary in it. Apun ke liye to it was just a same swift with a badaa pichla dhakkan.  Seriously, my friends went berserk and even called the dzire a pregnented version of swift and even cursed to that extent that it is an insult to the automobile industry and where have all the designers lost their minds? i must have been thinking that if Chris bangle must be seeing it, how was his reaction to the Indian take on the bangle butt? I backed them and even told them that my day would go bad if ever I see the increasing number of dzires roaming around our streets. VALUE WITH A CAPITAL V,A,L,U,E. That's what an average Indian entry level sedan buyer looks. And to him, it shouted at rooftops. the diesel version, in particular, is ever appealing with all the virtues that have made the swift hatch a winner in the market place, with the addition of a big 400 plus liter boot, it is going to appeal to a wide number of audience who can take to the practicality of this sedan..oops hatch converted to sedan. Maruti DZire was launched available in both petrol and diesel versions. The car uses the same engines as available in the Swift.
 Convenience features
Yet still the Swift DZire has become infamous for delivery delays as the number of cars being booked is large. The price of the car and the features offered are very attractive compared to the entry-level sedan competition resulting in large number of bookings. The diesel version of the Dzire, in particular, has delivery times extending from 4 to 6 months. No wonder that in just two years, it sold a record breaking 1,50,000 plus and counting units and still enjoys wait lists that other manufacturers can only dream of.  PART 9: The Heart Transplant April 1, 2010 saw the first major engine upgrade for both the swift and dzire twins. The aging G13BB engine was replaced with an all new 1.2 K12M motor, which despite the decrease in displacement, retains almost similar amount of power and torque as compared to previous model. More importantly, the engine is 30 kgs lighter, so performance and efficiency gains are obvious. the new engine has improved the refinement and driveability of both these cars, even though they are some milliseconds slower as compared to the earlier engine. Maruti also tweaked the steering ratios and made the suspension a little softer to achieve an ideal compromise between ride and handling based on customer feedback. While the spirited handling character of the swift has lessened to some extent, the ride has vastly improved, making the car appealing to a wider audience. Some improvements too, have been carried out in the quality of interior plastics as well. So, 5 years have passed since the introduction of this little maestro and yet, the craze remains as refreshing as ever. Hail the swift, a brand that turned the indian car market upside down with its wide range of talents and continues to do so despite huge competition and plethora of choices available. Yes, its good to celebrate 5 years of success. But will the company keep on resting on its laurels or is there something big coming on the horizon? Find out more about the next generation of the swift, due in 2011, in the penultimate post, coming up next. |
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17th May 2010, 19:50
| #47 |
| BHPian  Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Chennai
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18th May 2010, 11:39
| #48 |
| Senior - BHPian  Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Mumbai
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| A fantastic thread, sid. You are the expert in writing such tributes  The Swift truly is a fantastic car. We have just become a part of the swift family. Dad wanted bada pichla dhakkan wala swift, to use sid's term, but I convinced him to go for chota dhakkan wala swift for the looks  . Anyways we will hardly require such a large boot.The beauty has completed 1600 km now without even a minor niggle. Everything is in perfect condition! It has almost everything one can need. Engine - Fantastic. FE - 15 kpl in city (K series engine). Looks - Love or hate, as Sid has said. Space - Front is excellent. Rear is not spacious, but certainly not cramped. |
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18th May 2010, 17:25
| #49 |
| BHPian Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Hyderabad
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18th May 2010, 17:27
| #50 |
| BHPian  Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Hyderabad
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| Hi buddy, excellent review and thoughts. I am a swift owner and echo your sentiments you have shared. Happy swifting. |
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18th May 2010, 22:16
| #51 |
| BHPian  Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Delhi
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19th May 2010, 12:12
| #52 |
| Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Delhi
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Infractions: 0/1 (7) | The Penultimate: Next Generation Swift  The past, the present and the future are really one — they are today. The future is made up of the same stuff as the present. The nicest thing about the future is that it comes one day at a time. And that time will not be far off.  As the swift will celebrate its 5th anniversary this May 25, it continues to be a brand in itself and keeps winning consumer hearts and minds alike. But for how long? Not resting on its laurals, Suzuki engineers are hard at working in developing the much wanted successor of the swift which will be truly global in nature. The success of the swift nameplate is extremely crucial for suzuki not only in Europe and Asia, but also North America where it will be introduced for the first time ever.  The styling, which has been praised worldwide will be kept evolutionary and the next gen will mirror the mini-inspired design which made it ever so popular with customers. The car will grow bigger in dimensions and promises huge improvements in rear seat space, crucial for markets in North America, especially where Suzuki is struggling to turn on a profit for the past decade. If the flagship Kizashi is something to go by, expect high quality interiors, as shown in these shots and improved ergonomics.   Now comes the big question-which engines would power the car? It is unknown but expect some variations of K series engines under the hood. Internationally too expect many new engine choices but for India the 1.2 K12M will be the base petrol motor. The bigger mystery remains about the diesel powertrains.  With Fiat supplying DDIS in hordes and making merry royalty profits, will they continue to do so, especially after VW's stake in Suzuki? Or will we see VW's TDI powertrains under the hood of the next swift?  That's the question that only time will answer when the launch date inches closer, maybe at 2011 Geneva Auto show next March.  And what I also expect is that Maruti will replace this model with the new one and target the likes of the I20 with multiple variants at different price points, which will be crucial to ensure another home run and long term profits for India's number one car maker. Rumour mills suggest that a global team of many engineers, including top honchos from MSIL are hard at work developing the next gen swift with the same design, but some changes to adapt to different market requirements around the world.  Hopefully for India too, we can expect a world class product free from bugs like weak clutch, rattles, average plastics etc.  So, as the launch time draws near, we can look forward for a bright, swifted future to burn the sales charts year after year. And with that, I too can look forward to writing more and more amazing success stories, live here on team-bhp.  Because I am fuelled. Because you are the fuel! Cheers sid. |
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19th May 2010, 12:14
| #53 |
| Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Delhi
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Infractions: 0/1 (7) | |
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19th May 2010, 12:56
| #54 |
| Senior - BHPian  | Here come some of our Swifty.    |
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19th May 2010, 13:34
| #55 |
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19th May 2010, 14:08
| #56 |
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19th May 2010, 15:42
| #57 | |
| BHPian  Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Bangalore
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I would buy the 1.6 Swift Sport too testby putting MUL's *** on fire.Just let them get it to India.That will kill any other manufacturer's hopes of being no.1 forever | |
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19th May 2010, 21:45
| #58 |
| BANNED Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Moga, PUNJAB
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| IMO, its a tribute to Fiat Swift not Suzuki Swift |
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19th May 2010, 21:53
| #59 | |
| Senior - BHPian  Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Back in the HOOD near you!
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I totaly Disagree on that! In India engine's doesn't make cars! If that was the case why did Palio MJD fail ? | |
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19th May 2010, 22:03
| #60 | |
| BANNED Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Moga, PUNJAB
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Palio failed because of Fiat India's image at that time. But still, I know many people who own Palio and they swear by it. | |
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