32 kmpl Swift Hybrid to Launch in India with Hybrid Variants of Other Maruti Models

Electrification in the automobile industry is all the rage right now. India’s largest carmaker, Maruti Suzuki India Limited, is also planning to jump on that bandwagon. At the 2020 Auto Expo, Maruti had showcased some interesting cars like the Futuro-e concept and the brilliant 32-kmpl Suzuki Swift hybrid. Now, it seems, the company might be planning something bigger for the Indian market.

The fast-approaching BS6 norms have forced Maruti to kill its entire diesel-powered range, which is why the carmaker has recently shifted focus to CNG-technology. This will help the company cater to the economy-minded consumers that, to be fair, constitute the biggest portion of the Japanese-owned-Indian-firm. Followers of IndianAuto would know that a lot of Maruti cars are already available in S-CNG variants, while some other cars are being offered with the 12V smart-hybrid system (start-stop assist). To further cement its growth, the company could be planning to offer bigger hybrid systems as well in the future, followed soon by completely electric powertrains.

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The hybrid system on the Suzuki Swift features a 48V hybrid system packed under the boot floor

Kenichi Ayukawa, Managing Director and CEO, Maruti Suzuki India Limited, had previously expressed great interest in setting-up production of EVs and Hybrid vehicles in India. Now that there is a diesel-engine shaped void in the company’s line-up, this earlier plan could come into fruition. While the Futuro-e is still in early concept stages, the Suzuki Swift is production-spec model already in sale in Japan. It wouldn’t be too hard for the company to start production of the latter in India. This would also be in line with the company’s “Mission Green Million”.

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Suzuki Swift Hybrid at Auto Expo 2020

If the Swift Hybrid does end up on sale in India, it will be positioned at a significant premium over the standard model. Powering the car is a 1.2-litre naturally aspirated inline-4 engine paired to a 48V hybrid system with a10kW motor/generator. The setup produces peak power and torque figures of 91 PS and 118 Nm respectively. As stated earlier, the car can deliver a fuel economy of 32 kmpl in Japan. The Indian version might achieve something along similar lines. Apart from that, the same hybrid system could be shared by other Maruti cars, like the Brezza and Baleno, thus keeping the cost of production down.