The strong hybrid version of the Swift is presently available in Europe and a version of that model or milder variant could make it to Indian showrooms
Maruti Suzuki, the country largest car maker, could explore the possibility of getting the hybrid version of Swift to India as a stopgap arrangement before moving to fully electric mobility.
The hybrid version of the Swift is presently available in Europe but with petrol engine option – 1.2 litre and 1.0 litre. A version of that model or in diesel could make it to Indian showrooms of the company.
The company had commercially launched the all-new version of the Swift compact hatchback, which has been one of the best-sellers for the company, earlier this month. Available in two engine options – petrol and diesel – an addition of a hybrid powertrain could be the most likeliest option for the car market leader going ahead.
Speaking to Moneycontrol, C V Raman, executive director (engineering), Maruti Suzuki India, said, “We are quite sure that going forward, the electrification of cars in India will reach some percentage of the overall market. We are with the government as far as this is concerned. We also believe hybridization is also important. So we will see as technology progresses we will see these technologies in India”.
The current new Swift uses the same 1.3 litre multi-jet diesel engine developed by Fiat. The same engine is also seen on the Ertiga, Ciaz and S-Cross. All the three models have diesel hybrid options for the Indian market branded under Smart Hybrid Vehicle by Suzuki (SHVS). With the exception of S-Cross the other two are available with a petrol engine too.
All the three models do not have a non-hybrid diesel version, which simply means that they are available only in a hybrid format with a diesel engine. The petrol hybrid version of the Swift delivers a claimed mileage of 32 km per litre. This is higher than the mileage generated by the diesel variant which is 28.4 km per litre and 22 km per litre by the petrol variant.
Further, the Delhi-based company could also explore the option of getting the ‘Range Extender’ version of the Swift, which was first showcased by Suzuki at the Tokyo Motor Show a few years ago. The Range Extender can be plugged in and also charged. This also falls in line with the company’s plans to promote electric mobility.
The Range Extender has three driving modes – hybrid, parallel hybrid and pure electric. In hybrid mode the petrol engine charges the electric motor, in the parallel hybrid mode the electric motor and the small petrol engine work in together and in electric mode just the electric power is used. The Lithium-ion battery pack, which take 90 mins to fully charge, delivers a mileage of 25kms. The Range Extender gives a mileage of 48km per litre.
“Swift globally has a strong hybrid which is available in Europe we had showcased earlier the Swift range extender which is a different concept than a strong hybrid. In the range extender the motor is only driving and the engine is only charging the battery so it runs the motor. The prime mover is the motor. Whereas in the hybrid it is both – motor and engine. So conceptually both are different. The range extender can be plugged in and also charged. So that was only experimental. Let’s see how it goes”, added Raman.
