Maruti Swift VDi ABS (old)

The Swift looks awesome with its 1.5-box proportions and design elements. Outwardly as well as on the inside, the Swift diesel is almost identical to the petrol version: the stylish nose, the blacked out pillars,fighter canopy look to the glass area and the wide haunches. Its design cues make it look like a concept car. It uses MacPherson struts up front and semi-independent torsion beam at the rear.

The Swift VDi makes use of not two, not three but five injections (jets) of fuel per power stroke that delivers fuel in four short bursts and then a large one.This alows the cylinder head to heat up smoothly and the presssure build-up and discharge less sudden on combustion. This in turn leads to less noise, better improved and better emission control.Its modern design is matched with good safety features. The ZXi version of the Swift has good safety equipment, including standard ABS and twin airbags.

The quality of plastics, steering wheel, fabrics, controls and instruments look and feel very Maruti, because a lot of stuff has been shared with other Maruti car’s. It feels compromised on practicality and the very high waistline makes it feel claustrophobic. The interiors are unchanged from the Swift petrol and that means more comfortable front seats that are wide and offer good support to the back and good thigh support, and very little rear passenger room -you are always a little bit short on legroom. Diesel car owners will want more utility and will find the boot of the Swift disappointingly small. Some engine sounds pour into the cabin once the car is revved but you won't find it disturbing.

While fuel efficiency is the Swift Diesel’s trump card, it has other aces tucked away under its hood like refinement and performance, to name a few.Fire the engine and the car shakes slightly but immediately settles down to a smooth idle. Vibrations are extremely well-controlled and at idle, this is the most refined diesel this side of Rs 10 lakh.

However, as the revs rise, the engine becomes more vocal and it loses the refinement edge to the Fiesta diesel, but only just. Cruising or at low revs, the engine sound won’t bother you in the least and in fact you will marvel how quiet it is. What bothers you is the assortment of body rattles, which seems to be an inherent problem with the Swift and a transmission that whines like a lost pup. Fiat’s famed 1248cc 16-valve, twin-cam diesel which powers the Swift is remarkably free-revving. Power doesn’t tail off suddenly and the engine spins happily to 5300rpm.

The downside is that the power band doesn’t really start till 2000rpm, below which the Swift lacks a sense of urgency. There’s a slight hesitation and the fixed geometry turbo takes time to spool up; this is especially noticeable especially when you drive up inclines. The Swift is nowhere near as responsive as the Fiesta which pulls strongly from 1500rpm. This means using the Swift’s gearbox more frequently and that’s no bad thing because it is one of the best around. Double synchro rings on first and second gear allow you to downshift to those cogs effortlessly. The throw is short and snappy and the overall feel far better than the ‘shift on the petrol Swift.

Performance is pretty impressive as well with the dash to 100kph arriving in 13.87 seconds. To put that figure in perspective, the Indica is around a second slower and the Ford three seconds behind. It’s only the Hyundai Verna with its 35bhp advantage which is faster. Top speed is 160kph but what really matters is the relaxed way in which the Swift Diesel cruises.

At 100kph in fifth gear, the engine turns over at a very stress-free 2500rpm. The Fiat diesel weighs 115kg, approximately 30kg more than the petrol engine, but that’s still quite light for a diesel. To handle this extra weight over the front wheels, Maruti engineers have stiffened the springs at the front. The extra weight isn’t really noticeable and steering effort is a touch more at parking speeds while at speed there is slack around the straight-ahead position of this electrically- powered steering system that is so typical of the Swift.

In our gruelling city cycle which involves navigating through several of Mumbai’s rush-hours, the Swift notched a miserly 14.4kpl. During our highway cycle, which includes sections of the super-smooth Mumbai-Pune Expressway, the Swift returned a stupendous 19.1kpl. To put these figures in perspective, the Fiesta diesel returns 13.9kpl and 18.3kpl for the same city and highway cycles respectively.

However, since the Swift Diesel rides on narrower but taller 80-profile tyres, the ride is actually better than its petrol sibling. Smaller bumps don't register at low speeds and it rides silently over larger bumps too. You feel confident enough about the suspension to sail over all but the worstt patches of bad roads, and even then you aren't tossed around much.

It's better damped than the petrol car as well and this , along with the slightly stiffer springs means that it makes for an enthusiastic partner on winding roads.There is none of the typically nose-heavy diesel character, the steering feels light and accurate and body conrol is good. The nicely tuned ABS helps you enter corners at the right speed. The damping and ride quality are good but sharp bumps and potholes thud through, jolting the passengers. In terms of ride quality, the Swift is hardpressed to match the comfort or suppleness of the Chevy U-VA or the Hyundai Getz.