Team-BHP (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/)

-   The Indian Car Scene (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/indian-car-scene/)

-   -   Road Trip : Santro VS Swift (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/indian-car-scene/6649-road-trip-santro-vs-swift.html)

I didnt know where to post this, as this is my first new thread. Since I am not authorized to post in Indian Car Scene, I am posting this here. Moderators please move this if this is not the right place.

I drove to Agra from Delhi in Swift on Saturday and than Delhi Jaipur in Santro XG and here is what the comparison looks like:

Exteriors Santro: The Santro looks really compact from outside. Nothing extra-ordinary and nothing really bad. Our eyes have become used to it, and the new model is also good to look at. However it does not give a big car feel, and the tall boy design is not a head turner. Its more that before Swift, Santro scored hands down on external looks compared to Wagon-R.

Exteriors Swift Vxi: The Swift looks broader than any other car in this segment. Its is an eye catcher. To some its not as appealing in the rear as in the front. However it does have a big car feel. I love the external appearance of the car. I have a red Swift and contrasting black sunfilm makes it look awesome. On top of that I upgraded the Vxi rubber from 165/80/14 to 185/70/14 with Bridgestone Potenza GIII and Alloys for 24k. rl:

Interiros Santro XG: Chrome door handle looks great. The fabric on the door trips is also very good looking. But there is hardly any room for one tall at the back and one medium height in the front. While driving back my freinds wife around 6feet sat behind and I had to take the seat in front and my leg was constantly collidng with the door handle and the dashboard AC consoles on the right. When we switched places and I went back, I saw that I have no space to keep my left hand as the door handle in the back is really very small to make you believe that there is too much space. There is good space for putting goods in the dashboard drawer and below the seats. One more thing that I thought was pretty awkward was the rear seat power window buttons are at the senter of the seat as opposed too the door handles. This made opening them a pain as one has to bend down every time he opens them. The dashboard is pretty normal and no classy dials here. The buttons for AC are old fashioned. The odometer is manual and I couldnt find a headlight level.

Interiors Swift Vxi: The swift interiors on the contrary are very spacious. The dashboard is really great. Well, I love the interiors, no matter what people say about them. I have a Maruti Esteem Vxi 2004 August Model with new looks, and compared to that Swift scores hands down. I love the dashboard and the space the front seats have. The interior has a big car feel to it. The door trims are spacious and you have enough hand and shoulder room both in front and the back. The back door trims are of the same size as the front door trims. Though the fabric and the door handles are not as eye catching as the Santro XG. However the rear seat power windows are not a pain to open being on the door trims. My freinds wife in the rear seat and me in front, and we both had plent of space. I could open my legs and feel relaxed and she had plenty of space too. Since the car is broad it really doesnt feel like a small car once seated, and the front seats are a pleasure to be in. However the dashboard drawer doesnt have much space and there are no rear seat trays to put items. The odometer is digital and you can set upto two trip counters.

The drive to Jaipur in Santro: We drove on Jaipur Delhi highway to Jaipur. The Santro had a stereo (mentioning as the Swift didnt). As the journey began I was sitting in the back. However I bearly had any leg room to rest my legs. So I rested my knees on the seat in front so that I could relax. The journey was pretty nice and views of the nature were great as rains had made everything green. However once I decided to sleep I found out that I could not rest my hand on the door trim as the rear door trim was really small. I had to rest my head on the Window and lean on the side to create room for my legs. However everytime the car went over a pot hole (created by rains) I banged my head on the window. I was really CRAMPED as my freinds wife is like 6 Feet. When the car went over bumps I was not cushioned as much as I am cushioned in an Esteem, the Santro has a tight suspension. In the night during the drive back I drove the Santro XG. My experience was that the car really struggles going over 100kmph. The noise of the engine changes and it really feels like its struggling. I didnt feel in control going over 100. There was a constant noise from somewhere near the driver seat while I was driving and I couldnt find where it was coming from. This didnt annoy me as much as it would have had this been my car. The car felt like it had an automatic transmission and I really didnt have to change gears that much and drove on the fifth gear. While turning the car at high speed my heart was in my mouth. At 100 the car felt that it was really fast and I was not in control. Overall I would say it was a decent drive.

The drive to Agra in Swift: We drove Delhi highway to Agra, this highway is not that great road wise. The car had no stereo. As compared to Esteem the car does not have that much magic carpet effect over bumps and the suspension is little harder as compared to Esteem. But its better than Santro. I guess the suspension feels this way due to weight. However the positive aspect of weight made the car stick to road and give you the feeling that it wont skid. The car really felt sure footed on the road. The steering was not as responsive as one would like. It felt disconnected. Another aspect was that since I am 5 ft 8" and not that tall, I couldnt rest my hand on the door trim as they were far away for my short hand to take support from. There was also a very very faint noise coming somewhere near the passenger seat that I couldnt locate. Apart from that the car handled superbly. At 120 the car felt like it was doing 80kmph. The brakes were really nice. The engine didnt look overworked and out of breadth at all. The acceleration was also very smooth. However as opposed to Santro the gear changes were more due to tall gearing of the Swift. When we came back from Jaipur and my freind took the Swift for a test ride, he said he wanted to buy that car. All in all its a great value for money. Considering it was 4.4 lakh on road which is 70k more than Santro mid model and 40k more than the top model, I feel its worth the extra cost considering the size, comfort, and engine you gain. clap:

bang on dude i sold my SIX MONTH old santro for a swift

Swift move, mate. eh ;) .

I have an ancient Santro 99'LE (though in excellent condition with only 44k on the odo) which my Pa drives and every evening that I re-park the car to accomodate my Swift, I feel the difference!


Swift is miles ahead. One thing which I am sure you notice is the distance between the driver and the co-driver and vice-versa. That itself indicates the vast difference in beam and assossiated comfort that it provides (My wife complains that we have drifted apart a bit - pun intended!).

And the gearbox - The Santro's gear box is silky smooth - in other words, the gear change is effortless but in the Swift, it is notchy and requires that extra few mm to notch it in place - I likeeeeeeee that (reminds me of Sly Stallone driving a fancy sports cars with notches in the gear console and "Eye of the tiger" in the background). I likeeeeeeeeeeeee that.

As I said, SWIFT move, mate.

Cheers

Good review aseem. Not too technical but informative for a not too technical user like me.. :-)
I have a Xing and have observed that ride quality is not too good and too many gear shifts are required in a city. In general, theres always a compromise between cost and quality. In a place like Bangalore i won't dare to buy a big car and get frustrated as 95% of the time i am forced to drive in 2nd or 3rd gear only.

my xing had 1200 k on the odo and i still sold it i knew the SWIFT would be something to look upto and it has been even more than what i expected

Guys got the Swift serviced today, and the good news is, all the small rattling noises that were annoying me have gone. My brother who has a Santro drove it today and felt it was really peppy and roomy. I am so glad that the noises have gone as the noises really bother me :mad: but thank god they are gone clap: MUL ASS is really good. However not even a free oil change with Swift :confused:

I really like the swift from the front, but from the rear, it looks like a cousin to our old AMBY. From the sides too it has no great looks.

Nowadays you can see a lot of swifts going around on the road. I think in some months it will be like the Indica, with every tom dick and harry going around in a swift.

One more point to notice is that the bottom rear looks to flared with the mud flaps on. Check it out and you will understand what i mean.

Swift would have really been a best buy if Maruti would have launched the world car version as Suzuki did outside india.

Why buy a two box only for design when you can enjoy more in a three box from the same stable ?

Why do Getz owners hate Swift so much? just because Getz flopped and didnt have any sales compared to overwhelming response for Swift doesnt mean one starts cribbing. Even Hyundai doesnt give all the engine options of the international Getz and Accent. The new look accent has been slated for next year, and Hyundai has merely done a Maruti like job to give beige interiors to the existing Accent. They have had to even give price cuts on Getz thanks to Swift. Frankly Palio is any day better than Swift and Getz, but I dont see any Palio owner bashing the Swift.
If the car sells in huge numbers, it doesnt become an Indica. In US Toyota Camry tops sales charts, doesnt make it an Indica. In Europe Merc is used as Taxi, doesnt make it a less valuable car to own. I think the suggestions in this forum should be based in the right spirit and not caz we own a different car, we take out faults in others.
BTW I own a Swift, but I like Getz too, even though Hyundai doesnt offer Airbags which it offers in its international version. Guess Indians prefer beige interiors to safety. Newer engine tag, than ABS and EBD!

Exactly what I feel.


That's obvious, every tom dick and harry will be owning Swift in coming months. Why do we worry about that?

YAM PETRAE INBUM EVY VAIAGAM PERA ( Many will not be able to understand ;) )

@aseem, very good write-up there...

I think that was their design brief. A car that emulates 1950's lines. To me its more like Austins and Morrises.

Already its setting new standards (I am not forgetting Palio though). Maruti will launch the world model to counter the Toyota Aygo, IMHO.

I am on way to sell my 5 months old zen for SWIFT and my parents are shouting on me saying stupid:

plz guys dont compare swift with santro
, its no match for swift, compare santro with wagonr and swift with getz

What are you getting for it? The Zen I mean? I was also thinking of going in for am Ikon or something ... lets see.

niec write up mate. but above 100 u hear noise? emm, i never had taht problem. maybe you should get your car checked.

at heart i want swift but practicality side..its Getz ( quality-wise too i guess)

now aseem, how abt comparing a santro and a zen, a 800 if u dare. :lol.

Above 100kmph, even i experienced the engine feeling breathless when i drove my brother's Santro(not Xing, Zipplus).. never had that problem in my wagonr though.. :) ..but at the same time, if you ask me, these cars were never meant to be driven at that speeds..