Driving around the whole day does warrant a great fuel economy number and that’s an area the new Z-series 3-cylinder engine excels at. Claimed mileage figures exceed 25km/per litre, give or take a few sips between the manual and the AGS (AMT), but during our few hours of driving, it was impossible to ascertain a sustained average. Maruti claims the FE numbers are up, but at the same time, outright power numbers are down at 82bhp/111Nm from the new 3-cylinder unit. Out and about on the stretch from Bangalore airport to Nandi Hills, the well surfaced roads were perfect to judge the dynamics, acceleration and top-end grunt from this motor. It has a rasp to it alright and the manual has a pep in its step from the get-go. There’s no real perceivable feeling of being down on power from the previous gen car, not until you get to 3rd gear and 4000rpm, where you realise it runs out of steam quicker at the top end of the powerband.
But this is a car clearly tuned for city driving and the AMT is much improved over the previous gen, with none of the head nod or hesitation now. In fact, it almost feels like a proper automatic transmission in this guise and Maruti has done a brilliant job at getting the suspension set up right too. There is pliancy in the ride, soaking up bumps and imperfections without letting in any thuds or crashing noises into the cabin, while retaining that darty feeling we’re used to with the Swift. The steering does feel a tad bit too light, but it’s a boon in city traffic. Regular highway stars would’ve appreciated a bit more weight and feel, along with 16in wheels, but it is what it is and the Swift aces it as the quintessential urban runabout.
Revving up to almost 6000rpm, the three-pot motor doesn’t feel like a step down from the previous 4-cylinder engine and it’s been tuned well to keep NVH at bay. Engineered to deliver a healthy dose of torque right at the lower end of the rev range to boost acceleration and pep, it meets that brief adequately. It does sound thrummy when pushed, but it’s not a sound you’d be embarrassed of. The brakes are superbly judged too, with enough bite without the overly-servoed feel of many other cars in the segment. In essence, it’s lost none of its playfulness and only gets the added advantage of new connected car features via the Suzuki Connect, more safety with extensive use of UHS steel and six airbags as standard. Throw in Cruise Control, Hill-hold assist, traction control and ABS with EBD and you have a safety net far wider than the older car.
It retains the same great bolstered seats, but also the same cramped rear seating. Thigh support for the rear seat is lacking and we were hoping for a recline option this time around to counter the upright seating position. But these are minor quibbles for someone who has their hearts set on the Swift.