May 25, 2005: There will be three versions of the Swift. All will feature the 1300 cc engine of the Maruti Esteem, suitably tuned for a hatchback car.

Maruti has priced the Swift variants as follows:

The base version of the Swift, the Swift LXi is priced at Rs. 387000.

The VXi version will be available at Rs. 405000.

The fully loaded, top end Swift ZXi version will be Rs. 485000..

Oh, another thing - Maruti calls these introductory prices - which means that they may go up any time. The company has already received orders for 8000-odd Swifts.

Can the Swift take on the likes of the Ford Fusion, Hyundai Getz or the various other hatchbacks around? The answer is yes.

Even the top end version is priced below that of a three-box car like the Indigo. that is smart - if the Swift would cost more than an Indigo, that would have most looked good to the value conscious Indian.

Our previous articles on the the maruti Swift are here. Read them for a full overview of what the Swift is.

BY OUR AUTOMOBILES CORRESPONDENT