Maruti Swift, Dzire and Baleno CNG now come with AMT

Maruti Suzuki has done something that will matter to a lot of city buyers: the Swift, Dzire and Baleno are now available with a factory-fitted CNG kit paired to an AMT gearbox. Until now, if you wanted CNG on any of these three cars, you had to live with a manual. That changes with this update.

What exactly has changed

All three cars — the Swift, the Dzire and the facelifted Baleno — now get an S-CNG AMT option alongside the existing S-CNG manual variants. The AMT is a single-clutch automated unit, the same type Maruti has offered on petrol variants of these models for a while. The addition of AMT to the CNG line is the headline move here, not a new engine or a new trim.

Why this matters for buyers

CNG has always made strong cost-per-kilometre sense in India, but the catch was always the manual gearbox in stop-and-go traffic. The Swift CNG AMT, the Dzire CNG AMT and the Baleno CNG AMT together solve that in one go. A few things worth knowing before you walk into a showroom:

• Factory CNG fitment comes with the manufacturer's warranty, unlike aftermarket kits
• AMT handles gear shifts automatically, which helps in heavy city traffic
• CNG reduces running costs substantially compared to petrol at current fuel prices
• Boot space is reduced on CNG variants because the cylinder sits in the luggage area
• All three variants are available through Maruti's Arena or Nexa dealer network depending on the model

Prices and mileage figures

Maruti has announced prices for all three CNG AMT variants, but this piece does not have confirmed figures at the time of writing — check the Maruti Suzuki website or your nearest dealership for the exact numbers on the Swift CNG AMT, Dzire CNG AMT and Baleno CNG AMT separately, since each is priced differently. ARAI-certified mileage figures for the CNG AMT options have not been independently confirmed here, so do not take any number from another source as final until Maruti publishes it officially.

Should you wait or buy now

If you were holding off on a CNG Swift, Dzire or Baleno because you did not want a manual, the wait is over — these variants are on sale now, not announced for a future date. The CNG manual options continue alongside if you prefer them.

So, are you switching from petrol to CNG AMT, or does the smaller boot put you off?