In early July this year, Maruti introduced a special edition 'RS' version of the Swift, to begin celebrations for the 1 million cumulative sales figure the Swift was bound to achieve during the festive season. According to media reports the Maruti Swift has just crossed the 1 million sales figure mark, eight years after its launch in 2005.
Recounting the Swift's Indian journey, Mayank Pareek, chief operating officer marketing and sales of Maruti Suzuki said that Maruti was hoping to sell 5,000 units/month in 2005, and this was seen as an ambitious target as the market for premium hatchbacks was not created then.
Since its launch in 2005, the Swift has consistently ranked at the top of the sales chart and 2013 is no different: For the first 10 months of this year, the Swift is the 3rd best selling car with average monthly sales at 16,673 units.
In India, Maruti launched the Swift with a petrol engine option which was the same 1.3-liter engine used by the Esteem. A 1.3-liter diesel engine (the Fiat MultiJet engine) was added a couple of years into the launch. During its mid-life facelift, Maruti replaced the 1.3-liter petrol with the more modern 1.2-liter K-Series engine, which continues to be the sole petrol option for the Indian Swift.
See more images of the Swift facelift expected next year in India
One thing that's being missed in India is the Swift Sport. While many International markets get the Swift with the 1.6-liter engine, we have lost faith in Maruti introducing the Sport in India.
