Maruti Suzuki will be launching a new-generation model of the Swift hatchback next year. The updated iteration will continue to be offered with the same petrol and diesel engine options that are currently available with the new-gen Dzire. However, we have received reports that the 2018 Maruti Swift Sport will also be launched in the country next year.
The Swift Sport is essentially a performance-oriented version of the standard Swift. Though the previous generations of the hatchback were also sold as a hot hatch in the international market, Maruti Suzuki never brought the package to India. The reason behind this absence was majorly attributed to the low demand for premium and sporty hatchbacks in the country. However, the Abarth Punto, Ford Figo Sport and VW Polo GT and GTI have shown that there is an increasing number of customers looking out for fun to drive small cars.
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Hence, Maruti has likely decided to bring the much awaited Swift Sport moniker to the country with the new-gen avatar. While the company hasn’t made an official announcement yet, the car is expected to be launched a couple of months after the regular model’s introduction. We expect the complete new Maruti Swift range to be showcased at the Auto Expo in February 2018.
Powering the India-spec Maruti Swift will likely be a 1.4-litre BoosterJet petrol engine with 138 BHP and 230 Nm of peak torque. Transmission duties will be handled by a 6-speed manual gearbox. In comparison, the regular Swift petrol is expected to develop 83 bhp and 115 Nm.
We also expect the Maruti Swift Sport 2018 to get some premium feature add-ons, which will help in justifying the price premium it will be introduced at. These feature additions will likely include more airbags, sports steering, black interiors with red contrast, added sports gauges in the instrument cluster and upgraded upholstery. The car will also get a more aggressive suspension setup, new alloy wheels and twin exhausts.