After the mechanics set the timing, I personally verified just for my satisfaction and asked them to fire it up to hear if there was any change in engine note. To my surprise it sounded much better than before.

BHPian Ashtoncastelino recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

January 2022.

Timing belt replacement:

The Swift had crossed 15 years and I knew the timing belt was not changed in its lifetime so it would be the best time to get the timing belt changed. According to the service manual, timing belt is to be changed at the 1,00,000km milestone but there is no time frame mentioned. Rubber over time breaks-down, cracks and looses its temper.

As a preventive measure, I decided to get the timing belt changed and this would be done at St.Judes Automobile and Engineering Workshop in Udupi. They deal with only Maruti vehicles and the owner was a very humble person. I thought why not get all the belts changed? We are anyways removing the other belts too so might as well get them changed as well.

Parts for the timing belt replacement were bought from Boodmo during the free delivery sale:

• Part Number- 17521M86540
• Part Name- BELT WATER PUMP
• Price- ₹250

Link

• Part Number- 12761M70C20
• Part Name- BELT TIMING (MPFI)
• Price- ₹765

Link

• Part Number- 11396M60B00
• Part Name- SEAL TIMING COVER OUTSIDE(4VALVE MPFI)
• Price- ₹13.00

Link

• Part Number- 12810M71C22
• Part Name- TENSIONER ASSY TIMING BELT
• Price- ₹615

Link

• Part Number- 95141M75J00
• Part Name- V BELT (4PK790)
• Price- ₹445

Link

The work was started at 9AM and ended around 12.30PM. The front bumper, right headlight was removed, AC compressor unmounted, right fender lining, right side flank cover and Right engine mounting removed to access the timing belt.

Some photos:

AC belt had become weak and a replacement was due so it was good I chose to change all belts.

Timing cover opened for the first time in ts lifetime.

Timing belt and tensioner removed and area around it cleaned thoroughly.

New belt vs old belt.

New belt vs old belt, notice the cracks on the old belt.

Close up of the cracks.

Replacement of the timing cover rubber seal.

New timing belt and tensioner installed in place.

After the mechanics had set the timing, I personally verified just for my satisfaction and asked them to fire it up to hear if there was any change in engine note. To my surprise it sounded much better than before. Everything was assembled back and the labour cost for the work was a mere ₹1150.

On another note, I was searching for the parcel tray for my Swift and the part is discontinued Luckily, In the workshop I spotted a parcel tray at the corner and the owner was kind enough to plonk it into my car.

Odometer reading at the time of timing belt replacement.

Regards,

Ashton Castelino.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

I managed to download the International Swift service manual and used that as an reference to understand how the rear wiper was wired in the ZXi:

BHPian Ashtoncastelino recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

July-August 2021.

Adding a rear wiper:

During a road trip to Murudeshwar, it was raining heavily. My car being the VXi variant, Rear wiper was never present. The first generation Swift got the rear wiper only the ZXi variant which was top of the line Initially I thought I wouldn't be requiring it, but during this road trip, I actually felt the need for a rear wiper as I could see nothing in my IRVM.

So I started scouting and doing my homework on how I could fit a rear wiper on the Swift. I also learnt that I would need to change my rear glass to the one which comes in the ZXi with the wiper hole and the defogger elements. I called up MASS and asked how much it would cost for the glass change inclusive of labour, they quoted Rs. 5000.Upon that I would have needed to buy the following things:

• Rear wiper motor
• Floor wiring
• Rear end door wire harness
• Wiper arm
• Wiper blade
• Rubber grommets
• Washer reservoir
• Washer pump
• Plumbing
• Rear wiper switch
• New HMSL with washer option

The estimate for the above items crossed Rs. 10,000 along with the glass change and so upon discussion with dad, it was abandoned for the mean time.

The next week I swung by the scrap yard to search for few parts for the Swift and I was shocked to see a whole ZXi rear door with all the parts in it in the scrapyard. The rear end door was in great shape with no dents and a clean rear glass with the whole wiper assembly and another bonus , an Electromagnetic Tailgate Opener:

Immediately called up dad and we decided to pick it up ASAP. Negotiations happened and we picked it up for dirt cheap price the same day. Now since the boot door which we found was not the same colour as my Swift, a R\repaint was needed. Called up my painter and asked him to get the paint ready.

Now, I had to check the panel gaps and see if it was within the tolerance levels, so I removed my boot door and placed the ZXi boot and checked the fitment. It was perfect !

I removed the wiper assembly and handed the door over to my painter in my village. In about a week he was done painting and pinged me saying its done. The paint job was done nicely with almost nil orange peel and the paint matching was very accurate:

So now I start my homework to understand how the rear wiper works in the ZXi variant. I managed to download the International Swift service manual and used that as an reference to understand how it was wired in the ZXi:

I even opened up the rear wiper motor to see how it functions and cleaned its internals, replaced carbon brushes and lubricated them well.

Since this was a major mod involving wiring around the BCM, Dad suggested taking it to an auto electrician and get it done, I agreed. Started scouting around for knowledgeable auto electricians and none of them were ready to do it since the BCM was involved. Meanwhile my close buddy and BHPian ChiranjitP sourced a rear wiper switch and sent it over to me. At last, I managed to convince an auto electrician who was near my college to get it done. He also repairs ECM's so that was what convinced me he can do it. I printed all the diagrams required and showed it to him. He told me to get the car next day morning 9 AM. I went home and installed the new boot door and kept it all ready.

Skipped a day of college and the work was started, He mentioned it was easier to remove the dashboard and work with the wiring because the BCM is not easily accessible. So they started removing the dashboard and in an hour and started the wiring. we tried wiring the rear wiper as per the diagrams but later found out my BCM doesn't have that circuit in it as the international Swift got a rear wiper Intermittent function too but Indian variants never got it. The electrician then didn't want to abandon the project so tapped power from an empty relay socket in the BCM. We replaced the washer reservoir tank and installed a washer pump for the rear washer. Passed the wiring though the firewall grommet and did it successfully. It worked perfectly. The work was completed by evening and it looked superb.

Some photos of the project:

Adding an Auto Dimming IRVM:

My Generation Swift VXi/LXi did not even get a manual Day/Night IRVM. So I started scouting Boodmo for the IRVM, while I was at it I immediately noticed an Honda IRVM which is listed for ₹422 and I saw a connector coming from the IRVM. Did a few searches on the internet and found out it's an Auto dimming IRVM and few people had installed it on their Honda vehicles. It got me thinking, If it's done on their vehicles why would it not be possible on mine ? and so the homework started.

I learnt that that the IRVM is mounted on the windshield using a mount. Now since my car got a roof mounted IRVM it had no mount on the windshield. Now the basics were learnt so I immediately called up my close buddy ChiranjitP and told him about my findings and asked if he would want to do it too along with me. He immediately agreed and so we both placed orders on Boodmo and it arrived within 5 days at my place.

I rushed to Honda Service Center and managed to get two mounts ,one for me and other for Chiranjit. Decided that Araldite Standard Epoxy was the best glue to stick the mount to the windshield and procured it from my hardware store:

Measured and stuck the mount with the glue and let it cure for about a day.

Used a fuse tap and did the wiring at home and mounted the IRVM on the windshield firmly, Tightened the torx screw at the bottom.

Photos of final results:

Regards,

Ashton Castelino.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

Maruti, Hyundai, and Tata together have dominated the sub-4m segment with nearly 80% market share over the last decade.

BHPian pqr recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Genesis and the journey of sub-4-meter passenger vehicles in India

"On cars, I propose to reduce the excise duty to 16 per cent from 24 per cent, but only for small cars. A small car, for this purpose, will mean a car of length not exceeding 4,000 mm and with an engine capacity not exceeding 1,500 cc for diesel cars and not exceeding 1,200 cc for petrol cars. I am confident that industry will seize the opportunity to make India a hub for the manufacture of small and fuel-efficient cars."

- 2006-07 Union budget speech (point no. 137), Finance Minister, Government of India

Genesis

That was the policy decision taken by the union government in 2006, which fostered long-term development and sales of small cars in the Indian market thereafter.

Sub-4-meter passenger vehicle market share

On an average, 73% of cars sold in the Indian market have a length of less than 4 meter since policy implementation in 2006.

In the pre-policy days, there was rapid growth of affordable sedans (Ford Ikon, Hyundai Accent, and Tata Indigo) introduced by manufacturers, and overall sub-4-m car sales were on the downfall. Post policy enactment in 2006, hatchbacks witnessed faster growth than any other category, as per the policy design.

However, in the previous decade, manufacturers learnt the art of packaging sedans and crossovers to fit into policy-layed constraints and fueled the journey further. The share of this vehicle category reached the highest level of 79% in 2018. In recent times, demand for entry-level hatchbacks and sub-4m sedans has declined, leading to a low share of 73% in 2022. Moreover, a new breed of crossovers with a wide price spectrum in recent times has substituted demand for sedans and hatchbacks in the sub-4-meter category.

2017 - Opportunity to change the status quo

At the time of GST implementation in 2017, the government had a chance to rationalise the very idea, which appears to be based on some arbitrary assumptions. However, nothing was reformed, thus paving the path for the status quo, forever.

Product Innovation

Hatchbacks sold in India were already shorter than 4 m, so they became more affordable because of lower excise duty. In some cases manufacturers just have to shrink engine size (1200cc for petrol and 1500cc for diesel).

The Indian market was never ready for hatchback products longer than 4m, as the majority tended to look forward to sedans in that case, for a status symbol (emotional need) in those days. Chevrolet's attempt with the 4.3m long and ambitiously priced SRV bombed in the Indian market.

Since 2006, manufacturers in India have become innovative to fit sedans and crossovers (with SUV silhouette) body styles within the constraints laid down by the small car policy to fulfil the emotional needs of customers.

Sub 4m sedan

The very first non-hatchback product to take advantage of the lower excise duty was the Tata Indigo CS. Basically, it was a truncated boot version of Indigo already on sale. The Indigo was derived from the Indica hatchback by the integration of the boot to make a 3-box structure. The hatchback to sedan development concept was seen earlier in India by FIAT (Palio hatchback/Siena sedan) and Opel (Corsa sail hatchback/Corsa sedan).

Looking at the success of this approach, every other manufacturer since then has used their hatchback as a donor platform (Maruti Swift-Dzire, Honda Brio-Amaze, Hundai Grand i10-Xcent, Tata Bolt-Zest, Ford Figo-Aspire, Volkswagen Polo-Ameo and Tata Tiago-Tigor) and integrated boot along with complete re-engineering of the body behind the B-pillar. Maruti turned out to be the most successful player in this segment, and Volkswagen the least.

Sub 4m SUV/Crossover (Monocoque chassis)

To gain a better understanding of the strategic marketing concept behind the sub-4m crossover, here is a quick apples-to-apples comparison of sub-4m hatchback and sub-4m crossover products from the same stable.

• Sub 4m hatchbacks and SUVs offer similar functional benefits i.e. similar in-cabin and boot space
• SUVs do offer better ground clearance, and that's an additional functional benefit as road infrastructure is still not very good in India
• SUVs offer a commanding seating position (emotional benefit)
• SUVs have a much higher perceived aspirational value as lifestyle products (emotional benefit) than hatchbacks
• This leads to a higher customer’s willingness to pay
• Manufacturers have better pricing opportunities and may lead to better profitability

Product development strategy

Manufacturers in this category have tried different product development strategy.

Approach 1: Rebadged CKD product

The first sub-4-meter crossover was the Rio (rebadged Chinese Zotye T200) from Premier Auto Limited (PAL), launched in 2009. It was assembled at PAL’s Pune plant from imported CKD kits produced in China, and had 3 engine options-1.2L petrol, 1.5L Peugeot TUD5 diesel, and later 1.25L FCA diesel. The product has gone unnoticed, and sold somewhere around 2,000 units from 2009 to 2012.

Approach 2: Grounds up body shell development

The Ecosport was developed in Brazil under the ‘One Ford’ strategy for global markets, has actually kick started an all new segment in India – sub 4m monocoque crossover (SUV). It was a grounds up body shell and later many other manufacturers followed the same strategy – Maruti Brezza, Tata Nexon, Hyundai Venue, KIA Sonet, Nissan Magnite and Renault Kiger.

Approach 3: Repurpose existing product

Honda took their Jazz hatchback, raised the height, changed some exterior body panels and called it WRV to fit into the crossover definition. Mahindra picked Tivoli from its international subsidiary SsangYong’s portfolio, re-engineered the vehicle and truncated the rear part to fit in the sub-4m category. Response from market was lukewarm for both these products, as visually WRV leans toward hatchback and XUV 300 lacks boot space, besides ambitious pricing at the time of launch.

The success rate for approach 2 was very high. Approach 3 has more cost synergy, but is more constrained to delivering the right value.

Sub 4m SUV (Ladder chassis)

Except for ladder frame specialist Mahindra, nobody else tried their luck in this category.

Quanto: In its first attempt, Mahindra simply tried to shrink Xylo and came up with an even uglier product. Failed!

TUV 300: Mahidra developed a new product from the ground up. Failed again!

NuvoSport: Unashamed Mahindra tried to revive Quanto with a new look and a new nameplate. Failed again!

Bolero power+: When nothing else worked, they simply shaved off the front and rear bumpers of the Bolero to fit the 4m length criteria, deployed the 1.5L D70 diesel engine, and got a lower GST benefit. Mission accomplished with old wine in slightly smaller bottle!

Thar: Always has a length of less than four meters but has never qualified for a lower tax bracket due to the engines size

Sub 4m MUV

Approach 1: Repurpose existing product

Datsun GO+: Take a cheap Datsun GO, stretch its rear part till it starts looking like a station wagon, and then add third row seats with no leg space. Dreadful recipe, dreadful outcome!

Approach 2: Grounds up development

Renault Triber: Developed from the ground up, with brilliant packaging and a usable third row, and the result is decent. If Renault has added an optional turbo petrol engine (current 1L naturally aspirated petrol engine seems underpowered) and started selling it from Maruti’s dealership network, then it has the potential to cross the 10,000 mark monthly.

Myth around Maruti?

There were always some rumours that Maruti lobbied hard for the small vehicle tax system, and kept nursing the idea. A look at the product launch chronology says otherwise, as Maruti was never the first one to get the advantage.

2012 Dzire (sub 4m): Launched 6 years after policy enactment; Tata (Indigo CS) was the first mover

2015 Baleno: Launched 9 years after policy enactment; Skoda (Fabia) was the first mover

2016 Brezza: Launched almost 10 years after policy enactment and lost the advantage by 2020; Ford (Ecosport) was the first mover

They never developed a purpose-built MUV for family oriented buyers to take advantage of lower tax slab

Body style: Sub 4m category

• Sedan products came first and enjoyed a good share in the first half of the last decade
• Later came the crossovers and became the new favourite of Indians
• Crossovers now started challenging the dominance of hatchbacks
• The MUV segment is kept alive by vans from Maruti’s stable – Ecco and the discontinued Omni

Manufacturer in sub 4m category

Maruti, Hyundai, and Tata together have dominated the sub-4m segment with nearly 80% market share over the last decade.

That also means that other manufacturers have little or no space to take a breath. Some of them (Fiat, Ford, and Chevrolet) were very promising in the beginning and gained over 4% share in this tough war, but later could not sustain it and eventually had to exit this space. Mahindra and Honda are still trying hard—will they succeed? Only time will tell.

Fuel preference in sub-4m category

Since its inception, petrol engines have dominated the segment. Manufacturers also tried with small diesel engines (Maruti, Hyundai, Tata and Chevrolet), but success was quite limited. FIAT’s 1.25L diesel was most successful, because Maruti deployed it across many high volume products, Hyundai and KIA comes next.

• 2012-2019: diesel engine demand was shrinking due to the low fuel price differential
• 2020: The discontinuation of Maruti's diesel products in the BS6 era, combined with Ford's demise, reduces the diesel mix to 10%
• 2022: CNG push from Maruti (expansion of CNG filling station network across India) has resulted in a 13% mix

2022 Manufacturer’s portfolio

• Renault’s entire portfolio is composed of India-specific sub-4m products. That has positioned Renault as a budget brand in India
• Nissan’s lone sub-4-meter crossover has brought the brand back from its near grave experience
• Tata’s current portfolio is sub-4-m heavy, which limits its higher average revenue earning potential per car sale
• Maruti tried hard to sell large vehicles but achieved the most success only with the Ertiga
• Mahindra's sub-4-m share is driven largely by Bolero
• The 2nd generation Amaze is doing pretty well for Honda
• Toyota’s entire sub-4m share comes from rebadged Maruti products
• KIA’s sub-4m plunge is limited to Sonet, and the rest of the portfolio is composed of large products
• Volkswagen, Skoda, Jeep, and MG don’t have any sub-4-meter offerings as of now

Graphical representation of the sub-4m journey of manufacturers in the last two decades

Read BHPian comments for more insights and information.

The Swift S-CNG is the 9th CNG model offered by Maruti Suzuki.

The Maruti Suzuki Swift is now available with a factory-fitted CNG option. The hatchback comes in two variants – VXi and ZXi, priced at Rs. 7.77 lakh and Rs. 8.45 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi), respectively.

The Swift S-CNG is the 9th CNG model offered by Maruti Suzuki. The car looks identical to the petrol version and comes equipped with fog lamps and alloy wheels. On the inside, the Swift S-CNG gets a touchscreen infotainment system, among other creature comforts.

The Swift S-CNG is powered by a 1.2-litre K-series engine that produces 89 BHP @ 6,000 rpm and 113 Nm @ 4,400 rpm when running on petrol. In CNG mode, the output of the engine drops to 76 BHP @ 6,000 rpm and 98.5 Nm @ 4,300 rpm.

Like all S-CNG models in Maruti’s line-up, the Swift also gets dual interdependent ECUs and an injection system tuned to provide the ideal air-fuel ratio when running on CNG. Maruti claims a fuel efficiency of 30.90 km/kg for the Swift S-CNG.

The Swift S-CNG is also available through 'Maruti Suzuki Subscribe' at an all-inclusive monthly subscription fee starting from Rs. 16,499.

It was such a reliable workhorse and didn't even let me down even once. I also did a couple of fun mods with the little money I was earning, like a K&N drop in air filter and exhaust.

BHPian RunSam recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Felt super nostalgic reading this, as my first car that I got right after my masters was a 2006 Swift VXI ABS.

Back in 2016 I needed some wheels to get to my internship, and my folks gave me a budget of 1.5 - 2 lakhs. I saw a few OHC VTECs, but they were either super overpriced, or looked too molested (Modified). My second option was the 2006 Swift with the G13 motor that I had read so much about. I TD'd over 8-10 cars until I found a mint looking, black 2006 VXI ABS. The owner had listed it for 2.6 lakhs, but after the TD and MASS check up we found that a few major parts needed replacement, so we settled at a final price of 2.2 lakhs. I was over the moon driving my first ever car back home, and was already planning mods I was going to do

'There’s no such thing as cheap and cheerful’ quoted Jeremy Clarkson, but the G13BB just was. Took me a couple of months to get completely used to the way the car behaved and figure out its limits, but in no time I was chucking it around corners (on empty roads), understeering and spinning its wheels on the exit a few times, while thinking to myself what a well-engineered package it was, and how the weight felt so evenly distributed. It was an absolute joy to launch and fight the torque steer, after which the car would hit 100kph in 2nd. How many cars hit 100 in 2nd? My jaw dropped when I realized it for the first time. Over the years I owned the car, I appreciated it more and more. Of course, it has lost a few horses over the 13 years, but nevertheless, it is still one of the most fun cars out there and still managed to hit good triple digit speeds on highways.

Over the years (2016-2022) I replaced a ton of parts like the clutch, suspension, brakes, AC Compressor, and a few other things here and there. It was such a reliable workhorse and didn't even let me down even once.

I did a couple of fun mods with the little money I was earning, like a K&N drop in air filter and exhaust (just the end can), can't say it made the car faster, but it definitely made it more fun to drive.

I also got a second hand Sony sub-woofer and amp on OLX, and a very cheap touch screen android HU from AliExpress when they were still delivering to India.

Here are some pics of the car over the years:

And here is the last pic of the car I took, minutes before the new owner drove away in it May:

Replaced the Swift with a 2010 Civic that I've been wanting to own for a very long time now:

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

Dealerships have set a booking amount of Rs. 11,000 for the Swift CNG.

Some Maruti Suzuki dealerships have reportedly started accepting bookings for the upcoming Swift CNG. Customers are being charged a token amount of Rs 11,000.

The Maruti Swift CNG will be powered by a 1.2-litre petrol engine. This engine produces 89 BHP and 113 Nm when running on petrol, but on CNG, the overall output is expected to drop to 76 BHP and 98.5 Nm. The engine will be mated to a 5-speed manual transmission.

Maruti will offer the factory-fitted CNG kit on select variants of the Swift. They are likely to receive a similar set of features that are offered in the respective petrol variants.

The Swift CNG is also likely to receive a few tweaks to the suspension and brakes, to cope with the added weight of the CNG tank. The car will also get inter-dependent ECUs.

Source: Rushlane

When I was walking towards my car I noticed that the hazard lights were blinking and the driver's door was ajar.

BHPian kushagra452 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

I believe, that yesterday (07 Aug) there was an attempt to steal my Swift VXi AMT from the basement parking lot of the India Habitat Centre - which is a popular convention center located in the heart of the city!

I had parked my car in the basement parking after taking the parking slip at the point of entry. After enjoying my afternoon coffee with a friend when I was walking over to my car I noticed that the hazard lights were blinking and the driver's door was ajar. I immediately realized that there was an attempt to break in and drive away with the vehicle. I informed the private guards who were of not much help. I believe that the only reason the car was not stolen was that I was carrying the parking slip - without which exiting the premises is not possible.

This incident was shocking. It's worth mentioning that this break-in attempt happened around 3pm-4pm in the basement parking lot of a popular convention center located merely 3 kms-4 kms from the Prime Minister's residence!

Since then, I have been searching for ways to secure my Swift VXi AMT. I have asked two local shops for a gear lock. However, both have told me that it's not possible to get a gear lock installed in the Swift AMT. Is this true? If yes, what other devices can prove to be effective deterrents for thieves?

Thank you very much.

Here's what GTO had to say about the matter:

Thanks for the reminder! I usually park the slip on the sunvisor. Will keep it on me, going forward.

At some places, valet parking is safer as they guard their vehicles fiercely, have a dedicated area to themselves & outsiders aren't allowed in.

Here's what BHPian audioholic had to say about the matter:

If you are parking in a fishy location then just remove the fuse for the AMT Pump. We will see which thief can have a workaround for this one. Of course, if you try to start the car without this fuse it will not start and throw up a DTC with the Check engine light on. But as long as you put it back before starting the car, it will be alright.

Here's what BHPian Sidjohri had to say about the matter:

Sorry to hear about your ordeal. I'm a frequent visitor to IHC and usually park my car in the basement without any worries. From now on I'll surely keep your experience in mind while parking my car there.

Note: you might wish to check with the security in charge at IHC for any CCTV coverage they might have with them.

Here's what BHPian PearlJam had to say about the matter:

The Maruti Swift (all variants as per their website) seems to come fitted with an engine immobilizer.

So are you sure that the parking slip is the reason that they couldn't steal your vehicle? Is it possible that the thieves were novices, and realized that the car wouldn't start unless they have the original key? Or probably, they were scared when the hazard light started blinking and just scooted?

It seems like the parking slip saving the day, seems like a very small probability. I am sure that the exit gate would hardly give a second thought if you said that you lost it.

Sorry, a lot of details are missing from the original post, so I'm forced to speculate!

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

When I let my friend drive the way back to Manipal at night, he immediately found it difficult with the 55/60w bulbs and said I need to upgrade them ASAP.

BHPian Ashtoncastelino recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

February 2021

Headlight bulb upgrade to 90W/100W

Had to drive to Kannur Airport to pick up my dad and this was the first long drive with the Swift, I had taken my dear friend too along with me for company as parents were not comfortable with me driving alone. We left around 2 PM and reached Kannur Airport around 8 PM. It was was a great drive which I thoroughly enjoyed.

On the way back we stopped for dinner and I let my friend drive the way back to Manipal. He immediately found it difficult with the 55/60w bulbs and said I need to upgrade them ASAP as night drives were very difficult. The windshield moreover had hard water stains/residue which made night driving very difficult with oncoming cars on high beam.

The very next day when we reached back to Manipal, I did a thorough research if it is safe to upgrade to 90/100W bulbs on the Swift. Having read few threads were the reflectors got burnt after upgrading the bulbs scared me a bit, But my uncle's 2011 Swift was running on 90/100W with no issues at all since years. My uncle's WagonR was running 90/100W setup with Philips bulbs and Philips headlight relay, but one day when I was driving, the relay just gave up and the fuses melted. I really don't know what happened or what caused it but I expected better life from Philips headlight relay but I was let down.

Browsed Amazon and other websites for a day and finally decided to get the headlight relay which was of made by Vaishnu Auto Lighting Solutions. It had great feedback and customer support. IIRC I paid about ₹944 and ordered Osram Rallye 62204 90/100W bulbs for ₹300. After placing the order on Amazon, I was contacted by Vaishnu customer care, to notify them if I face any issues during installation or needed help.

The headlight relay kit was made with great material, Ceramic H4 Connectors and all the wires were of Finolex make.

Dad and me installed it ourselves and did a test at night to see its output . We compared it with my uncle's WagonR which was running 55/60W lights and the light output was an improvement over the previous setup. Anyways I am keeping a close watch on the reflectors to see if any issue crops, so far all good. We noticed an immediate improvement and ease in night drives.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

Back in 2019, I had paid a visit to my Dad’s friend place with my uncle and he mentioned he was selling his brother's 2006 Swift VXi which had run 64,000kms.

BHPian Ashtoncastelino recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

T’was the year 2020 the pandemic, my 2nd Semester examinations (Bachelors of Computer Applications) had just started and abrubtly stopped due to the virus was at my native when the lockdown started. Government had announced that there are specific timings to get essentials and all of us initially found it difficult to adjust to the restrictions. Me and my uncle were the ones to go and get the essentials for the family members. I always had the craze for vehicles, be it a two-wheeler or a four-wheeler.

During the pandemic, I noticed a lot of people on OLX and Facebook Marketplace selling vehicles due to financial issues. I was always keen on getting a Yamaha RX100, yes, I’m a sucker for old vehicles. The average price for a well maintained RX100 was about ₹45,000-60,000. I managed to spot a 1986 RX which looked to be in great condition. Spoke to the owner and he said he had maintained it supremely well and was ready to let it go at ₹42,000. I told my parents about this and Mom was convinced, dad was worried about spare parts and Fuel consumption.

Now here comes the best part, my parents ask my sister who is about 2 years younger than me about getting the RX100 and what she thinks of it. Obviously, she straight away says NO. She explained that getting another two-wheeler is not necessary when we already have a Scooter (Activa 2005), getting a car is a better option instead she mentioned. So, the search for a car began!

I found a 1996 white Zen with about 1.09Lakh on the odo. It was the carb model obviously since MPFi rolled out post 2000’s for the Zen. Me and uncle went to get a drive of it and initial impressions were good. Car felt peppy and had no power steering.

This was the first time I was driving a Zen. Checked body for rust spots and considering the vehicle’s age, there were very less. The engine had that same old common oil leak from the distributor in all Zen’s, other than that the engine bay looked good. Now coming to the price, the owner was adamant and ready to let it go at ₹55000. I quoted at ₹50,000. We both matched our prices in the middle and verbally settled it at ₹52,000. I hadn’t done the payment and told him I’ll come within the week with the payment and pick up the car.

Now final decision had to be done after discussing it with my parents. Parents gave the green signal and so did sister, but was not happy seeing photos of the car. So, I was set to pick-up the car and pay the owner the next day. I kept checking Team-BHP for the reviews and mods to be done on the Zen. The next day , it rained cats and dogs in the morning and I couldn’t go to pick up the car, called the owner and informed him I’ll come in the evening to pickup the car. He asks for advance, but since the amount was ₹52000, I assured him that I’ll come in the evening to pick it up. About 2 hours later I get a call from him saying the car has been SOLD! Didn’t want to talk much so I just hung up the call and genuinely felt sad about what happened.

Finding the Swift:

Back in 2019, I had paid a visit to my Dad’s friend place with my uncle and he mentioned he was selling his brother's 2006 Swift VXi which had run 64,000kms. I had taken a photo of it just to run the plates and check Vahaan history. He mentioned he was selling it at a price of ₹2.8Lakhs and if my uncle were to buy, he would let it go at ₹2.5Lakhs.

I was persuading my uncle to get that swift because I loved its looks and color. My uncle has a 2010 WagonR F10D, he said the swift lacks the storage space and its low slung for him. I had to agree with him so it ended there.

Now coming to 2020 June, I had suddenly remembered about this Swift after the Zen incident happened. So, the next day me and my sister went to get essentials and slowly passed by my dad’s Friend’s place to see if the swift is still there or not. I was overwhelmed to see it there, Not knowing if the owners still want to sell the swift or not, I went and spoke to them and asked about the car, The minute they told the car is still for sale I was at all ears. While I was conversing with them, my sister checked out the car all around, Body line and everything was perfect. I clicked few photos of the car to show my parents. The car had run about only 800 kms since I first saw it in 2019.

Now coming to the price point, they quoted a price and I didn’t even bargain because OLX and marketplace were selling mediocre condition Swifts which I ran away after seeing the prices above 2.4Lakhs and moreover they were high run with dented body lines. Best part was Sister approved and told parents that if we are getting a car, this is the perfect one. So, dad spoke with his friend and the deal was settled.

Within that week, I got called to pick up the car and the car was washed thoroughly and kept ready.

Odometer on the day of delivery:

Recent photo with the previous owners of the Swift:

So, there it was, An Azure Grey 2006 Swift VXi with 64888km as my family’s first car. First thing I did after delivery was obviously a full tank and headed home. Sister again did a thorough inspection of the car as she has OCD of keeping everything clean and arranged. Now I wanted to know the history of the car, so I paid a visit to my MASS and asked for the service history since the previous owner used to only take it to MASS for any repairs / Service. I got all the service records from 2006 till 2019 on the Maruti app on my phone and the in-depth service record (Parts changed, Labour charges) was available only with MASS. The last time it was serviced was on 2019 January in MASS according to the Maruti App.

Observations of the Swift:

Likes:

• Reliable G13BB MPFi engine and its power till redline.
• Very light clutch.
• Short gear throws with tall gearing.
• Great AC cooling.
• Refinement of the engine.
• Stiff suspension gives you confidence when cornering hard at high speeds.
• Handling and feedback from steering.
• Overall, looks of the car has a timeless design.

Dislikes:

• Low end torque is not great and requires downshifts for it get going on inclines.
• Fuel efficiency ( Hovers around 12kmpl in city).
• Rear seat space, It gets cramped due to the less leg room.
• Very small boot space, Basically NIL in this decade.
• Stiff Suspension is tiresome in the city.
• Lack of ABS.
• Missing features in VXi such as electromagnetic tailgate opener, Rear wiper with washer and defogger.
• No Manual Day/Night IRVM in the type 1 Swift VXi/LXi.
• RATTLES !! (Fixed later).

Driving experience of the Swift:

The car feels lethargic initially because of its poor low end torque but once it crosses 1200RPM there's no drama, it feels punchy. The gears are slick to shift through and the clutch weight is perfect. The brake bite is good but could have been improved further. The steering weighs up very light for the city, and weighs perfectly for speeds on the highway. I absolutely love the steering feel and handling of the Swift. The engine revs at 2100rpm at 80kmph on top gear. The throttle body is cable operated and I seem to like the cable operated accelerator rather than electronically controlled. Since the car is tall geared, its ABSOLUTELY FUN to redline it, the grunt is amazing and pulls strong till redline. First gear tops out at 60Kmph at 6700RPM redline, second gear tops at 100Kmph and so on. The power is distributed well across the rev band.

The ORVM's are not electrically adjusted and are manually adjusted from the cabin. A separate front Fog light switch is given near the headlight levelling switch unlike new cars which have it on the headlight stalk itself. The headlight stalk has a switch for the rear fog light which can be switched on when the headlight is turned to full position. No sort of tilt adjustable steering and no steering mounted audio controls are given, heck even the ZXi Type 1 (2005-2007) never got them. The seat is not height adjustable since its the VXi only ZXi got them, but even then the stock seat height in the VXi is perfect for my height (I'm 5'11). The previous owners have gotten the seat covered in faux leather with a good contrast colour.

Coming to the Fuel efficiency Point of view, The G13BB motor was never meant for fuel efficiency. It returns a fuel efficiency around 12-14 KM/L in the city and 17-21KM/L in the highway with my driving style. I do drive sedately with a very light right foot and have a habit of revv matching while downshifts.

Photos taken within the first week of ownership:

Fixing the 12V Socket wires:

Now since I was new to cars at that time, I was curious to know how it all worked and wanted to learn how to diagnose if and when I face any issues. The first thing I wanted to fix was the 12V socket which was not getting power. Checked the fuses and it all looked good. So, one day with the help of my grandfather I opened up the center console trim and was shocked to see wires eaten by Rats. Previous owner did mention due to their low usage, it was rat attacked but it was fixed in MASS for any issues regarding the same. I guess MASS forgot to have a look at this:

Me and my grandfather fixed it cleanly by de-pinning and soldering new wires and the socket got the power upon ignition. T'was job well done and assembled everything back perfectly.

Start of Modifications and Accessories:

The first month of getting the car, I slowly procured the accessories that I felt were necessary:

• Door visors -Got these from my local accessories shop.
• 12V Mobile Fast Charger- Sourced from amazon and came with a Type-c Cable. It was made by Amkette.
• Pair of Horns - I got these installed from my local auto electrician and replaced OEM horn which was squeaking.
• Armrest - I found this very useful during long drives in my neighbour's Dzire, hence felt the need for it. Sourced it from Amazon during a sale.

Those were the only accessories added on to the car in 2020, I had been out of the country and returned in Jan 2021. Even when I was out of the country, I was preparing and listing what all needs to be changed at the 70k service.

Continue reading BHPian Ashtoncastelino's review of his preowned Maruti Swift for BHPian comments, insights and more information.

I feel it is the perfect sedan. For me the main thing is the sheer comfort and luxury it offers while travelling distances and how it easily accommodates people and luggage.

BHPian autobahnjpr recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

I recently bought a used Audi A6 35 TDI 2018 model.

Here is the link to the thread on buying dilemma.

Exteriors

A6 is a beautiful car to look at. The front grill has chrome surrounding and the doors are also lined with chrome. Audi logo sits right in the middle at both front and back. At the back, you have the A6 and 35 TDI batching on the boot door. This is the MATRIX (so named because of matrix headlamps) edition which was launched in the year 2016, I guess, and it came in only one trim (S-line) with only one engine option, a 2 liter diesel. It produces 190 HP of power and 400 NM of torque. For a person like me, who does not set tarmac on fire or scorches the race track, it is more than sufficient. White color looks more elegant than other colors in my view.

Let the pictures do the talking now.

There are parking sensors both at the front and at the back. In the back, you have a wide angle rear view camera with dynamic turn lines and is a boon while reversing this car. In the front you have the headlamp washers on both the sides.

S-line badging on both the sides

The Sun roof is normal and not panoramic

Side mirrors have turn indicators, are heated and are wide enough to provide a nice view of the traffic behind.

Wheels are alloy wheels with all 4 disc brakes.

The boot is large enough with about 530 liter capacity. It is more deep than shallow maybe to accommodate long items like golf kits. The loading lip is not high. The back seats can be also folded in 60:40 ratio or fully to increase the boot size. The entire boot floor and space is carpeted. However one speaker juts out and eats up some space. The two loose straps you see can be pulled down to produce hooks which can be used to hang loose items in the boot. Also the net with hooks is provided to prevent items from moving around in the boot. It is recommended only for small weight items however.

To aid matrix headlamp technology there is a camera mounted in front of the rear view mirror.

Interiors

The car screams luxury as soon as you step inside. Everything is top class. There are no hard plastic or sore elements inside. Everything is soft touch, wood finish or in leather.

The leather wrapped steering wheel is four-spoked and the horn pad has the Audi logo in the center. The horn does not extend till the steering (unlike Maruti) so it take some time to get used to blowing horn.

The car reminds you to press the brake pedal for shifting gears from parking.

The car has four zone climate control with two zones each at front and back.

Knobs are nice to hold and operate. The passenger airbag switch off button is dummy and the one to its right is to operate the rear sun curtain. There is an ashtray with cigarette lighter in the covered area below.

Both the front seats are electronically adjustable. Driver seat gets a memory function with two settings. I use it quite often. The memory function not only stores the seat position, steering position but also the side view mirror position. All four windows have one touch up/down function and the child lock are given in the driver door.

The rear doors have manual sun blinds, an arm rest and an ashtray plus the window up/down button.

Two climate control zones are back for the rear passengers. Below the vents is a USB port and a 12V socket.

Audi MMI is a vast topic in itself and I will restrict myself to cover just some basics. It is basically an interface for setting and configuring car parameters including entertainment, telephone, driving modes, maps etc. Apple car play and Android auto is supported but it is not wireless and wire has to be connected for it to work. You can buy after market accessory to make it wireless. The screen is the interface and the rotary knob is for browsing and selecting. Car parameters can only be set through the central knob but telephone, music, maps and display can be controlled from steering wheel controls.

It support both Apple Car Play and Android Auto

Conclusion

Frankly speaking, I am pretty happy with the purchase. The brand value of the car is something which needs to be experienced. I have gone a notch higher in my neighbors eyes.

I feel it is the perfect sedan. For me the main thing is the sheer comfort and luxury it offers while travelling distances and how it easily accommodates people and luggage. That is what is most satisfying. The ride quality is excellent even at high speeds and the cabin is silent. I have driven long distances in single trip and everyone is quite relaxed and energized after the trip. The car has 600W 14 speaker BOSE system and plethora of options to keep you entertained during the journey. Rear Passenger have their own climate control, sun blinds at sides and rear, handrest with cupholders and remote to operate the MMI.

8 airbags and plethora of active and passive safety features makes the drive safe for you and your loved ones. You can travel full load with people and luggage and it will happily take you in comfort and luxury. I get a fuel average of 16-17 kmpl on highway and 13-14 km in the city and thus long trips are not heavy on wallet. For an average driver like me, it offers decent power and driving pleasure.

I can use SIRI/GOOGLE to play music or ask for directions. Use the car controls to attend office and personal calls (MS teams calls also), not get tired during long journeys and always get attention or preferential treatment which parking etc.

The steering is very light. In fact steering of my honda city feels heavy now. However, in dynamic mode, at high speeds, it weighs up considerably. Light steering helps in easy parking but due to the length of the car, it takes effort to park it properly. The rear camera is a boon and even in dark, the light next to the camera lightens up the area brightly. In spite of being a long car, it drives like a small car and sometimes I get a feeling of driving my old zen.

On twisty roads and curving flyovers, the cars corners well. I am yet to drive on hairpin bends and very sharp turns but it rides well on twisty roads. However you can feel the turn if you do it at high speed. Sometimes, I put the gear shift in manual and use paddle shifters for better control, specially on hilly roads.

The car cocoons you from outside world and noise and you can just imagine yourself sitting in your drawing room. Therefore, you have to be extra alert specially in city traffic when you have two wheelers trying to squeeze past every inch with helmets dangling from their forearms.

If the MMI screen is folded down, the minute you engage reverse gear, it automatically comes up and shows the rear camera view. The camera view stays on for some time even while moving forward upto some speed till the car senses that you have done reversing and then switches view to normal MMI view.There is a parking button also given in case you want to manually view the parking view. The car does not have 360 degree camera but I find the rear view side mirrors and the rear camera combination to the sufficient. The bonnet is large and thus needs some time to getting used to.

Cruise control works like a charm and I have used to extensively on WPE. Once set, it gets disengaged when you press the brake pedal. But just pull the cruise control stalk towards you and it resumes with the earlier set speed. That time the acceleration is brutal till the set speed. It just rockets. Therefore it is recommended to use this only when the road ahead is clear.

I have read that the transmission is programmed such that when the car is idle, it cuts off and thus I do not put the car in neutral gear while waiting at traffic signal, a practice while I follow with my automatic honda city.

Auto sensing wipers work well. They are very helpful in rainy conditions. I have not got a chance to use them in heavy rains but in light rain, i have found that they work well. Windshield spray is even and forceful and wipes do a nice job of cleaning the windshield.

In spite of my initial fears regarding ground clearance etc. the car has not scraped anywhere so far. My honda city front mud flap would have scrapped at least few times on the same roads.

I wish it had ventilated seats and an inbuilt dashcam because already there is a 10 GB hard disk which could be used for recording. In today's times, I feel that dashcam is must.

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