Epic New Swift: Hisashi Takeuchi on why Maruti Suzuki is launching revamped premium hatchback while all car makes go for SUVs

On launching a premium hatchback in times of SUVs
Hisashi Takeuchi: This new Epic New Swift, has a new design done from scratch, but it still holds the iconic DNA of Swift in the overall exterior as well as interior designs. But at the same time, we put one of the best engines into this. This is a new Z-Series engine. This is the biggest change of this car. This new Z-Series engine has a better fuel efficiency and less CO2 and even better drivability for Swifts at the same time. So, this is the biggest change of this car.

At a time when all car makers are launching SUVs, compact, bigger ones, you have launched a premium hatchback. What makes you so optimistic and what is your outlook for the revival of the hatchback market?
Hisashi Takeuchi: We are also focusing on SUVs and introduced a series of SUVs last year. But this year, we have to revamp this hatchback also because we cannot keep the same model for such a long time. So, somehow, we have to introduce a whole new Swift.