Maruti Suzuki at the ongoing International Green Mobility Expo in Pragati Maidan, New Delhi has kept the Swift Range Extender concept on display. The company had earlier showcased the car at the Delhi Auto Expo held in February last year.
The plug-in hybrid vehicle is based on the European Swift model and has been developed to solve the range anxiety issue which pure electric vehicle owners have.
The car is fitted with a 55 KW (74.8 PS) permanent magnet synchronous electric motor which has a range of 25.5 km in pure electric mode. The car also has a 658 cc in-line three pot petrol motor which, in combination with the electric mill, returns a combined fuel efficiency of 48.2 kmpl under test conditions. At 1,600 kg gross weight, the concept outweighs the standard petrol version sold in India which is pegged at 1,415 kg. The transmission duties are administered by an automatic gear box. The lithium ion battery takes 1.5 hours to be charged fully at 200V.
The concept has been developed by Suzuki and is unlikely to enter into volume production in the immediate future. The manufacturer, though, is rumoured to be working on a hybrid version of the Swift which is expected to hit the roads by 2017.
The Swift is the country’s largest selling B2 segment hatchback and got a minor facelift last year during the festive season.
