Maruti’s new Swift sedan variant likely to by Feb

New Delhi, December 11, 2011 : Maruti Suzuki’s popular brand, Swift, may soon be expanded to three body styles from two, as the company looks to maximise returns from an existing platform by working around the Government’s excise duty structure. The launch of the sub-four metre Swift sedan is expected around February. “Trial production has already been done.

Many carmakers have developed new body variants to take advantage of the dual excise duty slabs for passenger vehicles announced in the 2008-09 Budget. To promote small cars, this structure imposes a lower 10 per cent excise duty on cars less than four metres in length and with engines of below 1.2 litre (petrol) and 1.5 litre (diesel) capacities. Cars above this specification attract 22 per cent excise duty.