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The much awaited Diesel Swift is here. Maruti Udyog has unveiled the diesel variant of its premium compact Swift. And the price is a competitive Rs 4.68 lakh.

The first diesel offering by Maruti, after a long wait hs come as a welcome addition to the diesel segment in the country. Maruti had launched Esteem in a diesel variant many years ago, but it was discontinued soon after, for lack of demand.

MUL has unveiled Swift Diesel in two variants . The LDI and VDI. They are priced at Rs 4.68 lakh and Rs 4.96 lakh respectively. While both models come with standard features, only VDI will have anti-brake locking system and has been priced at Rs 4.96 lakh. It is rumoured that the prices would be revived after a while.

The new Swift will sport a 1.3 litre, five-step multi-injection, DOHC (double over head camshaft) DDiS engine, sourced by MUL from Suzuki. DDiS is a superior common rail direct injection (CRDi) technology. The Swift diesel pulls 190Nm of torque at 2000 RPM and puts out 75 BHP of power at 4000 RPM. It has the smallest four cylinder diesel engine for passenger cars in world, said expert reports.

The engines will be manufactured at MUL's plant in Manesar, which has also seen a Rs 2,500 crore investment to make diesel engines. The company has started making these engines and the plan has a capacity of producing 1 lakh engines per annum which Maruti plans to scale up to 3 lakh by 2010.

MUL also has announced plans to introduce two new cars in the country this year. One of these could be a new offering above the Baleno to take on Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla, said reports. A sporty version of Swift is also on the cards this year.

Labels: Maruti

posted by a correspondent @ 1:14 AM 1 comments

Wednesday, January 24, 2007

Diesel Swift from Maruti: Maruti Swift LDi and VDi

People have been waiting for this car for long - a diesel version of the best-selling Maruti Swift. Thankfully, this time Maruti has not done a hotch potch job like the diesel Zen of a while back. This car was planned and executed properly. Sure, the LDi and the VDi Maruti Swift versions are not going to beat the Indica diesels out of the market - but then the Indica belongs to a different segment, and in the segment which the Maruti Swift currently rules, there is no diesel at the moment. No Getz diesel, no Ford Fusion diesel, no Chevrolet Aveo diesel. Good timing, Maruti.

So what do we know about the diesel Swift so far?

Price: Rs 4.68 lakh and 4.96 lakh for the Swift LDi and VDi respectively ex-showroom Delhi. (This is the correct price. Thanks, anonymous, for pointing out the error.)

Power: 75 bhp, less than the 85 bhp of the petrol Swift, but good enough for most. And torque will be higher as is normal with diesel vehicles. 17 kgm is the expected figure.

Visually, the Maruti diesel Swift looks identical to the petrol variant.

What will be the fuel efficiency figures like? No official claims so far, and no one seems to have got a diesel Swift for a test dirve, but it was expected to be 22 kmpl under test conditions. We can expect, if that initial figure is right, a mileage of 15 kmpl in real world conditions.

It is a CRD engine, which Maruti calls DDiS.

Here is a quote from Maruti Swift website:

This next generation DDiS engine has a 16 valve cylinder head for more power and higher engine response leading to a smoother ride. Combination of Turbocharger and Intercooler for high performance. Double Over Head Camshaft (DOHC) for precise control of valves. Another first that delivers better fuel efficiency. The only engine with a Chain Drive Timing System

Sounds good. We have a feeling that this one is gonna be a winner.

Labels: Cars, Maruti

posted by a correspondent @ 3:18 AM 7 comments

Friday, January 12, 2007

Maruti Swift D Diesel car price at Rs 4.5 lakh in Delhi

Maruti Suzuki Swift D to make its debut with Fiat Multijet engine

Swift LDi and VDi diesel versions launched! 24 Jan 2007 - click here!

Guess what Maruti is up to? The car maker is swiftly taking its successful Swift to a diesel make over. The company has its sights set on the ever expanding diesel car mart , say reports.

Maruti Udyog Ltd is expected to lift the wraps off its new diesel Swift in a fortnight at an aggressive ex-showroom (Delhi) price of Rs 4.5 lakh. To be christened Swift D, the car will mark Maruti’s first mega attempt at the diesel car terrain. Industry reports said that the new Swift D will be powered by a 1.3 litre Fiat multijet engine, manufactured at the company’s factory at Manesar in Haryana.

It may be pointed out here that the car manufacturer had last year discontinued its two diesel models, Zen D and Esteem D, which had imported diesel engines. But with the Manesar plant up and running, Maruti plans to make a splash in this segment.

The Swift D is said to cost higher than higher price than the current petrol models . The Swift LXi is available at Rs 3.99 lakh, ex-showroom, Delhi . Dealers revealed that the Swift D which would debut in three variants by the month end will be the most fuel-efficient in its class. The price of Rs 4.5 lakh will make it the most lucrative deal in the market, they feel.

Labels: Cars, Maruti

posted by a correspondent @ 7:01 AM 0 comments

Monday, December 25, 2006

New Maruti Baleno in 2007

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The Maruti Baleno has always been an underrated car. Nobody wanted to buy it when it was first introduced in India, and the ridiculously high price did not help either.

Anyway, over a period of so many unsuccesful years, the price was considerably reduced and sales picked up, though it was all a bit too late. Maruti is determined not to make the same mistake wit the New Baleno.

The new Maruti Baleno will be competitively priced - that means around the price of the Hyundai Verna and lesser than the top end Honda City models.

I am a lover of the earlier Baleno though. Something in its chunky looks appeal to me, and with the right paint and trim, I prefer it lookswise to many of the more modern cars. Sadly, there were never any engine options either for the power hungry or the economy-crazed. I shall be adding more information on the new Baleno after the Christmas-New Year break and photos too. Do come back to read then.

Labels: Cars, Maruti

posted by a correspondent @ 9:32 PM 0 comments

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