The Mk3 Suzuki Swift Sport that debuted in
September 2017 has been spied in India for the first time. A white unit has
been snapped in Delhi soon after being unloaded from a cargo aircraft at the
IGI airport. This is the first sighting of the Mk3 Suzuki Swift Sport in India,
but regular readers would already be familiar with this model, as we’ve covered
it extensively in the past. With a lot of rumours about its Indian launch being
ignited by the media on the web, we’ll get straight to the point.
Maruti Suzuki is unlikely to launch the
Swift Sport in India anytime soon. We reckon this pocket rocket is in India
probably for some development or other internal purpose. The company likely has
only one global icon on its radar right now - the Mk4 Jimny (Mk2 Gypsy). A
5-door version is being developed with India in mind, and Suzuki’s Gujarat
plant is going to be the global production hub for it. Export manufacturing is
scheduled to commence next month. The Indian launch will take place in the
second half of the year.
The Mk3 Suzuki Swift Sport was introduced
with the K14B 1.4-litre Boosterjet turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine,
which is not manufactured in India. This engine puts out 140 PS and 230 Nm of
torque. It can be specified with a 6-speed manual transmission or a 6-speed
automatic transmission.
In February this year, the Mk3 Suzuki
Swift Sport was upgraded to the 48V mild-hybrid system-equipped K14D 1.4-litre
Boosterjet engine. The engine alone produces 129 PS and 235 Nm of torque. The
48V electric motor generates 13.6 PS and 53 Nm of torque, and it gets its juice
from a 48V Lithium-ion battery placed under the front passenger seat. The
engine comprises a converter as well, to transform the voltage from 48V to 12V.
A 6-speed manual transmission is the standard fitment with this engine
currently.
Suzuki now sells the Swift Sport with a
Hybrid suffix in the markets where it offers it with the K14D mill. In Italy,
the Swift Sport Hybrid is priced from EUR 23,850.
