As Swift Takes it Home, Here Are Other Fast-Selling Cars in India

The latest model of the Swift was launched in February this year at Auto Expo 2018, nine months after the Dzire.

The front of the car has a wider, smiling face, but retains that Swift familiarity to all. 

(Photo: The Quint) 

Maruti Suzuki announced that the new Swift, launched this February, has beaten its compact sedan variant, the Maruti Dzire, to become the fastest-selling car in India.

However, this news did not come as a surprise as most Maruti Suzuki models sell like hot cakes in India due to the easy availability of spare parts, wide service network and practicality that these cars offer.

The all new Maruti Swift has sold 1 lakh units in the first 145 days since its launch in February.

The Swift has been quite popular in India ever since it first came out in 2005. The Swift has cumulatively sold a total of 18.9 lakh units in India.

The latest model of the Swift was launched in February this year.(Photo: The Quint)

The latest model of the Swift was launched in February this year at the Auto Expo 2018, about nine months after the launch of the latest Dzire.  

Built on the Heartect platform that is shared with various Maruti Suzuki models like the Baleno, Ignis and the upcoming Ertiga, it comes with two engine options – a 1.2 Litre petrol that puts out 83hp of power and a 1.3 litre diesel unit that produces 75 bhp of power.

Here are all the cars that the Swift has beaten to become the fastest-selling Indian car:

Maruti Dzire

The new Maruti Dzire comes in 14 variants. (Photo: The Quint)

Yes, the top two fastest-selling cars in India are both Maruti variants on the same platform.

The Dzire was launched in May 2017 and it instantly took off, with Maruti Suzuki getting 25,000 pre-bookings for the latest version of its compact sedan.

The Dzire crossed the 1 lakh mark within five months of its launch, which is just a few days difference compared to the Swift hatchback.

The new Dzire is impressive with its styling and features on offer, such as daytime running lamps, projector lights, and an Android Auto and Apple Car Play infotainment system. These features may have worked in favour of the sales figures.

Maruti Alto 800

Launched originally in 2001, the Alto 800 was an upgrade to Maruti’s cult car, the 800 - the car that, in a way, defined the Maruti brand.(Photo Courtesy: Maruti Suzuki India)

Launched in 2012, the facelifted Alto 800 gave the popular entry-level hatchback a boost in image.

Given the branding the Alto 800 had, it was bound to sell. How much exactly? 50,000 bookings in the first two months after the launch.

As the name suggests, the Alto 800 is powered by a 796cc engine that puts out 48PS of power and a maximum torque of 69Nm. Giving a CNG option to the Alto 800 made the car look more interesting, which might have helped with the sales as well.

The Alto 800 was like a modern Alto-Maruti 800 cross, which is all Maruti Suzuki needed to crush the car market in India.

Maruti Baleno

Maruti Suzuki Baleno. (Photo: MotorScribes)

The new Baleno made its way into the Indian market as the company’s first premium hatchback in October 2015 and was sold through its Nexa dealerships.

Carrying the name of its premium sedan of the 2000s, the Baleno did interest a lot of buyers. The premium hatchback received over 1 lakh bookings in the first four months since its launch. It however, completed the 1 lakh sales milestone in October 2016.

The Baleno’s sales figures have been exciting so far. The car sold 1,08,329 units between April and October 2017, a 65 percent jump year on year. In June 2017, it had crossed the 2 lakh sales mark.

The Baleno is available in two engine options – a 1.2 litre K-Series petrol engine and a 1.3 litre DDiS diesel engine, which put out 83 and 74 horsepower respectively.

Maruti also launched an automatic variant of the Baleno almost six months after the initial launch.

Baleno was first showcased at the 2015 Geneva Motor Show as the iK2 concept and made its way to the Indian market in the same year. With a competitive price tag, the premium hatchback saw good demand right from the start.

(With inputs from NDTV, the Financial Express and Autocar India)