Maruti launches limited edition Swift RS

The country's largest car-maker Maruti Suzuki India (MSI) on Tuesday introduced a limited edition variant of premium compact Swift which will be Rs 24,500 costlier than the existing model to shore up its sales.

The 'Swift RS' will come with new styling and graphics and will be available only in the VXi and VDi variants.

The existing Swift VXi model is priced at Rs 499,000, and VDi at Rs 599,000 (ex-showroom Delhi).

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"The Swift RS is in continuation of Maruti Suzuki's celebrations planned around Swift model as it moves towards the one million cumulative sales mark," MSI Vice President (Marketing) Manohar Bhat said in a statement.

The company has sold over 960,000 Swift cars since its launch in May 2005, he added.

The launch of the new limited edition comes at a time when the company has seen decline in sales in a car market which has been on a prolonged slump.

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MSI had posted 7.8 per cent decline in domestic sales in June at 77,002 units as compared to over 83,531 units in the same month last year.

The company's sales in the compact segment (comprising the Estilo, Swift and Ritz models) fell 7.2 per cent at 20,996 units in June this year as against 22,624 units in the same month a year ago.

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"We are confident that limited edition Swift RS will be ideal for customers who look to further enhance the sporty character and style of the Swift," Bhat said.

The Swift RS will be available at Maruti Suzuki dealers from early July 2013 for a limited period, the company said.