Maruti Suzuki Swift sales cross 3 lakh units

Maruti Suzuki Swift has set a benchmark for other car makers by selling more than 3 lakh units in three years and eight months. The Suzuki Swift is one of Maruti Suzuki’s best-selling cars in the A-2 premium sub compact segment in India. It has been a hot seller since its launch in India in 2005.

Photo: Suzuki Swift

According to sales figures released by Maruti Suzuki, the Swift sold its first one lakh units in less than 21 months after launch; the second one lakh units in less than 13 months, and the final one lakh in less than 11 months.

The press release from Maruti about the sales of the Swift, though, does not mention the Swift DZire sedan model which was launched in 2008. Despite looking like a bizarro version of the Swift, the Dzire has been very popular. So we do not know if Dzire sales figures are included. However, if it is, that would explain the superb sales posted by the Swift.

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Initially launched only in the petrol version, later Maruti added a power Fiat Multijet diesel engine to the Swift. It was the first small car India to change people’s expectations of what to expect from a small car. The top end Swift ZXi, from the day of the launch, offered driver and passenger airbags, ABS, power steering, and a design which was contemporary even by international standards. The Suzuki Swift was one mentioned by Autoblog.com, one of the top automobile blogs in the world, as one of their favorite cars which are not available in India.

Currently, Suzuki Swift and its variants are priced between Rs 4 lakhs to 5.7 lakhs.

The automaker had to boost up its production to meet the customer demands immediately after its launch. The diesel engine was launched in January 2007. That saw demand rising again, with waiting periods stretching up to six months in some cases.

While it is popular amongst customers for contemporary styling and its sporty drive, The Suzuki Swift’s above average fuel efficiency has added to its success. As per the ARAI certified fuel efficiency figures, the Swift Diesel covers 21 kms with one liter of Diesel, while the Swift Petrol runs 15.9 kms to a liter of Petrol.

Maruti Suzuki’s managing executive officer (Marketing and Sales), Mayank Pareek said, “Swift represented the first Suzuki world strategic model produced in India. Built on a brand new platform, Swift marked a radical new trend in Suzuki design, representing a new philosophy and fresh thinking at Suzuki Motor Corporation.”

“It was targeted at the discerning customer who, while valuing the traditional Maruti Suzuki attributes of fuel efficiency, reliability and performance, also desires contemporary looks and attitude in the vehicle.” he added.

The company achieved total sales of 7,64,842 units for the 2007-2008 fiscal. It sold 71,779 vehicles in January 2009. Sales in 2009, though, might be a different matter not just for the Suzuki Swift and other Maruti cars, but also for all automobile manufacturers in India due to the current economic slowdown and general reluctance among customers to go in for car purchases.