India’s largest car manufacturer Maruti Suzuki India, after the success of its sports utility vehicle (SUV) Grand Vitara, is expected to roll out the new generation of its hatchback Swift and compact sedan Dzire with an all-new strong-hybrid powertrain.
Both these new Swift and Dzire are scheduled to be launched in the first quarter of 2024 and are likely to be the most fuel-efficient cars in the country.
These new cars are likely to feature an all-new Suzuki 1.2-litre petrol engine, which, unlike the current K12C engine, a three-cylinder unit, mated to Toyota’s strong hybrid tech. Japanese automaker this tech, which is currently available in cars like Grand Vitara and Urban Cruiser Hyryder, is being heavily localised in the country to achieve an even lower cost price.
The next-gen Swift and Dzire strong hybrids could become India’s most fuel-efficient cars ever and could get an ARAI-rated mileage of 35-40 kmpl. In comparison, the current Swift and Dzire offer a maximum claimed fuel economy of 22.56 kmpl and 24.1 kmpl, respectively.
Apart from the high fuel economy and lower CO2 emissions from a hybrid powertrain, customers would also benefit from Maruti’s Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) rating. In addition to this, the savings customers make on fuel should also help to offset the higher cost of buying the strong hybrid variant.
However, the prices of the new-gen Swift and Dzire are also expected to be costlier by Rs 1 lakh-Rs 1.50 lakh over their standard petrol counterparts. Currently, the Swift and Dzire are being offered at Rs 5.92 lakh-Rs 8.85 lakh and Rs 6.24 lakh-Rs 9.18 lakh respectively (ex-showroom, India).
The price difference between mild and strong-hybrid variants of the Grand Vitara is around Rs 2.6 lakh as of now. However, Maruti is expected to drop the prices further by around Rs 1 lakh-Rs 1.5 lakh before the launch of next-gen Swift and Dzire hybrids in 2024.
