Maruti Swift VDi - 20 Months / 20,000 Kms Review


Thread Starter #1
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Hi to all from Indore M.P. After a long time i am signing into this forum. Took out a little time from my somewhat busy schedule. Please spare a little time in reading it. I have divided the review in parts so i can keep updating whenever i get time. Sorry for any spelling errors as i type really fast lol. TAI has grown a lot as i see. Lot of new members & dozens of new threads than before.[clap]

Its been over a year since i got my swift, words are not enough to express my love for it. People say its really common out there, but whatever the reason maybe its a perfect punch for the money. After the alto i knew my new car had to be another hatch, slightly bigger & stronger in terms of performance & refinement. Had a lot of thoughts in my mind when i bought the swift back in Feb 2010. Drove it to many cities in & out of M.P. It maybe a usual hatch for others, but its perfect for me & i love the feel every time i sit in the driver seat, not to mention only i sit there.

Paid almost 6L for the sunlight copper VDi variant & its surely worth every rupee. Heard a lot about the long waiting period now for the new model. I got it only in 8 days back in Feb 2010. When i went into the stock yard to see it, felt amazing when i realized this is my new car. Took a peek through the window into the cabin & i plunged into emotions. [cry] The car will complete 20000kms in a week or so & still runs that smooth. However i cant wait to get it serviced as i read in many forums that it will become more smooth & refined after this service.

What i like about the car is its butch feel. Even though its a Maruti, quality is not as bad as many people mention in long term ownership reviews. The body suffered a lot of impacts but still managed to remain intact with few minor dents. The interior surely makes noises but a little tweak here & there fixes everything from time to time. what i LOVE is the way the turbo whistles & the way its handles on my 205 size tires. Paid 35k for the yokohamas & 15inch alloys. Many people warned me about the suspension problems, but the enthusiast in me wouldn't wanna say no to these huge tires. The choice between 195 & 205 on 15 inch rims was tough. But the improvement in handling is brilliant with the 205s. The steering responds perfectly even to the slightest swirls. Even now the tires are doing great & i get the wheel alignment checked every month. The only con is the increased tire noise at high speeds on concrete roads. Here is the first set of pictures i captured last year:-

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Also installed a Green cotton wind filter as recommended by petes & got a basic audio setup with a sony amp & kicker sub. The car sounds great with the GC filter & fuel economy surely improved.
Days passed as i drove the car to every corner of Indore city, made many long trips, got a lot of traveling experience as i never traveled anywhere in my personal vehicle before. As i raced with time i realized its been 1 year & i still cant get enough of it. the car completed the 3 free services within the first year. With mileage figures of 18-22kmpl i always feel exhilarated.

The swift has a awesome suspension setup & the recommended tire upgrade surely adds to the driving experience. The chassis is really strong & feels perfectly connected to the road. Even at speeds of 150-160 the car cuts through the strong wind & the perfectly designed aerodynamics (back in 2005) are surely felt. Even though a lot of aerodynamically improved hatches are now in the market, the swift still retains its image. My friend bought a new VW polo few days ago & its definitely an amazing car but the lack of headroom is instantly felt as i am 6 feet tall & i have no problems in getting in & out of the swift's huge front doors. However, as mentioned by a lot of reviewers the swift lacks rear leg room & long journeys can be somewhat painful for people of different physiques. The headlights were slightly weak with the stock bulbs. I used Osram cool blue 100/80 & they were brilliant! Nowhere close to projector setups but still fine for the small amount of money. Am currently using P8 8000k HID setup. the high beam is weak but the low beam is ok. Its good only for glittering purposes. [:D]

The front seats hug you whenever you relax on them. As i am tall, for me the seat & steering height is perfectly synced & i felt no lack of space & comfort. I love the large windshield infront of me which gives a wide view of the road & close quarter traffic maneuvers. A dead pedal is a big miss for the swift!! The A/C chills well & i use garware suncontrol sunfilm which added to the cooling effect.

The car just went through its 2nd hard monsoon session. Keeping it clean during this time is really hectic due to the broad tires bulging out of the wheel arches. The car throws out a lot of mud even with the mud flaps on. The paint finish is very good however i am a little worried about the roof as it is exposed to direct sunlight everyday. Got the VW minda trumpet horns recently & they are really loud & good for overtaking moves. The boot space is a tad behind the competition but really good for those shopping bags & luggage.

The car has served me well for these 20 months & i am really attached to it now as it saved my life in a lot of bad situations. The tyres surely grip the road & never let you loose control. I miss only the ABS as i bought the non-ABS version. The multijet diesel is a brilliant engine as everyone knows & its recognized as the perfect Indian diesel engine. The 75bhp figure might seem less on paper but when you get behind the steering of the swift you suddenly realize how the power is connected to the handling. I have seen a lot of punto & other hatchback owners discriminate the swift. The swift maybe a maruti but has its genes from suzuki. (This is not a personal attack)
No matter what type of road or situation i challenged with the swift, the butch came out perfectly & is still on the same path of excellence & makes me feel elated every single day i drive it. I love my car & admire it everywhere i park it, its never out of my eyesight. Some people cant judge me properly & feel that my love for a piece of machinery is useless, but i know how i am connected to this set of wheels that is very important in my daily life.
 
Thread Starter #2
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Maruti Swift Vdi, 20 months/20000kms Review

Here is the other set of images:-

Near Khandwa M.P
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Near Maheshwar M.P.
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Near Mandav M.P.
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Mandav M.P.
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Fatehsagar Lake, Udaipur R.J.
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Bhedaghat, Jabalpur M.P.
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A.B. road, Near Mhow M.P.
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DSC02058.jpg

Today
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Shonty,you've written the review in a nice way.Liked it a lot.
The swift is a driver's car.It responds to every input,the driver gives(without any hesitation)

And dont think that the love for these machines is foolishness!
Love them,they will love you back..
And I'm also in love with them.[;)]

The ride's wheels are looking great.Yokohama is a great performer.
The matt black finish on the bonet is looking good.Have you painted that or used sticker instead?
You can also try CF finish.

Next time,post more pictures of the ICE and the GC Filter.
Is there any performance increase after the filter installation?

Cheers dude[:D]
 
Thread Starter #6
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Thanx a lot guys for the likes. [:)]

Thats plain dull black vinyl on the hood. I think painting is a bad idea. the vinyl is easily removable anytime.
 
Thread Starter #7
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Shonty,you've written the review in a nice way.Liked it a lot.
The swift is a driver's car.It responds to every input,the driver gives(without any hesitation) And dont think that the love for these machines is foolishness!
Love them,they will love you back..
And I'm also in love with them.
...........
thanks a lot bro. Yes, i love the yokos & they are brilliant for the price. But they are discriminated in M.P. due to the less known brand name & people treat them like chinese tires similar to maxxis. I tried to source CF vinyl here but could not find it. Would love to give the CF vinyl touch to the interior too.

I loved you carputer setup. So neatly done. what a lovely addition to our swifty[clap] Infact i have your same pioneer HU dual din. love its look. Me too thinking over buying a touchscreen HU but budget constraints.

The GC filter is a fine toy for giving you that slight advantage in performance & refinement. Although it doesn't offer any drastic improvement but the sound & less-restrained nature of the engine rev is surely noticeable. Also fitting it is a complicated process IF you don't buy the extra fitting kit from petes. I would recommend you buy the simple green stock replacement filter. Its somewhat similar & is a direct swap.

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Hey congrats for your 20 long months of ownership and your ride really looks cool with that fancy color of orange,in fact i like the orange color especially in swift,(bored of seeing the white colored swift in Bangalore.)
The vinyls on the hood looks uber-cool.It will be nice if you even place the vinyl on top(just my opinion)It makes even more sportier than before.
The stance of alloys is just awesome with good photographs too[clap]

Please do share your overall maintenance figures and service quality:)
 
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Good writeup bro. Liked your car very much.
I think its high time now; I too should start an ownership review for my 37months old DZire clocked 64k kms.[roll]
Post some more pics buddy.
 
Thread Starter #10
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Hey congrats for your 20 long months of ownership and your ride really looks cool with that fancy color of orange,in fact i like the orange color especially in swift,(bored of seeing the white colored swift in Bangalore.)
The vinyls on the hood looks uber-cool.It will be nice if you even place the vinyl on top(just my opinion)It makes even more sportier than before.
The stance of alloys is just awesome with good photographs tooPlease do share your overall maintenance figures and service quality:)
Thanks buddy[:)] Yes i too have thought of the black roof.
Yes i love the stance of the car. It looks butch & all muscle synced upto my taste. The service quality is somewhat good at the service center i visit here in Indore (Rukmani Motors). The free services have ended & i also want to know the cost of the 20000km paid service. Will surely post the details once i get it done.

Good writeup bro. Liked your car very much.
I think its high time now; I too should start an ownership review for my 37months old DZire clocked 64k kms. Post some more pics buddy.
thankyou bro. Wow 37 months is a long time. You should surely recollect the memories & write a good review of whatever you remember. After all the Dezire is a lovely swift itself[clap]
 
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Also fitting it is a complicated process IF you don't buy the extra fitting kit from petes. I would recommend you buy the simple green stock replacement filter. Its somewhat similar & is a direct swap.
You are telling about the dynamisation kit,right?

Thanks buddy Yes i too have thought of the black roof.
Yes i love the stance of the car. It looks butch & all muscle synced upto my taste. The service quality is somewhat good at the service center i visit here in Indore (Rukmani Motors). The free services have ended & i also want to know the cost of the 20000km paid service. Will surely post the details once i get it done.
Shonty,painting the roof black is a good option to make it sportier.But IMHO,for a Swift of this color,white roof will be better.

Moreover black roof can heat up the car a lot.:wink:
 
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Thread Starter #12
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No buddy, the dynamisation kit is just the end suction pipe which is flexible. I am talking about the silicon hose & the stupid clamps. Petes asking Rs.800 extra for it with the filter. Call & ask petes you will know what i mean.

The way i see it, i prefer using vinyl anywhere i can. As its removable & repainting the car will affect the resale IMHO. I am really thinking about the dull black roof vinyl because it will save the paint from direct sunlight, which is my main worry at the moment[cry]
 
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No buddy, the dynamisation kit is just the end suction pipe which is flexible. I am talking about the silicon hose & the stupid clamps. Petes asking Rs.800 extra for it with the filter. Call & ask petes you will know what i mean.

The way i see it, i prefer using vinyl anywhere i can. As its removable & repainting the car will affect the resale IMHO. I am really thinking about the dull black roof vinyl because it will save the paint from direct sunlight, which is my main worry at the moment[cry]
Yeah vinyls are better as they are removable.
I was telling about the white roof actually.No matter whether you paint it or use sticker.

Cheers Buddy[:D]
 

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