Autoblog

It's a common test-driving practice to attack a corner a bit aggressively and "see what she can do." A swan dive was the answer a driver in India received from a four-door Suzuki/Maruti Swift DZire during a test session. The car skidded out of control, hit a large rock, and then tumbled into the Shambhavi River. The attempt to emulate the Amphicar wound up more like an impression of Alvin, unfortunately. All four occupants were injured and ended up in the hospital, while the car itself appears to be a total loss upon its winching to shore. Reckless driving has been cited as the cause, although with a name like Swift, it's possible the driver was just trying to follow instructions. We wonder if driver training in India is as dismal as here in the United States, and judging from the looks of the car, we're inclined to think that the injuries were due to a lack of seatbelt use. Thanks for the tip, Rahul!


[Source: Daijiworld]

Click above (if you must) for more of the Maruti Suzuki Swift DZire

It's a shame that more of Suzuki's line-up isn't as well designed and executed as the nimble little Swift hatchback. But we swear, this was not what we had in mind.

Maruti Suzuki India Ltd., the country's largest automaker and majority owned its the Japanese parent company, has taken the wraps off of the ironically named Swift DZire today, initial spy shots of which we lamented several months ago. Rather contrary to its name, we're left wondering what's so desirable about a trunk that it's worth butchering erstwhile attractive hatchbacks. The resulting conversion ends up looking like the hatch version, only with a tumor growing out the back. Maruti calls its "The Heart Car", but we'll go for the bypass, thank you very much.

More details are available at the DZire micro site, in the press release after the jump, and images in the gallery below for those with bizarre fascinations.

[Source: Maruti Suzuki]