Maruti Suzuki Swift Sales Cross 25 Lakh Units: Another Milestone Achieved For The Brand

Maruti Suzuki Swift sales in India achieves yet another milestone by registering over 25 lakh units in 16 years since its first launch.

The Maruti Suzuki Swift was first introduced in India back in 2005 and It was powered by an 87 bhp 1.3-litre SOHC 16-valve naturally aspirated petrol engine from the Maruti Suzuki Esteem sedan.

The combination of peppy engine and well-tuned chassis made the Maruti Suzuki Swift a favourite among the enthusiast in India. The success of Swift went beyond borders by selling more than the sales forecast.

The first milestone moment came to Swift in January 2007, when 100,000th Swift was sold in India. However, another big moment for Swift came in form of a Diesel powerplant sourced from Fiat.

This Fiat-sourced engine single-handedly transformed the sales of Maruti Suzuki Swift in India. The new diesel engine was not only fuel-efficient but was quicker than the petrol unit in some cases.

This new 1.3-litre turbocharged diesel engine produced 75bhp and a potent 190Nm of torque. With this new Fiat-sourced powerplant, the Swift sales dramatically increased and the waiting period for Swift Diesel went up to a year.

This demand was reflected in sales numbers, with Swift conquering the 2-lakh units milestone in March 2008. After this Swift reached another milestone of 3-lakh units in February 2009 and went on to sell the 500,000th Swift in January 2010.

In 2010, Maruti Suzuki took a bold move by introducing an all-new 1.2-litre K-Series petrol engine to replace the ageing 1.3-litre petrol engine to meet the stricter BS4 emission norms. Despite the lower capacity, the new 1.2-litre petrol engine churned out an almost identical power figure as the engine it replaced albeit with better fuel efficiency.

Along with this update, the car also received updated gear ratios and a slightly softer suspension setup. Despite the softer suspension, the Maruti Suzuki Swift still remained the benchmark for handling among hatchbacks in India.

Despite being in the market for more than 5years, the first-generation Swift sales were increasing with passing time. Despite this, the Japanese manufacturer launched the second-generation Swift in 2011 and further boosted the sales.

The second-gen Swift offered more interior space, luxury, and features. Even though this may seem like a recipe to gain weight, the second-generation Maruti Suzuki Swift was slightly lighter than the model it replaces.

This enabled the second-generation Swift to retain the fun-to-drive characteristics of the first-generation Swift. Less than 2 years after the launch of the second-generation Maruti Suzuki Swift, the Japanese brand sold One-millionth Swift in 2013.

In 2018, less than one year after launching the third-generation Swift, the brand marked the sales on Two-millionth Swift in India.

The third-generation Maruti Suzuki Swift brought in a host of upgrades over the second-generation Swift and focussed on features and aesthetics. This enabled Maruti Suzuki to fend off competition from other brands as well.

Despite the ongoing pandemic, Maruti Suzuki Swift reaches another milestone of having sold more than 25 lakh units in India.

Speaking on the success of Maruti Suzuki Swift, Shashank Srivastava, Senior Executive Director (Marketing & Sales), Maruti Suzuki India Limited, said, "With its launch in 2005, Swift heralded the start of the premium hatchback segment in India. The most awarded premium hatchback in the country, Maruti Suzuki Swift is the only car to win the prestigious ICOTY awards for all three generations. Every generation of Maruti Suzuki Swift has been India's favorite and has won hearts of over 2.5 million Swift lovers. The No. 1 selling car of FY20-21, the sporty Swift has created a glorious legacy with its scintillating looks and power packed performance."

He further added that "Swift is not a car, it is a feeling, an emotion and a refreshing new thought process that challenged many notions around hatchbacks. This success is a testament to the love of customers and critics for Brand Swift. With more than 52% customers below the age of 35 years, Swift has been constantly refreshed to match the changing aspirations of its evolving young customers We wouldn't have achieved this remarkable milestone without the unceasing support from our customers."

For 2021, Maruti Suzuki has updated the third-generation Swift. However, the majority of the change is made under the bonnet by replacing the 1.2-litre VVT petrol engine with a much more modern 1.2-litre DualJet petrol engine.

This new Dual-Jet petrol engine produces 89bhp power and is mated to a 5-speed manual transmission as standard. However urban dwellers can opt for Auto Gearshift Transmission (AGS) for added convenience.

Maruti Suzuki Swift also offers class-leading fuel efficiency figures of 23.20km/l for MT and 23.76km/l for AGS.

Thoughts About Maruti Suzuki Swift's Sales Milestone

Most hatchbacks launched by Maruti Suzuki in India has tasted some sort of success. However, achieving 25 lakh unit sales in less than 16 years is a remarkable feat even for Maruti Suzuki.

One of the major contributors to this success could be attributed to the 1.3-litre Fiat-sourced diesel engine that captured the fundamentals of the Indian car buyers.