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How much the Swift has grown over 10 yrs; 2nd-gen owner shares thoughts

I get an average fuel economy of roughly 15 km/l in my Swift. I’m sure with the 3-cylinder, the FE would be slightly better.

BHPian Omkar recently shared this with other enthusiasts:

Finally, I got to spend some time with the 4th generation Swift. Since Aditya has covered all the details in the official review, I won't repeat them. I drive a 2014 Swift (2nd generation), so my observations are primarily going to be a comparison between these cars. I was excited to drive the new Swift as it gives you a good insight into how far Maruti has come in over a decade.

  • I'll start with what it’s like to live with the 2nd-gen Swift. To sum up the last 10 years, the car has stayed true to what Maruti stands for - stress-free ownership. Apart from some scrapes that the car has seen thanks to driving in a city like Mumbai, there have been no major issues. The car has done ~40,000 km and is still running on its original clutch. However, since the car is driven by my sister and also some drivers over long distances when my father wants to travel, the clutch wear is on the higher side. The pedal has become heavy now and I will get a new clutch during the annual service which is due in April. Just last month, I got the check engine light with a P0420 error. It’s the catalytic converter error which is sad because that’ll be the first major expense for the Swift. I haven’t gotten it fixed yet, but I will get it done soon. For now, the PUC certificate also showed that the emissions were within the limit. Apart from that, it’s been pretty smooth sailing.
  • I've always liked the way Swift looks. The 4th generation car doesn’t look all that different from the 2nd generation Swift. Majority of the people don’t even notice it thinking it’s the 3rd-gen Swift that came in 2018. But even as a standalone car, I like the way the 4th generation Swift looks. It’s a little more rounded compared to the 3rd generation car. The design elements are a bit more subtle as well.
  • Even from the rear, it looks very similar to the outgoing Swift and I wish they’d given a sharkfin antenna. This basic antenna doesn’t look very modern. In fact, my Swift also had the same antenna, but it has broken off now.
  • The reversing camera on the tailgate feels like an odd placement. It is prone to damage and doesn’t look great as well. The previous generation had it tucked in near the number plate area which was much better.
  • On the inside, the new Swift looks good. You can go low with the seating position and get that go-kart-like feel. My Swift VXi doesn’t have a height-adjustable driver seat, so you’re seated high. I prefer the driving position of the new Swift simply because it offers a bit more versatility. GTO mentioned that he loved how the centre fascia tilts towards the driver. It is a very driver-centric cabin.
  • The seats are also very comfortable and the side bolstering makes you feel like you’re a part of the seat. Everyone who has sat in my 2nd-generation Swift immediately remarked that the 4th-gen Swift’s seats felt nice. The fabric seats feel better than the leather (aftermarket) seats. Also, the overall support keeps you in place.
  • I'm neutral on the dashboard designs of both cars. I don’t feel that the 2nd gen dashboard is very outdated. It’s purely functional and serves the purpose. The 2014 car also got the extendable cupholder next to the passenger side A/C vent which I use to keep small bottles cool. But in terms of ergonomics, both cars are just perfect.
  • Big touchscreen is nice to use. Had no issues with it. Gets wireless Android Auto as well, which is great. What’s not great is that wireless charging isn’t fast. Moreover, there’s no cooling, so after a point, it won’t charge saying that the phone temperature is high and you cannot charge further. With wireless Android Auto and wireless charging, my phone’s battery charge dropped over a couple of hours of driving. We used to see this problem when wireless charging was new in cars. Maruti should either have a fast wireless charging option or a cooling fan underneath like we’ve seen in some newer cars because the way things are in the Swift, it just feels like a gimmick
  • Sad sound system. This really doesn’t feel like a big upgrade from the Swift that I drive. I understand that the Swift is a budget hatchback, but the top end is no longer what one can call cheap. The sound quality is very basic.
  • Great to see that the Android Auto navigation is mirrored on the MID and you get turn-by-turn notes. Some people may find this useful, but I still prefer watching the map on the main screen.
  • This might be nitpicking, but I have to mention that certain things annoyed me in the new Swift.
  1. The indicator clicks are louder than my 2014 Swift. I like the clicks in the old Swift.
  2. The ORVM adjustment motor is louder in the 2024 Swift! Maruti has probably changed their vendor, but this one is clearly louder and doesn’t feel premium.
  3. The welcome message when you start the car, “Welcome to the Epic New Swift” is annoying.
  • I didn't spend a lot of time in the backseat. My sister who feels claustrophobic in the backseat of our Swift, felt similar in the new Swift as well. Black interiors don’t help.
  • A lot has already been discussed about the 4-cylinder vs 3-cylinder engines, so I won’t get into that. But the stark difference is in the engine vibrations. At idle and low revs, you will notice the 3-cylinder vibrations on the pedals and even the steering wheel. These aren’t present in my 2014 Swift. It also helps that I recently got the engine mounts of my Swift replaced. But in general, the refinement levels are better in the old Swift.
  • I get an average fuel economy of roughly 15 km/l in my Swift. I’m sure with the 3-cylinder, the FE would be slightly better.
  • The 2024 Swift does sound good when you rev it hard. Through the mid-range and even at high revs, the engine sounds sporty and encourages you to use the entire rev range.
  • The clutch is light, but the travel is on the longer side (in comparison with the 2014 Swift). Also, the bite point is high, which is why, I found myself consciously making an effort to modulate the clutch and accelerator to drive smoothly. This was never the case with the 2nd or 3rd generation cars. You could drive those cars smoothly without making any extra effort.
  • Lovely manual gearbox in the new Swift. Throws are slightly shorter than my old car and the gears feels more sure slotting. GTO mentioned that after test-driving so many automatic cars, it’s a sheer pleasure to test-drive an MT and that too in a car like the Swift which feels like a go-kart for public roads.
  • Glad to see a well-sized, well-placed and perfectly angled dead pedal. Super comfortable. Sorely miss a dead pedal in my Swift.
  • The ride quality is compliant. That is just how it should be in a mass-market hatchback.
  • A special mention of the electric power steering. In the past, we’ve all complained about the sticky steering in Maruti cars and the weak return-to-centre action. Even my Swift has a sticky steering which is very irritating. The 3rd generation Swift also had a weak return to centre action. But I am so glad that Maruti finally has calibrated the EPS in a way that the return to centre action is good. It now feels like driving a normal car. It still needs some effort, but it manages to straighten out on its own.
  • Feels light on its feet and quick in the corners as well. Overall balance is good for you to enjoy the Swift on our roads. The rear of the car is also pretty light and steps out easily if you want to do a handbrake turn (in a safe environment).
  • All in all, the 4th generation Swift feels like a decent upgrade over the 3rd generation. It carries forward the strengths and improves on some aspects. Not going to lie, the 3-cylinder does take some time to get used to, but once you’ve made your peace with it, you’ll be just fine.
  • Spotted this modified Tata Xenon when I was on my way to pick up (pun unintended) the Swift. It had some nice wheels and a very interesting sticker on the door!

Next to my 2014 Swift. Reminds me, I need to get the rear wheel cap!

Luckily found a spot next to a 3rd gen Swift:

Cannot avoid traffic in Bombay even on weekends. The light clutch is a boon when driving in bumper-to-bumper traffic:

Good to see Android Auto show turn-by-turn navigation prompts on the MID:

Auto start-stop feature is very irritating IMO. I had to switch it off every time I started the car:

The return to center action has vastly improved in the 2024 Swift. Here’s a video

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