Maruti Suzuki recently launched the fourth generation of the Swift in the Indian market. With this generation, the hatchback received a host of updates setting it apart from third-gen. In this list is a completely new Z12E petrol engine which took the role of a replacement for the K12 unit used in the previous gen. To make things even better, the brand seems to be planning to launch a hybrid powertrain version of the popular hatchback in the country. Before any official announcement, this iteration of the car has been spotted testing on Indian roads.
Spotted sans camouflage, the Maruti Suzuki Swift had a hybrid badge on its rear end and a sticker saying "Test Vehicle" on the side. This indicates the presence of a mild-hybrid powertrain under the vehicle's hood. It is to be noted that the brand already has a hybrid Swift on sale in the international market. This iteration of the vehicle comes with the same Z12E 1.2-litre three-cylinder engine which works with a 12V mild-hybrid system. This uses a belt-driven Integrated Starter Generator (ISG) which gets power from a 10Ah lithium-ion battery pack.
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When put to use, this system increases the fuel economy of the 1.2-litre petrol unit. Specifically, it returns a mileage of 27.29 kmpl, which is more than the mileage of the outgoing version of the hatchback in the country. As per ARAI, the Swift has a mileage of 24.80 kmph with a manual transmission and a mileage of 25.75 kmph with an AMT. Meanwhile, the S-CNG variant of the vehicle offers a mileage of 32.85 km/kg with MT.
Chances are, the automaker is using Swift hybrid as a test mule for the ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance System) features for India. This might include features like adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning, collision mitigation, and more.
The Maruti Suzuki Swift is currently sold in five trim levels: LXi, VXi, VXi (O), ZXi, and ZXi+. It comes at a starting price of Rs 6.49 lakh (ex-showroom) for the entry-level variant and goes up to Rs 9.44 lakh (ex-showroom) for the most expensive variant.