Story: Muntaser Mirkar Photography: Kunal Khadse

The Suzuki Swift gets diesel power. Muntaser Mirkar gets under its skin...

More in this Review :  Slideshow :  Swift Diesel  Rating  Specification  See Variant & Price  Get on road price Related Reviews :  Tata Indica Vista  Diesel Comparo

So the Swift won a lot of awards when it was launched back in 2005. Great But was this really the return of the big hatch? Sales figures would say it was, and people loved the petrol Swift so much that they went and gave in their older cars in exchange! One of the biggest reasons why the Swift's entry into the Indian market was so well received was the fact that this was a truly global car. No, it wasn't a three-generation-old model that was being handed down to Indian motorists, but a current-gen international best seller.

What, another diesel hatch? Haven't they learnt a lesson?

Well, diesel is the new petrol and the ageing Swift needed a sting up the desirability tail to keep sales graphs up high, so say hello to the Suzuki Swift DDiS - old skin, different heart. Inhibitions aside, Diesels are still highly perceived to be the noisy, shaky and smoky bunch of yore, which was probably the biggest challenge the engineers at Suzuki faced while developing the Swift DDiS, especially after the Indian buyer had had monstrous experiences with erstwhile diesel hatches like the Zen D and the Uno Diesel. Oh, and how can we forget the Peugeot 309 GLD, which apart from its ancestral bodywork was also a rickety heap, which could shake you up even if you were a full two car lengths away! Things have changed though, and thanks to common rail injection systems the modern diesel engine is as powerful as it is fuel efficient - and you can be sure you'll be keeping all your organs in their original place post a drive around! The Swift has had proven street cred, and this hot hatch now has diesel power. That should be the perfect package then, right? Maybe - let's find out.

Three years old, shouldn't it be wrinkled by now?

All logic would say that it should, but there are still very few cars out there that look as good as a black Suzuki Swift with tinted windows and chromed alloys! That, by the way, is a matter of personal choice, but fact of the matter is that the car still looks fairly young. It would be incorrect to say that it has aged gracefully, 'cause quite frankly, it doesn't seem to have aged at all. Basic design theme picked up from the Mini Cooper, especially if you take a closer look at the abruptly ending rear section, has worked wonders for the Swift's appeal. Curvy lower half with rounded, flowing lamps both fore and aft gel perfectly well with the edgy upper half of the glasshouse. Trapezoidal front grille with honeycomb mesh that holds the Suzuki logo in chrome is classy and representative of most cars in the Japanese firm's new portfolio. If there was a design on Indian roads that hinted towards a hot hatch, it's most definitely the Swift's.

So no one will know whether I’m driving the diesel or the petrol, right?

At a passing glance, there isn’t really any visible difference between a Swift burning oil and one on a gasoline diet. Sharp-eyed enthusiasts though, will be able to make out the difference pretty easily. First off, there’s the badging – which you’ll need to be blind to miss. Just behind the front wheel arches on the front fenders either side is a ‘DDiS’ logo in chrome hinting at the diesel powerplant under the hood. Then there’s also the ‘LDi’ or ‘VDi’ badge on the tailgate that not only says, “Look! I’m a Diesel!” but also suggests what trim out of the two available ones you’re driving.

And then of course, there are the tyres. Remember the meaty set of comparatively wide rubber that the petrol Swift runs on? Well, you won’t find them on the diesel version. Engineering dynamics considerations aside, the skinnier tyres do make the Swift DDiS look like a body builder who hasn’t exercised the lower half of his body much! While it may have its own advantages as far as efficiency is concerned, though at the cost of visual muscle, that’s a rather miniscule detail that is easily overlooked. So there you go, the Swift DDiS remains one of the best looking vehicles on Indian roads to this day.