Financial Daily from THE HINDU group of publications
Sunday, May 22, 2005
Financial Daily from THE HINDU group of publications Sunday, May 22, 2005 |
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Investment World
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Cars Columns - Auto Focus A fleeting look at Swift S. Muralidhar
THE new, yet-to-be-launched Suzuki Swift looks so attractive that we couldn't resist the temptation of giving you a sneak peek of this superbly designed car. The Swift, which is to be launched by the end of this month, will be one of the more contemporary small cars from Maruti Udyog. For Maruti it will probably be the second most important launch after it ushered in the concept of a small car with the launch of the M800 nearly 22 years ago. In the late nineties, more contemporarily designed small cars from the other competing international car manufacturers put Maruti's pack in the shade. But the Swift could change all that and infuse some pep and panache to Maruti's image, which is currently perceived to be one of conservatism in design and marketing. Priced right, the Swift could add the much-needed trait of modernism to Maruti's image, which is already well entrenched in the customer's mind as a manufacturer of reliable, highly fuel-efficient and competitively priced low-maintenance passenger cars. Adding to the Swift's appeal would be the fact that this will be the first truly global car from Maruti-Suzuki. Introduced in Japan in the middle of last year, the Indian version will be a replica, save a few changes that were required to enable the car to take on the more demanding driving conditions here. The Swift is yet to be taken to other markets such as China. Part of the reason for retaining the same name for the Indian market too was to preserve its international character. The exclusive photos that we have featured here showcase the international styling and build quality that the Swift will bring to Indian customers in the B+ segment. The car has the potential to be the all-time best seller from Maruti. We drove the car and loved many other features, in addition to its cute looks. Look out for the full test report by mid-June.
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