These vehicles need no introduction, especially for Indian car buyers. The hatchback segment is popular, as they are positioned under the Rs 10 lakh category.
Gone are the days- when the Maruti Suzuki Swift and the Hyundai Grand i10 Nios used to come in diesel variants with meaty torque figures. In India, diesel hatchbacks include Tata Altroz and the Hyundai i20.
However, there are some more Hyundai cars that cater to diesel buyers as well.
As years passed by and pollution became a major concern- several mass-market car manufacturers ditched diesel engines. That said, diesel engines were popular among performance- and mileage-oriented buyers.
But after the introduction of BS6 engines, several carmakers also made a foray into the CNG segment, as this segment witnessed major traction, especially among private buyers. It’s tacit, but the Maruti Swift and the Grand i10 Nios are widely compared, as they are similarly priced.
So, let’s begin with the comparo and see how the indigenous hatchback stacks up against its Korean counterpart.
Engine and other Specifications
Just so you know, hatchback cars in India tend to have a 1.2-litre petrol engine.
Let’s begin with the Maruti Suzuki Swift. As mentioned earlier, it caters to both petrol and CNG buyers. As for the petrol engine, the 1.2-litre K-Series Dual Jet Dual VVT engine churns out 89bhp at 6000rpm and 113Nm of torque at 4400rpm. There are several Maruti Suzuki cars that have the same K-Series engine.
This petrol mill on the Swift, however, has a new K-Series engine with increased power by 7bhp to 89bhp but with the retained torque.
The CNG variant, on the other hand, produces 76bhp at 6000rpm and 98.5Nm of peak torque at 4300rpm. For your reference, CNG vehicles have a lower state of tune than petrol engines.
In parallel, the facelifted Hyundai Grand i10 Nios also has a 1.2-litre petrol engine that is capable to churn out 82bhp at 6000rpm and 114Nm of peak torque at 4000rpm.
Similar to the Swift CNG, the Grand i10 Nios CNG also has a low state of tune that can produce 68bhp at 6000rpm and 95Nm of peak torque at 4000rpm. You can, however, check out the i10 CNG price on the autoX website.
Comparing the engine outputs with each other, the Maruti Suzuki Swift has a better performance than the Korean hatchback. The same goes for the CNG variant as well. At the same time, Maruti cars are known for having impressive mileage figures. Overall, the Maruti Suzuki Swift’s engine is better than the facelifted Grand i10, as far as the engine performance and mileage go.
Both vehicles are coupled with five-speed manual transmissions. At the same time, both hatchbacks have a five-speed automated manual transmission (AMT).
As far as fuel efficiency is concerned, the Hyundai Grand i10 Nios’s mileage is rated at 21 km/l. Moreover, there is no ARAI-rated mileage for the CNG variant.
On the flip side, the Maruti Suzuki Swift’s mileage ranges from 22.38 km/l to 30.9 km/kg. In Petrol, the manual and automatic variants have 22.38 and 22.56 km/l, respectively. The CNG-Manual variant returns a mileage of 30.9 km/kg. Additionally, the Swift CNG is a popular choice among private- and taxi buyers. You can check out the Swift CNG price on the autoX website.
Please note that these are ARAI-certified mileage figures. The real-world mileage can vary with local traffic conditions and individuals’ driving styles.
Apart from engine performance, the top models of these hatchbacks get a disc-drum brake setup as standard. In addition, the top models of the Maruti Suzuki Swift and the Hyundai Grand i10 run on 15-inch alloy wheels. Speaking of wheels, the Maruti Swift has a better tire profile than the Grand i10 Nios, since it runs on 185/65 R15, while the i10 Nios has a 175/60 R15 tire profile.
Furthermore, both the locally-produced hatchbacks have comfort-oriented suspension tuning. That said, they are on the softer side. But if you compare the tuning with each other, the Hyundai i10’s suspension is slightly on the stiffer side. And a stiff suspension translates to more stability. Despite that, both hatchbacks won’t make you complain about the driveability they offer. It’s tacit that Indian car buyers have a long association with these vehicles.
Dimensions
Let’s start with the Maruti Suzuki Swift. It is 3845mm long, 1735mm wide, and has a height of 1530mm. The wheelbase is rated at 2450mm. On the other hand, the Hyundai Grand i10 Nios has a length of 3815mm, a width of 1680mm, and a height of 1520mm. It is relatively smaller, narrower, and shorter than the Suzuki Swift. But, both cars have the same wheelbase of 2450mm. The facelifted i10 Nios might not feel as roomier as the Maruti Swift. At the same time, the Grand i10 might be relatively difficult to ingress with its low roof height, as compared to the Swift.
Overall, both cars are easy to drive in the city and easy to park as well.
Prices and Variants
Just so you know, both the locally-produced hot hatchbacks have a long list of variants. And nowadays, Hyundai vehicles have a long waiting period alongside a long list of variants.
For starters, let’s talk about the 2023 Hyundai Grand i10 Nios. The Korean carmaker sells the hatchback in ten variants. The Grand i10 price starts at Rs 5.68 lakh for the base model, the Era 1.2, and goes up to Rs 8.46 lakh for the top-of-the-line Asta AMT variant.
On the other hand, Maruti Suzuki India sells the Swift in eleven variants. As for the Swift price, this hatchback has a starting ex-showroom price of Rs 5.99 lakh for the base model, the LXi, and goes up to Rs 8.98 lakh for the top-most variant, the ZXI Plus AMT DT.
All are ex-showroom prices, New Delhi, as of January 2023. In addition, please note that these prices are subject to change without prior notice to the customers. However, you can always visit the autoX website to access the latest location-based price list for your dream vehicle. For more information, visit our domain. You can also connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube so that you receive alerts for the latest job opportunities, online giveaways, and the latest automotive-related content.