The much-awaited third-generation Swift was revealed in Japan. The Japanese-spec Swift will differ from the one we will receive here in India. The car carries the characteristic Swift design but manages to look fresh and updated at the same time.
The new-generation Swift is based on a completely new platform. The new Heartect platform makes the new Swift both lightweight and more rigid claims the Japanese manufacturer. Available in six variants – XL, XG, RSt, Hybrid RS, RS and Hybrid ML, in Japan, the new Swift come with a host of new features. The Indian-spec, however, will miss out on few of these features.
On the outside, the new Swift will have LED lamps both fore and aft except in the base variants. The headlamps will also house the projector lamps, again not offered in the base variants. Japan gets the RS version of the Swift, which includes aggressive bumper extensions, side skirts, rear spoilers and rear fog lamps. The floating roof effect with hidden rear door mirror, blacked out A-pillar, newly designed fascia and new 16-inch alloy wheel complete the new Swift. The new colour addition is – burning red pearl metallic, pure white pearl and premium silver metallic. Indian spec will get almost identical exterior to the Japanese Swift.
The inside of the new Swift received a major upgrade. The dashboard is fresh and feature-laden. At the centre console is a new touchscreen with integrated Vics Wide navigation system. In India, however, the navigation system will be sourced from a local supplier. The steering wheel is flat-bottomed with mounted controls. There is a 4.2-inch LCD infotainment screen between the instrument clusters. The new Swift will have Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as standard. Also available are USB and AUX port, with two front tweeters and rear speakers. All of which could be made available in India as well
There are a host of safety features on the Japanese-spec Swift. There are advanced radar systems mounted in the car that helps the onboard active and passive safety equipment. For instance, the new Swift has an automatic brake assist called dual sensor brake support (DSBS). There is lane departure warning system, preceding vehicle start notification function, stagger alarm function and a laser radar mitigation system. There is also a new automatic high beam assist function for the headlamps and the hatchback comes with adaptive cruise control as well. The front and curtain airbags come as standard, whereas at the rear are the seatbelt force limiter & pretensioners. Don’t expect all of these features to make it in the Indian Swift, but we could expect the automatic beam assist function, front and curtain airbags, seatbelt pretensioners, and cruise control to make it to the Indian model.
Engine options in Japan include two petrol engines. Firstly, there is a Dualjet 1.2-litre K12C four-cylinder petrol variant that develops 66bhp and 118Nm. This engine can be had with a mild-hybrid variant as well. The other engine that is only available in the RSt variant is a 1.0-litre Boosterjet K10C three-cylinder petrol engine that produces 100bhp and 150Nm. In India, however, the Swift will also get the 1.3-litre DDis diesel engine. The SHVS with the diesel engine can also be made available. Transmission option for Jap-spec includes 5-speed manual, 6-speed automatic or a CVT. India, however, will get an AMT along with the standard 5-speed manual.
The car will go on sale in its home market in Japan on January 4, 2017, but is expected to make its global debut at the 2017 Geneva Motor Show in March next year. Following which it will make its way to India. The Japanese prices for the new Swift ranges between 13,43,520 – 18,45,720 Yen (approx. Rs 7.79 and 10.70 lakh). We expect the pricing to remain the same as the current generation car in India.
