New Maruti Swift To Get The Fronx’s Turbo Petrol Engine? Rumours Put To Rest!

Maruti recently launched the all-new fourth-generation Swift in the Indian market. Before the launch, there were rumors that Maruti might introduce a turbo petrol version of the Swift for customers looking for a performance hatchback. These rumors have now been put to rest now, as the manufacturer has confirmed that they will not be launching the turbocharged petrol version of the new Swift in the Indian market. Maruti Suzuki launched the new Swift at a starting price of Rs 6.49 lakh, ex-showroom.

Swift RS & Swift Sport Coming to India?

Internationally, Suzuki has been offering a variety of engine options with the Swift for quite some time. The previous generation Swift is sold in many markets with a 1.0-liter, three-cylinder, Boosterjet, turbocharged petrol engine. This is the same engine that is available in the Maruti Suzuki Fronx.

Additionally, Suzuki offers a 1.4-liter turbo petrol engine with 48V mild-hybrid technology. The 1.0-liter version is called the Swift RS, and the other version is called the Swift Sport. Both Swift RS and Swift Sport variants will not be coming to India. Partho Banerjee confirmed this while speaking to Autocar. He said, “The Swift is [already] very sporty. When you experience it, I don’t think you’ll ask for a turbo.”

Opportunity Missed?

The Maruti Suzuki Swift is one of those cars from the Indian car manufacturer’s stable that excites both young and family buyers. Family buyers appreciate it mostly for its spacious cabin, fuel-efficient engine, and low cost of maintenance. However, young customers like the looks and the large scope for modifications.

While we agree that the Maruti Swift is a sporty car, it is not the most powerful in its segment, especially the new variant. The new 1.2-liter, Z-Series engine used in the Swift is meant for city performance and efficiency. This engine has been developed for a specific purpose, not for performance.

Maruti could have introduced the 1.0-liter, three-cylinder Boosterjet engine with the Swift as they are already locally manufacturing it for the Fronx. This could have made the new Swift more appealing to young customers and offered more options by introducing this new engine.

We feel one of the reasons Maruti is not offering the 1.0-liter engine is because of the pricing. With the new engine, the price of the Swift would easily increase, which might become a problem for customers. Maruti did miss out on an opportunity by not offering the turbo petrol version to India. We hope, Maruti reconsiders this decision at a later stage and decides to offer the Boosterjet version at least in limited numbers.

Almost every manufacturer who sells premium hatchbacks is testing the waters in this space. Hyundai launched the i20 N Line with the 1.0-liter turbo petrol engine. The premium hatchback is performing well in terms of numbers. Additionally, Tata is working on a sportier version of the Altroz, called the Altroz Racer, which was showcased as a concept at the Auto Expo.

The production version of the Altroz Racer was recently spotted testing in India. The hatchback is expected to be launched in the market soon. The Altroz Racer uses a 1.2-liter, three-cylinder turbo petrol engine, the same engine that Tata offers with the Nexon. This engine will generate around 118 Bhp and 172 Nm of peak torque.

Should Maruti Offer Sportier Cars?

The answer to this question is a resounding yes. Maruti has several cars in their lineup that cater to the needs of customers looking for reliable and fuel-efficient vehicles. However, when it comes to enthusiasts, Maruti doesn’t have much to offer. Maruti used to offer the Baleno RS, which was on sale for a very short time before being discontinued due to new emission norms.

After a long wait, Maruti finally decided to update the Boosterjet engine and make it BS6 compliant. However, they did not bring it back to the Baleno. Instead, they offered the same engine with the all-new Fronx, which is essentially a beefed-up or SUV version of the Baleno. The Fronx has been performing well for Maruti, with over 1.35 lakh units sold in just one year.

Swift

Maruti will not be offering the 1.0-liter Boosterjet engine with the new Swift and they did miss out on a huge opportunity by not doing so. However, the manufacturer will offer a CNG option with this hatchback soon. The CNG version of the new Swift will generate less power and torque when compared to the petrol version. This is intentionally done in order to find a balance between usable power and efficiency. At a later stage, Maruti will also introduce series hybrid technology in the Swift, which will first be introduced in the Fronx.

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