Maruti Suzuki Swift CNG review: Keeping running costs in check

It won’t be wrong to say that the Swift has been the biggest success for Maruti Suzuki in the past two decades. A spiritual successor to the erstwhile Zen, the first Swift was launched in 2005 and has been carrying the mantle of being the highest-seller for the largest carmaker in India ever since.

Over the years, the Swift has evolved but its basic principle has remained the same, which is a simple family hatchback with great fuel efficiency and a brilliant chassis that made driving the car fun. Earlier in May this year, Maruti launched the fourth generation Swift which got a refreshed exterior and interior styling along with a brand new engine.

And now a couple of weeks ago, the Indo-Japanese carmaker launched the CNG version of the fourth-gen Swift. With petrol and diesel prices skyrocketing in recent years, CNG has truly turned out to be a viable fuel option, especially for those who have a high daily usage. We got to drive the new Maruti Suzuki Swift CNG briefly and find out if in this CNG guise the Swift has the same “pull” as the petrol version.

Maruti Suzuki Swift CNG: Design & features

Visually, this CNG variant is identical to the petrol Swift. There’s no badging or logo on the body to distinguish between the two barring the CNG sticker on the rear windshield. Therefore you get the same Mini Cooper-isque forward cab styling with a low, sporty stance and flat roofline, a clamshell bonnet, restyled LED headlamps and taillamps, and a smaller octagonal black-out front grille with honeycomb mesh internals

Coming to features, the Swift CNG is only available up to the ZXi trim and hence it misses out on some of the key features offered in the ZXi+ trim of the regular Swift. These include LED fog lamps on the front bumper, a reverse parking camera, a leather wrapped steering wheel, cruise control, auto start/stop functionality, and a usable boot space. Furthermore, it gets a smaller 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system, as opposed to the larger and more advanced 9-inch unit offered in the ZXi+ trim.

That said, it is decently equipped with features such as a semi-digital instrument console with a multi-information display at the centre, auto climate control, wireless phone charging, wireless Android Auto and Apple carplay connectivity, over the air software updates, automatic headlamps, keyless entry, electrically adjustable ORVMs, rear AC vents, etc. Safety package on board, includes six airbags, electronic stability, hill hold control, and ISOFIX child seat mounts.

Maruti Suzuki Swift CNG: Drive experience

We got to drive the Swift CNG for a couple of days for around 100 kilometres and off the line we didn’t find any significant difference in drivability from the petrol-powered Swift. Yes, there is a noticeable lack of surge. The Swift CNG is powered by the same 1.2-litre three-cylinder naturally aspirated Z series but pushes out 68.9 bhp and 101.8 Nm of peak torque. On paper, this translates to a 12 bhp and 10 Nm drop from its petrol counterpart.

However, in most use cases, particularly city driving you won’t notice any significant drop in power and torque. Yes, you do need to plan your quick overtakes smartly and then the gearbox comes into play. Speaking of gearbox, the Swift CNG is exclusively offered with a 5-speed manual transmission which is super smooth. It is easily the best part about this powertrain. The shifts are precise and the throws are light and short, making this a gem of a gearbox.

Coming to its handling, Swift has always had impressive handling capabilities and this remains unchanged. But there isn’t enough oomph from the motor to match its handling dynamics. Therefore, the Swift’s impressively tuned chassis remains under utilised yet again in the CNG guise. The brakes are very progressive as it has always been and the steering is light but precise, so manoeuvering through heavy traffic on weekday morning traffic won’t break much sweat.

The ride in the Swift has always been on the stiffer side and it’s no different with the new Swift CNG so average sized potholes and bumps are fine but anything larger, you’ll feel the intensity trickle inside the cabin. Another impressive attribute is the NVH level of the cabin which almost completely insulates outside noise including the clatter from the 3 pot motor very efficiently.

Maruti Suzuki Swift CNG: Verdict

Being the oldest player in the CNG space, Maruti is at the top of its game with the new Swift CNG. Yes, you do miss out on some of the thrill and features of the regular Swift but for those who want an affordable car for a high daily run, the Swift CNG has everything covered for them. 

The biggest takeaway from the CNG has to be its impressive fuel efficiency of 32.85 km/kg which will attract a lot of buyers, especially in the fleet segment. Prices for Swift CNG start at Rs 8.19 lakh and go up to Rs 9.19 lakh (both ex-showroom).