Boasting best-in-segment fuel efficiency, the primary rivals for the new Maruti 4th Gen Swift are Hyundai Grand i10 NIOS and Tata Tiago
If there is one car manufacturer in India known for its lightweight character and fuel efficiency, it has to be Maruti Suzuki. While the company has sold many A-segment vehicles, Swift has been one of the most popular ever since its inception. Maruti Suzuki former CTO, CV Raman, recently disclosed that the New Swift is 100kg lighter than the 1st Gen Swift and 50% more fuel efficient.
Maruti 4th Gen Swift Is 100 Kg Lighter Than 1st Gen
At Autocar Professional’s Vehicle Lightweighting Conference, Maruti Suzuki Executive Committee Member and former CTO, CV Raman, mentioned that the new 4th Gen Swift has managed to shave about 100 kg when compared to the 1st Gen Swift launched in 2005. However, the 3rd Gen Swift is up to 20kg lighter than the new 4th Gen model.
Since the 1st Gen model, Maruti Suzuki Swift has had two major revisions to its platform and powertrain. In its latest avatar, Swift has matured tremendously and is likely to be among the most celebrated cars in India ever. In a keynote addressing this conference, Raman revealed New Swift’s significance and the journey they took from the 1st Gen model.
According to CV Raman, the New Swift is 100 kg lighter when compared to the 1st Gen model. These weight-saving measures are direct contributors to reduced emissions as well. 1st Gen Swift emitted as much as 147g of CO2 per km travelled and with the new 4th Gen Swift, emissions have been reduced to 95.6g CO2 per km, 47% lower.
Over the generations, fuel consumption has also been reduced, and fuel efficiency has greatly increased. CV Raman’s presentation mentioned as much as a 50% increase in fuel efficiency with 4th Gen Swift and the use of alternate materials in manufacturing is a direct contributor. For reference, 1st Gen Swift had an ARAI claimed efficiency of around 12.36 km/l and 4th Gen Swift claims up to 25.75 km/l (petrol variants).
Lightness is key!
A market study conducted by the firm Spherical Insights suggests that the global automotive lightweight materials market holds an evaluation of around USD 72.16 billion and is speculated to reach USD 137.8 billion by 2032. In today’s currency exchange, this turns out to be Rs. 6 lakh crores and Rs. 11.5 lakh crores respectively.
This entire market concentrates on making vehicles lightweight using advanced materials and composites. Using materials other than Steel is key to lowering the weight of automobiles. Raman mentioned that many automakers are shifting focus to aluminium along with magnesium and thermoplastic materials resulting in higher efficiency and greater crash performance.
Raman also stressed the use of Advanced High-Strength Steel (AHSS) and Ultra High-Strength Steel (UHSS) in structural parts of New Swift for greater minimum tensile strength. Use of UHSS is increased from 6% to 17% and use of AHSS increased from 2% to 4%. Maruti Suzuki has reduced the use of High-Strength Steel (HSS) from 42% to 23%.
Lightweighting is also beneficial in the EV sector as it will offset the significant weight of the car’s battery and motors. Lighter EVs consume less energy in similar conditions. Hence, the engineering envelope is pushed to lightweight materials.
