Good dynamics along with a precise steering and a sporty soundtrack make the Swift a fun car to drive.

Driving the Maruti Swift 1.2L Petrol MT

1.2L, 3-cylinder Z-Series petrol engine makes 81 BHP @ 5,700 rpm and 112 Nm @ 4,300 rpm:

The fourth-gen Swift is powered by a 1.2L, 3-cylinder petrol engine. This unit is mated to a 5-speed manual transmission and puts out 81 BHP and 112 Nm. These numbers are lesser than the outgoing car (4-cylinder, 89 BHP & 113 Nm). With a kerb weight of 920 kg, the power-to-weight ratio & torque-to-weight ratio are 88 BHP/ton & 122 Nm/ton respectively. These are considerably lower than the outgoing car. This means that the new Swift is not as fast a performer as the previous generation car. It can be termed as brisk at best.

Maruti claims that the 1,197cc, Z12E unit has improved low-end torque delivery. It is equipped with an electric water pump for better engine cooling and a Lambda air-flow sensor for up to 12% lower CO2 emissions and higher fuel efficiency.

Start the engine by pressing the light clutch and hitting the engine start/stop button. Ease off the clutch and the Swift moves off the line smoothly without any throttle input. Throttle response is good and power delivery is linear. Driving about at city speeds, the car feels smooth. Good driveability is the key here. The car can pull from as low as 500 rpm without any clutch input albeit with a judder. The engine doesn't struggle at low revs and the car can keep up with the traffic without the driver having to shift down too often. This trait combined with a small footprint and light controls makes the Swift very easy to drive around in the city. The engine starts feeling comfortable at 1,500 rpm. The car is relaxed doing 50 km/h in 4th gear with the engine spinning at 1,500 rpm. It starts pulling well above 2,500 rpm.

On the open road, the Swift can be described as a brisk performer. It is not as fast or exciting as the outgoing car. The power delivery is linear and doesn't feel urgent at all. Enthusiastic drivers won't be very impressed by the performance. However, it's not slow and with proper use of the gears, good progress can be made.

There is decent mid-range delivery, but in order to facilitate quick overtaking manoeuvres, it's advisable to shift down to a lower gear. The engine revs up to 6,000 rpm, which is where the redline starts. At this point, the fuel cuts off, which can catch you out in the middle of an overtaking manoeuvre. This, coupled with the lack of power means that passing slower vehicles needs some careful planning. In terms of cruiseability, in 5th gear, 100 km/h is seen at 2,500 rpm while 120 km/h is achieved at 3,000 rpm.

The engine note needs a special mention here. While the typical 3-cylinder thrum is present, the engine sounds very sporty when revved. It's genuinely one of the best-sounding motors out there. It's extremely addictive and enjoyable, which urges you to rev hard and drive fast.

The 5-speed manual transmission is an absolute joy to operate. The throws are short and the shift action is very smooth. With well-defined gates, the gearbox is sure-slotting and it's very hard to miss a shift. The clutch is very light and the travel range is medium.

Noise, Vibration & Harshness (NVH)

Straight off the bat, the 3-cylinder Z12E lacks the refinement of the K12 motor that we've been so used to. It is not terrible by any means and there is a slight shake of the body as the engine cranks and at idle. You will feel mild vibrations coming in through the floor and on the seats. But, there is no engine noise heard at all. If it were not for the vibrations, one would be hard-pressed to tell if the engine is running.

While driving around calmly, the engine sound doesn't bother the cabin. However, as the revs climb, the engine makes itself heard a lot more in the cabin. While it's a likeable sound for enthusiasts, other occupants might complain as things get louder at higher revs.

There is a hint of wind noise above 100 km/h and gets louder with speed. Even so, it’s not excessive at 100-120 km/h. Road noise and tyre noise are average.

Mileage & Fuel Economy

Maruti claims that the fourth-gen Swift is the most fuel-efficient hatchback in its segment with a 14% improvement over its predecessor. The 1.2-litre naturally aspirated petrol has an ARAI-certified fuel efficiency of 24.80 km/l for the MT and 25.75 km/l for the AMT.

Maruti has equipped the Swift with an idling start/stop function to improve fuel efficiency. This feature worked seamlessly on our test drive and was not intrusive. It can be turned off by pressing a button on the centre fascia.

Bonnet gets insulation underneath and helps keep the noise levels low:

Sufficient insulation on the firewall:

Suspension

Ride Comfort

The Swift comes with a McPherson strut suspension at the front and a torsion beam suspension at the rear. The setup is on the firmer side and the slow-speed ride is stiff. The car feels jiggly on concrete surfaces with joints. Even small bumps on the road are noticeable. As the speed increases, the ride improves. At highway speeds, most bumps and undulations won't bother you. Large potholes do register themselves in the cabin though. What is impressive is how silently the suspension goes about its duty.

The ZXi and ZXi+ variants of the Swift ride on 15-inch wheels with 185/65 section tyres and the recommended tyre pressure is 29 PSI. Lower variants come with 14-inch rims fitted with 165/80 section rubber. These should provide a better ride.

Torsion beam suspension at the rear:

Handling & Dynamics

The Swift's stiffer suspension setup shows its true worth in the handling and dynamics department. Straight-line stability is very good for a car in this segment and occupants won't even know that the car is cruising at triple-digit speeds. Expansion joints on the highway do not unsettle it.

On long curves, the car holds its line well. Push the car on twisty roads and you will experience some body roll, but it's very well-controlled. The car changes direction without fuss and feels very sure-footed. Our test car came with 185/60 R15 Bridgestone Ecopia tyres, which provided enough grip for the power on tap.

Good dynamics along with precise steering and a sporty soundtrack make the Swift a fun car to drive. But we couldn't help thinking that a more powerful engine could have taken the experience to a whole new level.

Steering

The Swift gets an electric power steering, which is very user-friendly. It's light in the city and most owners will appreciate that. The compact dimensions of the car, light steering and a tight turning radius of 4.8 metres make the Swift very easy to drive in the city. At higher speeds, the steering weighs up well. There's no nervous feeling or twitchiness at all while cruising on the highways. On twisty roads, you will find that it is quick and precise. That being said, it doesn't relay much feedback.

One point to note is that the steering has a stronger return to centre action than some of the Maruti cars we have driven in recent times. It does need some input from the driver while taking on switchbacks, but still, it's a big improvement over the outgoing car. 

Braking

The Swift is equipped with disc brakes at the front and drum brakes at the rear. The performance is as expected and the car comes to a halt without much drama. Under hard braking too, the car doesn't lose its composure.

The pedal feel is good too and there is a little bit of travel before the brakes bite.

Niggles & Problems

The Swift is likely to be trouble-free like most offerings from Maruti. We did not face any problems in our test car and do not expect owners to do so either. However, as is always the case, we strongly recommend extended warranty coverage.

Continue reading the discussion on the 2024 Maruti Swift on our forum.

The Swift is built on Maruti's HEARTECT platform which underpins multiple other vehicles from the company. It comes with a body shell featuring 45% high tensile steel and 20% ultra-high strength steel.

Maruti Swift Pros

• Stylish exterior is unmistakably "Swift", although opinions can be polarizing
• Smart-looking interior with a good-looking dashboard and fine ergonomics
• Manual transmission with short throws is very slick and a joy to use. Absolutely brilliant MT! 
• Great drivability and light controls, along with a small footprint make it a joy in the city
• Sporty engine sound is addictive. It's the best sounding 3-cylinder I've driven
• Choice of sporty MT and convenient AMT - take your pick
• 3-cylinder engine is fuel-efficient; ARAI rating of 25.75 km/l for the AMT (MT is 24.80 km/l)
• Enjoyable handling & good high speed composure with a precise steering
• Long list of features including automatic LED projector headlamps, LED DRLs, LED foglamps, cruise control, 9-inch touchscreen HU paired with an Arkamys sound system, rear A/C vents, wireless charging, footwell lighting, connected car features etc
• Safety features such as 6 airbags, 3-point seatbelts for all, ESP, hill-hold assist, ABS+EBD, ISOFIX child seat mounts etc.
• Maruti's widespread service network, excellent after-sales support & fuss-free ownership experiences

Maruti Swift Cons

• 1.2L petrol is not fast & exciting enough for enthusiasts. Not as refined as the outgoing 4-cylinder, nor as powerful (power has actually dropped to just 81 BHP)
• Priced very close to the more premium & spacious Baleno
• Mediocre plastic quality (interiors) is typical Maruti grade; very ordinary
• AMT can get jerky & slow. Some competitors offered smoother ATs (e.g. Altroz DCT, Hyundai's AMT, i20's IVT)
• No CNG or diesel option like some rivals
• Low speed ride is jiggly due to suspension tune & 15-inch wheels
• Black interiors and smallish glass area can make one claustrophobic, particularly at the back
• Rear seat’s under-thigh support is mediocre for taller passengers
• Some misses (auto-dimming IRVM, TPMS, sunroof, driving modes, smaller spare tyre on the Z trims...)
• L & V variants get horribly skinny 165 mm tyres. Please upgrade
• 163 mm ground clearance raises our eyebrows, although Maruti hatchbacks aren't known to scrape speed breakers

Read Team-BHP's detailed 2024 Maruti Swift Review.

The power delivery is very linear and smooth. It is just the right amount to have fun without being crazy!

BHPian ashish2135 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Here's what BHPian sudeep.pandya had to say

There is something special about owning a sedan! This can only be experienced after getting one! And this one certainly feels extra special!

You are right about this sedan being special! I am glad I picked the MY23 version with the discounts, makes it serious VFM.

I knew that this engine-gearbox combo was one of the best in the price bracket! But boy, now I am in love with it. I keep finding excuses to drive this car over my other cars.

I have driven only a 100-150 odd kms and my observations are:

1. The power delivery is very linear and smooth. It is just the right amount to have fun without being crazy! My 330Li has much more power but once you press hard on the accelerator it is explosive and it can get out of control.
2. The steering is super light and feels very easy to drive. The car feels chuckable.
3. Build quality feels robust but there are a few odd rattles here and there. The interior plastics seem inferior at this price point.
4. The music system is just adequate, the infotainment is laggy at times (reminds me of my TATA Safari)
5. The DSG gearbox felt jerky during the first few days but I am getting the hang of it now. Learning how to use the paddles to extract the maximum performance.
6. The car is gorgeous to look at!

Some pictures of the Carbon Steel Slavia!

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

Changing the perspective to scale, Ignis turns out to be just that car (for me and probably for you). Hence the post title says, Ignis: the best a man can get.

BHPian omranga98 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Not too long ago, our prestigious founder, GTO had posted about law of diminishing marginal utility. He mentioned how after a certain amount of price, the satisfaction level has a downward slope. If my memory serves me right, he mentioned how a Rs. 50 L car offers similar level of satisfaction as a car priced much higher.

This Idea stuck to me. Changing the perspective to scale, Ignis turns out to be just that car (for me and probably for you). Hence the post title says, Ignis: the best a man can get. Now I bet you are wondering why/how? Hence here is this post.

My Maruti Suzuki Ignis 1.2 Delta in Grey. It completes 2 years today and the ODO stands proudly at 13912 Km.

Time surely flies, been driving this beast for two years but never came around to post about it! But it is never too late.

Why and how I bought Ignis

I had a lovely VW Polo 1.5 TDI Highline that served me right for 7 years and 68000 Kms. Till one day, it did not anymore. About 5 ABS sensor change, a couple of clutches replaced, suspension overhaul, steering rack changed, the Polo finally had an injector failure on the 7th year mark.

The timing could not be worse, it happened during a week when i really needed my car. So i pick up my phone and start dialing Hyundai, Honda, Tata and Maruti showroom asking them which car was available immediately. Hyundai had i10 Nios, Tata had something else, but when Maruti said they had an Ignis Delta in Grey that could be picked up next morning, I was hooked.

I took the Polo to the showroom, they gave me a fantastic exchange value plus I got really good discounts on Ignis. Right there, in about 30 mins, the deal was done. No test drive, no anything.

Next morning the car was delivered to my house and i was in LOVE!

The fact that this buying experience was at par as buying a fridge from a store, it was perfect.

Pros

• Looks great
• Lightweight car means it is easy to drive and live with.
• Very fuel efficient.
• Bulging fenders make it look like it means business.
• Spacious interior. Far better than Polo.
• Great headroom and bootspace.
• Quick enough for city use.
• Cheap to live with.
• Good ground clearance means it can travel over bad roads with ease and wade through 1.5 foot of water with ease.
• Comfortable car.

Cons

• Rear seats do not recline.
• Headlights are good but not great.
• Tyre is not good. Needs A/T tyre to make the best use of the capability of the car.
• Does not have leather seats.
• Does not have sunroof.
• Not turbocharged.
• Only 2 Airbags, at this price, we should get at least 6.

The cons were difficult to write but there are so few of them.

Driving Feel

The car is fast enough for city use. Gears have good throw, the suspension is soft and supple for bad roads, body roll is limited for a tall car like this. Steering is light, brakes are responsive and good enough, clutch is light and linear. Much better than Polo.

Fuel Economy

 It takes skill to actually get below 12 kmpl. The car is so fuel efficient that it does 1/3 of the petrol pump visits compared to my other car.

Drive with a light foot and you will be doing upwards to 16-18 kmpl with ease.

Is it SUV?

 People joke about how Ignis is not an SUV and a hatchback. But if you remember, Maruti Suzuki had their first AD stating that Ignis was an SUV.

So what is it? it is complicated.

SUVs stands for Sports Utility Vehicle, Ignis has the sportiness, has a utilitarian touch to it, and it is a vehicle.

Just that it is does not have 4x4 or is not big in size.

Ignis also has good suspension travel. You will never find a situation where any wheel is in the air. Be it mall parkings or tall speed breakers.

Some interesting findings of the car.

If you open any door, the screen near the speedometer shows a top down view of IGNIS! The attention to detail here is great. You can notice that it shows exactly which door is open and also the Adidas (3 strip) lines.

 The car has good silver skid plates

Here it is in rear: Notice how it gets 4 parking sensors compared to 3 offered in VW Taigun. A car priced at 4x of this.

No rear wiper, no problem. 

The rear windshield has a slanting design and the overall design is very nice. Water rolls off and rear wiper is never missed. Shape is very practical for carrying things in car.

Notice the Adidas like logo embossed on the car.

I think it is for aero, maybe a secret design that helps the car become so fuel efficient.

Same strips are inside the car for some reason. I do not mind.

Notice how the fenders bulge out. Giving it a squatting stance. Love it!

Secret Menu

If you hold the INFO button placed on either the steering wheel or on the dash (Yes, the same button with same function is placed twice, about 6 inches apart). It opens a secret menu where you can toggle various hidden features. Meanwhile for VW you need an OBD port and computer with software to unlock these.

A/c vent with honeycomb

Good design, easy to operate. The vent inside has additional honeycomb grill. Looks very good. Reminds me of Lamborghini Aventador.

In a world full of screens, be a button

Practical central control stack.

Fighter plane like switch

They add a bit of flare to use and feels tactile. Built to last.

Interior leather print

Ignis has mutiple leather print on the plastics in the inside.

The Dashboard top side which is black in colour has a regular animal leather emboss. Which we see in most cars.

While the lower side of dash and door panels which are white in colour have a stingray skin pattern embossed.

Great attention to detail. Make the cabin feel better.

Bad design bits 

Not everything is perfect. Ignis has bad design also.

Like this hole in the dash, i cannot keep anything here.

or this door handle which is never aligned with the lock switch.

Never aligned when it is locked:

or when it is unlocked:

For some reason the interior door handle is body coloured. Makes no sense.

I hope the pictures justify the points. The car is trouble free, easy on the pocket. 2 years have been a breeze. No issues, no headache. I simply love it.

I plan to mod the engine in the future, maybe add a turbocharger to it. The car comes with provision for heat escape vent on the side, which is currently fixed with a blank grill. It could be useful when i mod the engine.

Here is the vent.

I would love to talk about the car in this thread. If you have any question, please feel free to ask here. As GTO says, a PM helps 1 person, a post will help thousands.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

I feel that I may need to part with the Honda City when it's running well, it's a 4th-gen and 7 years old car. Since my family has ballooned, the move to a seven seater makes sense.

BHPian Durango Dude recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Did a TD of the Kia Carens Luxury Plus 1.5 T + 7DCT yesterday.

Honda City CVT has spoilt me for "part throttle" responses. I felt the Carens needs to be given a "stick" to move on due to turbo taking time to spool up, but nothing unmanageable. It's very car-like to drive and though big in dimensions it shrinks around you in traffic and large green house and low cowl of the dashboard allows for some great visibility.

Ride is very supple, the TPMS displayed 33-35 psi all round, helped by the 16" rims and tyres. The A/C was a chiller and overhead mounts worked well. My wife who was in the second row with the sales person riding shot gun with me at the wheel. I think I can get over the initial dull responses from the turbo, which I did in the short 5-6 kms test drive. There's been a rejig of the variant line up in the past couple of days and my pick is the Prestige+(O) 7 seater, which has almost everything and is rid of the biggest gripe I have against the higher variants: the poorly placed air purifier behind the drivers seat and the picnic table behind the passengers seat. Did an ingress and egress with wife to the third row: which was very usable.

I was served by Capital Kia, Adyar, Chennai, I pinged them at almost midnight and they pinged right back, a salesperson was assigned at 5.21 AM and he responded with all details and was good enough to be at my place at the sharp 10 AM as mentioned in the SMS. Must say I was impressed by their prompt and courteous responses. My Honda City CVT is running like a dream though "plagued' by rust issues in many places though not very bad gives me the feel that I may need to part with it when it's running well, it's 4th gen and 7 years old. Since my family has ballooned the move to a seven seater makes sense.

I wonder how much of the registration fees is genuine and how much is "baksheesh", I've been given an assurance (orally) that my 50% NCB will be adjusted with the new policy. Though the ex-showroom of Prestige+(O)7 seater 1.5T/7DCT is Rs 16,11,900 the OTR comes to Rs 19,82,636 a difference of Rs 370,736. That I feel is absolute looting from the govt., dealer and all others in the name of taxes over and above what has been added to the ex-showroom price. This is without the dealer add-ons that I chose to reject.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

There is no issue with ground clearance - the vehicle managed monstrous speed breakers with 5 on board without bottoming out even once during the entire trip. So, I can safely say that those having qualms about ground clearance can rest assured.

BHPian saket77 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

The car completed 1 month yesterday and the current odometer stands exactly at 1100 KMS (65% highway and 35% city driving). It is also due for first service which would be done shortly.

During the highway drive with 5 adults and half boot luggage, after the first 160 kms, the FE displaying on MID was a staggering 25KMPL. Then after some mixed driving conditions and some frequent start-stops, the FE settled at 19KMPL after almost an 800 km drive with 100% AC.

Some observations after using the car for a month and after the long drive:

• There is no issue with ground clearance - the vehicle managed monstrous speed breakers with 5 on board without bottoming out even once during the entire trip. So, I can safely say that those having qualms about ground clearance can rest assured. The car is unlikely to scrape the bottom. Do note that I am riding on 195/55 against the 185/55 (stock).
• Even with outside temperature @44 degrees, the AC can chill the cabin and keep it that way for your entire journey. However, a car parked in sun, will take at least 10-15 minutes to cool down to your comfort. But once cooled, it can chill you to the bone.
• Fuel efficiency is respectable. The car can manage 19-20 KMPL with ease while cruising on highways.
• Wireless Apple Car play works very well for maps and music.
• Fixed armrest remains a sore point. I am 5'9" and wanted the armrest to be a little forward. A further drop in steering rake would have been preferred but not something that bothered much.
• Coming from Civic, I miss the bigger engine. This 1.5L is good but to get some serious performance, it needs to be revved hard. Thankfully, this loves revving but the Civic would blow this out of water in terms of in-gear acceleration, especially in the 4/5/6th gears. I don't know if there are performance differences between BS-6 and BS-4 engines of the City. Would love if someone who has a taste of both 4th Gen and 5th Gen City can elaborate on performance front.
• LED headlamps do not shake/ vibrate on regular highway rumble strips. However, some shake is noticed on rumble type speed breakers & may be some potholes when taken at some speed. Not a deal breaker by any means for me. But these LEDs are no match for halogen bulbs. They are alright in total dark but feel inadequate in dusk/ incoming traffic situations. Even at high beam, the throw doesn't reach that far and left me wanting for more. An upgrade might be needed in future.
• Driving dynamics of the car is good. High speed behaviour & braking ability are satisfactory with 195s on duty.
• Yokos BluEarth-GT tires are very grippy and dead silent on well laid tarmacs. On asphalt/ concrete roads, they surely generate some noise like any other tire. The BluEarths are definitely recommended.

Small Addition to the car:

The car has 2 USB ports- one exclusively to play music through a flash drive/ wired Carplay or Android Auto; while the other to power any 5V accessory. Since the 5V USB port is already in use for powering the dashcam, it is an issue if someone wants to charge their phone through cable. So, bought this small USB hub to create additional ports for power. It has a small form-factor and works well. However, due to position of the USB port on the car, the fast charge port cannot be used due to space constraints. This cannot be used on the music port as that doesn't support any hub.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

The car is tuned for fuel economy. After driving sedately, I could see a fuel efficiency of 25+ km/l on the MID.

BHPian ashis89 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Two months ago, RoadRunner went away and in came a new dude to take its place - Maruti Suzuki Brezza VXI MT. Bigger, stronger, better in every possible way than the outgoing car… or is it?

The yellow-eyed boui!

The Good

• Simple and reliable NA engine which is E20 compliant
• Refined engine with good low-end performance
• Good fuel efficiency
• Light steering and light clutch make it a breeze to drive in the city
• Standard safety features and based on a safe platform

The Bad

• Engine doesn’t rev as cleanly as the predecessor
• Engine runs out of breath fairly quickly along the rev range
• Seats are not comfortable
• Headlight throw is average
• A super boring design in a sea of swanky cars
• Steering doesn’t return to centre post a turn
• Limited suspension travel

And the ugly…

• Cost cutting in the interiors and exteriors is clearly evident
• Uneven fit and finish in many areas
• Criminal act of adding rear seat belt reminders without providing any weight sensors

Requirements and purchase decision

The outgoing car, fondly called as RoadRunner, was a WagonR inching towards its 13th year. In the last few years, it had covered fewer kms but had suffered some bruises and felt its age. My father is the primary user and he loved the WagonR. It was compact, had upright seating and easy to drive. With excellent visibility, it was a breeze to pilot around on narrow busy roads. Being an old car, he didn’t flinch when the car got a few bruises. And it was a Maruti. All the features worked without fail and local Maruti dealer Sky Auto took good care of it. Also, the usage was 1000 kms per annum, maybe 2.

Why change something that ain’t broken?

The car felt its age. The windshield had picked up scratches which caused a lot of glare while driving at night. The interiors rattled on bad roads. The paint had picked up scratches as well. The lack of low-end torque on the K10 engine made the city drive frustrating at times. Fixable issues but spending 50k on a 13-year-old car didn’t make sense. Also, the car felt small at times when we were full house.

• Should have more space than the WagonR yet not too big for daily use
• Should be easy to drive with good visibility all around
• Should have a strong AC to beat the humid climate
• Should have good driveability with good low end torque
• Should have rear camera, parking sensors
• Should be a Maruti and should be a manual (father’s clear requirements but more on that later)

Then why not another used car?

It had to be a new car. My father’s first car was a used 2-year-old M800 (back then needed a car immediately without a waiting period) which stayed with us for 11 years. The second car was the used 2-year-old WagonR (saw a good deal and I bought my first car) which stayed with us for another 10+ years. This time I wanted a new car for him. One should experience the feel of a new car at least once in life. This had to be it.

Contenders:

• Baleno/Swift: My father was impressed by the Baleno as it was a popular model, spacious and looked good. But I have spent considerable time with this model and I suggested the Swift instead. Same engine, upright seating and better visibility. He agreed.
• Dzire: After agreeing on Swift, he said he should get a DZire instead which is a slightly bigger and a sedan. But it is old and from a dying segment. His current office ride is a WagonR or a yellow plate Dzire and too common on our roads. And he also experienced that the new Dzire is not comfortable on longer trips.
• Jimny: Some time last year when Maruti announced discounts on the Jimny, I pitched the idea to him on a Sunday afternoon – how about getting a Jimny? He never heard of the model and was curious. So I sent him a few pictures of the Jimny. Minutes later he calls me back and says that the Jimny was a Maruti Bolero. A Bolero SLX was his ride for many years when he was in service. He can’t drive such a car as his personal ride. End of discussion.
• Brezza: A few months ago, I drove a Zoomcar Urban Cruiser on a 600 km trip, on good and bad roads. I have also driven the S-Cross petrol for 2000+ kms as well as TDed the Ciaz petrol which has the previous K15 series engine. I knew the engine was perfect for city use and managed to do the job on the highway. And the Brezza felt like a bigger and more comfortable WagonR which addressed all its shortcomings. My father was surprised to know the Brezza was marginally costlier than a Dzire. His thought was that the car was successful in the market, sold/serviced by Maruti, looked good, was reasonably priced and hence, a good choice.
• Grand Vitara was another option but it would be big for a small city use. Given the use case of 1-2 people using it within the city on most occasions, GV would be an overkill. Some suggested to check out the Fronx as it was the new SUV on the block but I could never digest its looks. The smaller engine was another factor so we never checked the car in the first place.

Other brands didn’t stand a chance as it had to be a Maruti after all.

So Brezza was finalized. Father wanted me to book the car but I forced him to take a test drive first. And yes, only Brezza was test-driven, rest were struck off on paper.

Variant and color

This was easy to decide. White was dull, red and blue were too loud, khaki was an oddball, black was unavailable in the lower variants. Between grey and silver, the latter was preferred by all of us unanimously.

Among the variants, I chose the VXI as it had all the essential features that we were looking for and then some more. ABS, airbags, ESP, rear head-rests, rear AC vents and an Android Auto-equipped head unit were important. Hill Hold Assist, automatic climate control, power-folding mirror and steering-mounted audio controls were bonus features.

Test Drive Experience

Checked online for the nearby dealers and booked a home TD visit. A week went by and nothing happened. Then reached out to a few contacts in a local dealership, Sky Automobiles and asked to get me a test drive. That did the trick and I got a call from the sales team asking when they can come for TD. Any morning worked for my father and me but they should call in advance and come. So they offered to come the very next day and also confirmed that we were looking for a manual car.

Next day they arrive in a red dual-tone Brezza ZXI+ AT. I wasn’t sure how else could I have been more clear about needing a manual car. Nevertheless, we went for a short drive. Asked the driver and SA to drive while I and my parents got on the rear bench. It was a squeeze but doable. Leg space worked for us and the rear AC vent too. Next, I asked them to get us a manual car only.

Next day, the team got a manual Brezza ZXI+ in the same dual-tone shade. I did a TD for 0.2 km (not a typo) and got my answers. Then I handed over the car to my father and asked him to go on a longish TD with the driver. Meanwhile, me and the SA walked back the 200 meters to discuss about exchange offer and price.

Booking and delivery

The SA from Sky was a very nice guy. Brezza was one of the rare models not running any discounts but he mentioned he would try for the best deal possible since he knew I came from a reference. They also had the car readily available in stock. If I booked today, they could deliver it in 2-3 days.

On the other hand, my father found some contacts at another MS dealer, Jyote Motors. Jyote promised my father to match and better the deal that we already had from Sky. So finally, I paid the token 11k and booked the car on Jan 20 2024, with Jyote - a Splendid Silver Brezza VXI MT. Delivery was promised within Jan and we were in no hurry. I also explained the situation to the Sky team and thanked them for their diligence.

No hurry is fine but I wanted to know a tentative date when the car would be available. We were in February and Jyote only had one thing to say always – disruption at the MS plant and hence, dispatch was delayed and he would confirm in 2 days. Those 2 days never came after a few follow-ups. My father was irked as well. I spoke to a friend who confirmed there are no issues with Brezza dispatch.

I didn’t like this opaque, unethical approach. So on Feb 15 2024, I called up the Sky team and asked if a silver Brezza was still available with them. That piece was already sold but they were ready to place an order immediately and get it dispatched from the factory in the current lot. Promptly paid the booking amount and booked the same variant with Sky. Over the next few days, I was apprised of the status of the car's arrival. The SA came and collected the cheque from home.

On Feb 22 2024, the new car was delivered at my parent’s place after being duly registered, HSRP and basic accessories fitted. All this, within 7 days and everything was done from home. We got some cash discounts, accessories and better exchange price for the RoadRunner. They got a cake for my parents to celebrate the new car. Then they took away the old car on the same day after delivering the new one. Overall, the experience with Sky was very good. Their service team had been maintaining the outgoing WagonR for several years now and we should have stuck with them in the first place.

Meanwhile, I cancelled the booking with Jyote and the amount was credited 1.5 months later after following up once.

Engine and performance

This variant comes with a K15C 1.5L petrol engine which is E20 compliant. It doesn't have the Smart Hybrid setup. Press the clutch and then, you can crank the engine. When cold, the engine is audible but smooth. When warmed up, the note is barely audible at low revs. I haven't pushed it much yet but the engine wasn't 'loud' at higher rpms.

The engine is tuned for low-end response and that manifests in city drive. Slot into 1st(or even 2nd) and release the clutch, the car moves away smoothly. Just like a diesel, this petrol car can climb mall slopes with little or no accelerator input. Our apartment has a rather steep ramp up from a narrow road which requires a sharp 90-degree turn and climb. This car climbs without any A input and no momentum.

In the city, the short gearing means the car doesn’t ask for downshifts. I could potter around at 20 kmph in the 3rd/4th gear or 40 kmph in 5th gear. Out on the highway, the car is quick until 80-90 kmph before the power starts tapering off. Just like the WagonR, it can do 100 kmph@3000 rpm. Short gearing means the car feels quick in the city traffic. Keep the RPM below 2.5k, the car remains peppy but very silent. For my father, this is an upgrade from the WagonR which was lethargic at times and also bogged down by the AC running at all times.

The clutch is super light. I covered 100+ kms on multiple days in city/highway conditions and never had a reason to complain. The gearshift is acceptable with a hint of resistance at times. That 6th is always missed on the highway.

Engine bay doesn't have any paint

Air intake is at the front

Bonnet has insulation

The underbody guard barely extends 1 feet beyond the radiator

Fuel economy

The engine is tuned for fuel economy and that shows in the performance but also while visiting the fuel bunk. This variant doesn’t come with any hybrid assist. Drive sedately and I could see 25+ kmpl on the MID. After driving for 500 kms (70% city/30% highway, 100% AC with idling time), the MID was showing 17.4 kmpl. T2T numbers were 15.8 kmpl. That's a usable range of 500 kms at least. This could improve as the engine opens up further but for a 1.5L NA petrol, I was expecting much less.

Suspension

It is a soft pliant suspension which is good for the city. Sharp bumps are felt with a jolt but smaller ones are masked well in silence. Out on the highway, the body roll can be felt and so do the vertical movements, due to the soft suspension. I felt less comfortable driving this aggressively than my Seltos.

The rear suspension travel is sub-par. In axle-bender situations, the rear tyre can lift up easily. Our parking is the first one next to the boundary wall while the parking space itself is 3ft above the road. While taking the car out, one has to take a sharp right turn onto the gradual ramp down to the road. The Brezza almost invariably lifts its rear left wheel while taking the turn whereas my Seltos never did so.

The underbody is clean without any protrusions and the ground clearance is better than the Seltos. That said, the small plastic underbody guard is barely of any help.

Steering and brakes

Steering is feather light and good for city use and a boon at parking speeds. But the steering lacks feedback and feels lifeless on the highway. It doesn’t return to centre post a turn and that’s another drawback. I was expecting the car to have a tight turning radius given the smaller footprint but I find it no better than my longer and wider Seltos.

It has the new trending flat-bottom steering

ESP button is available to the right of the steering wheel. Aftermarket fog lamp and headlight leveller buttons are also seen in the pic

Brakes are progressive and provide good feedback. Unlike the Koreans, the ABS is well-calibrated. Tyres are wide 215/60 R16 MRF Wanderer Ecotred. This is probably the only Maruti where the company provides the same size of tyres from the base till the top model. Spare wheel is also of the same make and size, fitted on steel wheels like the other 4 tyres. The MRFs are loud on the highway.

Car comes with a dead pedal which I am used to knowing and find comfortable

Continue reading ashis89's review for BHPian comments, insights and more information.

The Gurkha gets an independent double wishbone suspension with coil springs at the front and a multilink suspension with a Panhard rod and coil springs at the rear. It now rides on 18-inch wheels with 255/65 section tyres. The low-speed ride quality is good for a ladder-on-frame off-roader.

Driving the 2.6L Diesel 5-speed MT

2,596cc, 4-cylinder diesel engine puts out 138 BHP & 320 Nm:

The 2024 Gurkha retains the same 2.6-liter, 4-cylinder diesel engine as the outgoing car. However, the unit has been retuned to deliver more power and torque. It now develops 138 BHP @ 3,200 rpm and 320 Nm @ 1,400-2,600 rpm. These figures are considerably higher than the 90 BHP & 250 Nm of the outgoing car. But even with the additional power, the Gurkha does not feel sporty to drive on the road.

To fire up the engine, you do not need to press the clutch anymore. On start-up, there is some body shake, and at idle, vibrations are felt on the steering wheel, pedals, handbrake, and seats.

Release the clutch gradually and the car moves forward without any throttle input. You can even pull away from a standstill in 2nd, albeit with some extra throttle input. Throttle response is satisfactory and power comes in smoothly. Low-speed drivability is fair and in the lower gears, the car can pull reasonably well at anything over 1,000 rpm. The engine starts feeling comfortable above ~1,250 rpm. Keeping up with the city traffic is not difficult, but if you need to close a gap, a downshift might be required.

On the open road, the Gurkha is a little quicker than before thanks to its higher power and torque output. However, it still isn't what we would call fast or even brisk. Due to its heavy kerb weight, the 5-door takes its own sweet time to accelerate. On the roads of Goa, I managed to get it past 80 km/h on a few occasions, but only just. The lighter 3-door feels slightly quicker. Still, it's not fast by any means. Something like the Mahindra Thar will leave the Gurkha in its dust. Overtaking slower vehicles on undivided highways will require some planning and aggressive downshifting. The turbo kicks in ~2,000 rpm and pulls nicely till 3,000 rpm. When pushed, the engine revs to 3,500 rpm. This is very low and you might need to upshift in the middle of overtaking manoeuvres. The Gurkha is more suited to a sedate driving style. It can cruise at 80 km/h in 5th gear with the tachometer reading ~1,750 rpm.

The clutch is light with a pedal travel that's neither too long, nor too short. The transmission has been changed. The outgoing vehicle's gearbox could handle just 250 Nm of torque. With the torque increased to 320 Nm, Force Motors had to use the 5-speed MT of the erstwhile Gurkha Xtreme. This gearbox has long throws and a notchy shift action. It's not suitable for snappy shifting. There is also a clicking noise heard every time you move to neutral from any gear.

The Gurkha also gets a drive mode selector. While Power is the default mode, one can select the Eco mode by pressing a button on the centre fascia. In Eco mode, the throttle response is dumbed down and the car feels very sluggish. While it is alright to use Eco mode in the city in slow-moving traffic, if you want to close a gap to the car in front quickly, you will need to shift to Power mode. Eco mode is not suitable for highway driving at all.

Apart from the drive mode selector, the Gurkha gets an idling start/stop function to improve fuel efficiency. This feature worked seamlessly on our short test drive and was not intrusive. It can be turned off by pressing a button on the centre fascia.

Coming to NVH, the engine can be heard inside the cabin at all times. It is louder as you accelerate. Above 3,000 rpm, the engine starts screaming and begging for an upshift. Wind noise is not heard at 80 km/h, but tyre noise is present at even 60 km/h. There is a prominent body shake on start-up and shutdown. As mentioned earlier, vibrations can be felt on the steering wheel, seat, and pedals at idle. The gear lever moves as you accelerate as well. 

Lots of insulation under the bonnet:

Suspension

Ride Comfort

The Gurkha gets an independent double wishbone suspension with coil springs at the front and a multilink suspension with a Panhard rod and coil springs at the rear. It now rides on 18-inch wheels with 255/65 section tyres. The low-speed ride quality is good for a ladder-on-frame off-roader. The independent suspension is very competent while handling small to medium-sized potholes and bumps. There is of course some side-to-side movement in the cabin, yet in comparison with some of the other off-roaders, the Gurkha was impressive.

Handling & Dynamics

High-speed stability is acceptable. The maximum speed that we could achieve on the roads of Goa was just a little over 80 km/h. The Gurkha didn’t feel nervous at any point.

However, going around corners is a different ballgame. The Gurkha is a tall vehicle and there is a lot of body roll. Do remember that this is an off-roader and not very good at cornering. In the interest of safety, I did not push the car hard through the country roads with multiple blind corners. Anyway, it's not a car that likes to be driven fast.

Steering

The hydraulic power steering is not as light as the electric units in modern cars at parking or crawling speeds. Those who are used to modern EPS systems will inevitably complain. Once the speedometer needle climbs, the steering does feel easier to operate. It also offers sufficient weight on the highway.

Braking

This Gurkha comes with the ubiquitous front disc & rear drum braking hardware. The brakes are equipped with ABS + EBD. We feel that the brakes bite too late. The pedal travel is long and even after the brakes bite, they are not strong. They certainly do not inspire confidence.

Niggles & Problems

While the Gurkha has largely remained the same, Force has added some more electronics to it. And the chances of things going wrong with new electronics are generally high. On one of the test cars, the reversing camera kept getting engaged and the navigation on our test car wasn't working. From experience, I can say that shift-on-the-fly systems are not as robust as manual transfer cases. We highly recommend that you do a thorough PDI and make sure that your car is free of any niggles or issues.

Continue reading the discussion on the Force Gurkha 5-Door on our forum.

Force Motors has worked on some of the shortcomings of the Gurkha and launched an updated version. Now, the off-roader gets a 5-door version (apart from the 3-door) with 3 more seats.

Force Gurkha Pros

• Macho styling & incredible street presence. Robust build too
• Far more user-friendly than the old Gurkha due to superior interiors & better amenities
• Shift-on-the-fly 4x4 with low range, diff locks, satisfactory all-round visibility & 233 mm GC. Excellent gradability, approach, departure & break-over angles make it a potent off-roader
• Choice of 3-door and 5-door (7-seater) versions gives it an edge over competing off-roaders
• Rides noticeably better than other purpose-built off-roaders in the market (especially the Thar)
• 5.5 m turning radius (3-door) is not as wide as its competitors
• Homologated accessories mean no cop trouble for owners ([i]windscreen protection bar, roof carrier, ladder, headlamp & fender lamp grilles etc.[/i]). Snorkel is factory-fitted!
• 500L boot space (3-door) is enough for a family's vacation luggage
• Features such as the hard top, LED headlamps with DRLs, rear wash & wipe, 9-inch touchscreen HU, power & eco drive modes, TPMS, dead pedal, rear A/C vents...

Force Gurkha Cons

• High floor makes ingress & egress very difficult for the elderly in particular
• Braking capability is below average. Pedal travel is long too
• No soft-top or convertible options like the Thar. No Petrol engine or Automatic transmission either
• Tall stature equates to lots of body roll and poor handling
• Despite the increased power & torque, the Gurkha's outright performance is mediocre
• Overall fit & finish, quality of interior plastics, ICE audio, camera display…
• Notchy 5-speed MT has long throws and is cumbersome to use
• Missing features such as 6 airbags, ESP, hill-hold / descent control, sunroof, auto headlamps, auto wipers, driver's seat height & lumbar adjustment, auto-dimming IRVM, electrically folding ORVMs etc.
• 5-door variant's 3rd-row captain seats cannot be folded or flipped. You'll need to place your luggage on & around them (or get a carrier)

Read Team-BHP's detailed 2024 Force Gurkha 5-Door Review.

In a straight line, the BYD Seal feels stable. It doesn’t feel nervous and maintains its composure at high speeds.

Driving the BYD Seal Premium

Powering the BYD Seal Premium is a Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor that puts out 308 BHP and 360 Nm torque:

The Seal is built on BYD's e-Platform 3.0 which is EV-specific and is not based on an IC engine platform like most EVs available in India. Hence, the design of the batteries and powertrain has been done keeping the EV-specific requirements in mind. This platform comes with cell-to-body technology which integrates the battery and the vehicle body floor together making the battery's sandwich structure evolve into a sandwich structure for the complete vehicle. The battery pack is sealed as part of the body using an integrated sealing plate design, which BYD claims, increases the rigidity of the floor by 13 times. BYD claims that the Blade battery has passed the nail penetration test and an extreme strength test that saw a 46-tonne truck driving over it. The Blade battery has a claimed driving mileage of more than 5,00,000 km.

We got to drive the Premium variant of the Seal which comes with an 82.56 kWh battery, rear-wheel drive and an electric motor that develops 308 BHP and 360 Nm. With your foot on the brake pedal, hit the Start/Stop button to bring the electric motor to life. Shift to ‘D’ mode, take your foot off the brake pedal and the car gets off the line in the smoothest way possible. There is faint music that is played on the outside of the car while driving around at low speeds. It’s to let the pedestrians know that there’s a car coming. Build some speed and the music stops.

If you primarily drive around in the city, you will appreciate the Seal’s smoothness. The power delivery till part throttle is linear and predictable. No jerks from gearshifts and no engine sound means it is an extremely refined experience. Floor the A pedal and you will be greeted with instant acceleration. Performance is brisk with power available right from the get-go. BYD claims a 0-100 km/h time of 5.9 seconds, which is believable. You’ll definitely be ahead of most of the IC engine cars when the signal turns green. If you enjoy instant acceleration and are experiencing an electric car for the first time, this car might just make you a convert. If you’ve driven some of the other EVs, you will notice that the acceleration is very similar to others in this range. 

Out on the highways, the Seal is just as good as in the city. Getting up to triple-digit speeds and maintaining them is effortless. Want to make a quick overtake, no worries there. Just bury the accelerator pedal and you will zoom past the car ahead with ease. You'll hit silly speeds effortlessly and not even realize it due to the lack of drama (engine noise, etc.). However, if you drive hard, the range will drop faster. This is also why you will see EVs that are driving longer distances sticking to the middle lane and cruising at 80-100 km/h (which is the best cruising speed for the current lots of EVs).

There are 3 driving modes to choose from and unlike some other cars, these aren't gimmicky. They're mapped specifically for different driving styles and also change the steering weight.

• Normal Mode: This is the default mode to drive in and works well in the city as well as on the highway. It is a good balance of power and economy. The steering is light in this driving mode.
• Eco Mode: When you want to extract maximum range, this is the mode to engage. The throttle response is dumbed down which results in a smoother drive. However, you never feel that the car is lacking power. There’s still enough power on tap to keep up with the traffic and make those quick overtakes. We found this mode to be the best for driving in the city. The difference in steering weight from normal mode is very little. It almost makes the Normal mode redundant. 
• Sport Mode: The throttle response is sharpened, but power is still delivered linearly. It doesn't feel jerky for day-to-day city driving like some other EVs. Push hard and it provides tremendous acceleration but it is not as brutal as the Mercedes AMG EQS 53 or the Volvo C40 Recharge for that matter. One thing to note is that driving in Sport mode eats up battery faster. So it's best to use this mode on the highways when you want to have some fun while driving. The steering is firmed up in this mode. The brakes feel a little sharper too.

Insulation sheet under the bonnet:

Regenerative Braking

BYD has kept it simple with regenerative braking. There are only 2 levels – Standard and High. The Standard level is barely noticeable and if you have the car in this mode, you might end up using the brakes a lot. The High level very much resembles engine braking in IC engine cars. It’s not very intrusive and you won’t be getting a head nod every time you lift off the accelerator. It’s great for driving around in the city as well as on the highways. People wishing to do hypermiling with the Seal will wish for stronger regeneration from the motor.

Noise, Vibration & Harshness (NVH)

As is the case with EVs, the Seal is also super quiet. There’s no engine or gearbox to make any noise, so the overall driving experience is silent. The windshield and front windows feature soundproof double-glazed glass making the car cabin extremely quiet.

At highway speeds, the wind noise is well controlled and the tyre noise is par for the course. The motor spins silently at high speeds and the whine is very well controlled.

Range

The BYD Seal Premium has a claimed range of 650 km as per NEDC (New European Driving Cycle). Given the rising demand for EVs, there are plenty of charging stations popping up everywhere, which ought to take care of range anxiety as well. There are many apps and websites like pulseenergy.io, plugshare.com, etc. that list out all the charging stations near you. At the end of the day though, remember the golden rule = EVs are best charged where they are parked (either at your office or home).

Charging

When you buy a BYD Seal, you get a 7 kW home charger. The charging time with AC Charging port – Type 2 (7 kW) from 0% to 100% is 12-16 hours. The charging time with a DC charging port - CCS 2 (110 kW/150 kW) from 0% to 80% is 45 minutes. BYD claims that 15 minutes of charging a 150 kW charger adds up to 200 km of driving range. You also get a 3kW portable charger that can be plugged into any 15 Amp socket (the larger 3-pin sockets used for ACs and fridges), but that would take a very long time to charge from 0-100%. If you ever run out of battery, you can always contact BYD’s roadside assistance. You get 6 years of roadside assistance with the Seal.

Suspension

Ride Comfort

The Seal gets a double wishbone suspension at the front and multi-link suspension at the rear. The car rides on 19-inch wheels shod with 235/45 section tyres. Low-speed ride is firm and most cracks and bumps on the road are felt. While the ride is not uncomfortable, it is far from plush. What's nice is that the suspension works silently. Big potholes do register themselves inside and you will have to be careful while tackling them. The recommended tyre pressure is a rather high 42 psi and at this pressure, you do feel a lot of the road. Dropping the pressure while driving in the city might make the ride more comfortable.

Handling & Dynamics

In a straight line, the Seal feels stable. It doesn’t feel nervous and maintains its composure at high speeds. Going over some undulations or expansion joints will result in a fair bit of vertical movement though.

Coming to handling, the turn-in is good but not very eager - very Mercedes-like. The car has a 50:50 weight distribution (over front & rear axles). Body roll is controlled and the car feels fluid and composed on winding roads although not very tactile compared to say, a BMW. 

Steering

The electric power steering is a nice unit and easy to operate as well. It is very light at city speeds which makes it very user-friendly. The steering weighs up fairly well on the highways. It is accurate, but relays little feedback.

Braking

The Seal Premium has ventilated and drilled discs at the front and ventilated discs at the rear. All in all, the car has good stopping power and emergency braking situations are handled well too. On the other hand, the brake pedal lacks feel and takes some time to get used to.

Continue reading the discussion on the BYD Seal on our forum.