Maruti Suzuki India Limited, the country's largest passenger car maker, seems to be working on the development of Swift Sport model for the domestic market. Sources close to the development have stated that the upcoming model will be a modest version of the current generation Swift. Industry experts are of a view that with the launch of a new model, the auto maker is looking ahead to target a new class of buyers, who prefer a performance oriented model. Reportedly, Maruti Suzuki Swift Sport will come as a five-door hatchback; however the Suzuki Swift Sport happens to be a three-door hatchback.
Coming to the technical specifications of the model, experts believe that the model will be either equipped with 1.4-litre petrol engine or a 1.6-litre engine. However, the 1.6-litre petrol engine in Swift Sport might not churn out 133 bhp as this variant will attract massive import duties, which will probably make it a unfavourable model by the price sensitive Indian buyers. And moreover, 1.4 litre petrol engine of the upcoming model will be sourced from the Maruti Suzuki Ertiga Multi Purpose Vehicle (MPV).
Apart from the tweaks made in the engine specifications, Maruti Suzuki is all likely to give additional body cladding on the Swift Sport edition. Also to mention, the car will have a newly developed stiffer suspension system to tackle any rough terrain. Bigger brakes and a Traction Control System (TCS) are expected to be provided in the new edition of Swift. However what remains to see is what type of body kits the company will provide in the Swift Sport as the one given in the SX4 model looked completely an after market job. It is highly expected that the company shall give a new sportier exterior decor to the car rather than giving away cheap looking decals. In terms of features, Swift Sport might get additional four airbags placed on the front, side, curtain, and knee areas for safety. The car will also get Electronic Stability Program (ESP), Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) with Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD).
As far as the pricing of Swift Sport is concerned, the company might follow suit on the lines of Volkswagen, which levies a high price on its models. According to industry experts, the price shall be around Rs. 7 lakh to Rs. 8 lakh. Till now the company has not provided any information regarding the availability of vehicle in the Indian auto market and if rumours are to be believed, the car will soon make headway start in the country anywhere around the festive season.
Suzuki Swift Sport is all likely to face direct competition from recently launched diesel version of Volkswagen Polo GT TDI, which too is aimed at capturing the customer base of performance oriented buyers. It will be interesting to see the competition between both the vehicles as the cars bear almost the same engine specifications and a few would doubt the superlative performance offered by both the vehicles.
