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K. Giriprakash

Bangalore , May 10

THE Swift, billed the biggest launch of Maruti since it launched M800 over two decades ago, will have no brand ambassador , but could see an aggressive price range of Rs 4.5 lakh-6.5 lakh for its three variants.

The car, expected to be launched around May 19, could in fact see its sales eating into that of the 1-lt Zen. "Customers who wanted to buy a Zen have deferred their decision till Swift is launched," a Maruti dealer told Business Line. Such has been the hype surrounding the launch that customers have already started booking the Swift for a down payment of around Rs 50,000. "We have merely given the customers a broad price range, which could change. But the bookings are open," the dealer said.

All the variants of the 1.3 lt Swift will be equipped with an air bag, while the high-end variant will have an anti-braking system. The lowest priced variant, Lxi, will be air-conditioned but without power steering. However, the second variant, the Vxi, will have air-conditioning and power steering. The third variant, Zxi, will have the above features as well as power windows, a remote locking system and fog lamps. Under test conditions, Swift is expected to give about 18 km per litre.

A Maruti official said that the car maker has also roped in about 1,000 salespersons who will exclusively sell Swift, apart from featuring the car in a Hindi movie. These salespersons will visit either the offices of the prospective customers or their homes. Maruti expects to sell several thousands of the model in a segment, which has seen tepid sales of similar cars like Corsa Sail, Fiat Palio and Hyundai Getz. "It will be a huge challenge for Maruti to get the sales going as it tries to rewrite the equations of the segment," an auto analyst said.

The parent Suzuki has also involved Indian engineers to work on the development of the car, which is considered as the only occasion when the parent has roped in Indian employees to develop an international car.

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