2017 Maruti Swift DZire: Tata Tigor’s Biggest Threat?

The odd-looking current Maruti Swift DZire sells between 15-18k monthly, which is more than combined sales of its rivals!

Update 29/3/2017: Tata Tigor Launched at Rs 4.70 Lakh

The Maruti Swift DZire is unequivocally the nemesis of all compact sedans in the country in terms of sales. And since the all-new, third-generation model will be launched later this year, it is going to be tougher for its peers in the sub-4m sedan space. Tata, on the other hand, is all set to drive in its new compact sedan, the Tigor, tomorrow, which is promised to be relatively cheaper than the current breed of offerings in the space, including the Zest. 

The Tata Tigor looks promising and is expected to do well for the automaker like its donor hatch, the Tiago. But will this nameplate be affected post the arrival of the new-gen of the most selling compact sedan in the country, the 2017 Swift DZire? Time to find out!

2017 Swift DZire: Powerful engines and low kerb weight 

The Swift DZire is based on Suzuki’s HEARTECT platform, which is also shared by the Baleno and the Ignis as well as the upcoming third-gen Swift. Take the Baleno, for example, lengthwise it is near identical to the upcoming DZire (both are sub-4m offerings) and it tips the scales below 1000kg (all variants). The 2017 DZire is likely to weigh in the same vicinity. While all the variants of the Tigor weigh well over 1000kg, making it relatively heavier than the Dzire.  

The 2017 DZire will carry forward the current set of powertrains – the 1.2-litre petrol (84.3PS/114Nm) and 1.3-litre diesel (75PS/190Nm). While its petrol is on par (on paper) compared to the Tigor’s (1.2-litre Petrol: 85PS/114Nm), the diesel, which is borrowed from Fiat, is more powerful than the Tata's (1.05-litre Diesel: 70PS/140Nm). With its low expected kerb weight and powerful motors, the DZire will have a better power-to-weight ratio of the two, which will result in a peppier drive. 

2017 Swift DZire: Diesel and petrol automatic options 

Like the Maruti Ignis, the upcoming DZire is expected to get an AMT (automated manual transmission) option with both the engines on offer. The outgoing model offers an AMT option with the same diesel engine, while the petrol gets an archaic four-speed automatic. The Tigor, on the other hand, comes with no automatic option as of now. That’s strange considering that the Tiago recently got an AMT option with the same 1.2-litre petrol motor. The AMT transmission is relatively economical as opposed to a conventional automatic, while offering a similar levels of convenience. 

• Maruti Ignis Petrol AMT: Detailed Review

The DZire packs more features 

(In Picture: Suzuki SmartPlay)

There’s no doubt that the Tigor is loaded to the gills considering its expected price point, like the Tiago. But Maruti has also started to pack its cars with features pretty well of late, starting with the Baleno. Like Maruti's latest offerings, the upcoming Dzire will get the SmartPlay infotainment system with support for both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Tata has given this a miss despite offering tonnes of supported app for smartphone integration in the Tigor, and even in the Hexa. Further, being a relatively expensive product, the 2017 DZire will get goodies such as the passive keyless entry with push-button engine start-stop, LED daytime running lights, and others.  

(In Picture: Tata ConnectNext)

The new Dzire doesn’t have to prove itself! 

This nameplate is now well established and penetrated in our market, unlike the Tigor. Though the Tigor can cash in on the popularity of the Tiago, it would still have to prove its mettle in terms of sales and popularity compared to the DZire. 

Prices 

Since the Tigor is the spiritual successor of the Indigo CS, it will be priced aggressively (read: lower than the current compact sedans). We are expecting the Tigor’s prices to be in the range of Rs 4.5-7 lakh, which are almost a lakh lower than the current DZire’s (Rs 5.35-8.57 lakh). The new DZire is expected to be priced similar to the outgoing model, giving the Tigor an edge in terms of pricing.   

Design 

This, perhaps, is the biggest USP of the Tigor! With its coupe-ish roofline, the Tigor is easily the best looking compact sedan. Read our detailed report on the design of the Tigor here: Design Decode: Tata Tigor. 

Design, in particular, was never a forte of the Maruti Swift DZire. In fact, the current DZire looks the most disproportionate among its peers. Though the design of the upcoming model appears far better than the outgoing one as per the recently leaked images, we have to hold our judgment until the final reveal.

Check Out: All-New Swift DZire – This Is It!

All in all, it is too early to comment on whether the new DZire will be the Tigor's biggest threat or not since we’ll have to see how the market perceives the latter. That said, it is not just the Tigor but the entire segment that the DZire might affect in terms of sales, primarily because of its popularity!

Recommended Read: Tata Tigor: First Drive Review

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