[shubhgala9699]

Originally Posted by yedukrishnan199

However with the Baleno facelift coming pretty soon and with reports indicating that in the new Baleno, its engine could benefit from a hybrid setup as well which will improve fuel efficiency, so if you have time, it would be good to wait

Oh, this is news for me! I guess I didn't factor in the facelift for the Baleno as I didn't see any definitive news on the same. Highly appreciate your suggestion.

Although the Baleno facelift would sure be exciting, if the Baleno's 4-cyl K-series engine is replaced with the Swift's 3-cyl Z-series, I find it difficult for myself to consider the Baleno only on the basis of a few additional features.

No doubt that the Baleno would feel a bit more premium given that it's from a segment above, the space on the inside in particular is hardly a necessity as you rightly mentioned, as I already have an i20 for that, and my beloved Crysta for the sheer utility of a 6-seater.

I really did like the way the Swift drove, and has already stood strong, hence the nameplate value. Only if I could get some reassurance on the reliability quotient of this new engine, I would go for it eyes closed.

I can technically wait to figure that out, but the urge to get an automatic has been growing on me, and the dilemma has only been getting worse like the traffic and congestion in the city

The Swift in all its sporty appeal and with the new accessorising packages that are available, has caught my eye, and is meeting all my requirements right.

Hope that the forums help me decide soon .
Thank you again, cheers!

[yedukrishnan199]

Originally Posted by shubhgala9699

Hope that the forums help me decide soon .
Thank you again, cheers!

I forgot to mention earlier that if the Baleno does indeed come with the 3-cylinder engine as in the Swift, there is a possibility of it being a Hybrid as well, so fuel efficiency would be much higher, however, the pricing of the Hybrid would definitely be higher and if that is the case, then it would in all probability eclipse the 12 lakhs on-road mark for the top variant.

Keeping these in mind, if you need a car now, the Swift seems like the better choice, however as earlier mentioned you do have an i20 in the garage, and you are looking for a beater, so the cheapest option meeting all your criteria would be a Wagon-R in the ZXI Plus 1.2 AMT guise which costs just 8.60 lakhs OTR in your city and comes with an additional 40k discount, so you get it around 8.20 lakhs.

Moreover, the Wagon-R constantly remains among the top-selling cars in the country which would ensure good resale value too.

However, if it were for me, I would also consider an electric car as an option like the MG Comet which costs around 10 lakhs on the road, is more than enough for city usage and is very cheap on the pocket as far as costs are concerned, however, if you need to sell it quickly, in case you don't like it (impulsive decision), then considering its an EV, you would have to take a hit with depreciation.

The recently updated Tiago.ev can also be considered considering you don't have an EV in your garage and if you want a slightly more spacious one and don't like the looks of the Comet.

I suggested the same as we in our family have the Comet and it is really so easy driving it around town, it hardly needs any space and is quite well built for the price, for a pure city car, it will more than suffice.

[shubhgala9699]

Originally Posted by yedukrishnan199

I forgot to mention earlier that if the Baleno does indeed come with the 3-cylinder engine as in the Swift, there is a possibility of it being a Hybrid as well, so fuel efficiency would be much higher, however, the pricing of the Hybrid would definitely be higher and if that is the case, then it would in all probability eclipse the 12 lakhs on-road mark for the top variant.

Keeping these in mind, if you need a car now, the Swift seems like the better choice, however as earlier mentioned you do have an i20 in the garage, and you are looking for a beater, so the cheapest option meeting all your criteria would be a Wagon-R in the ZXI Plus 1.2 AMT guise which costs just 8.60 lakhs OTR in your city and comes with an additional 40k discount, so you get it around 8.20 lakhs.

Moreover, the Wagon-R constantly remains among the top-selling cars in the country which would ensure good resale value too.

However, if it were for me, I would also consider an electric car as an option like the MG Comet which costs around 10 lakhs on the road, is more than enough for city usage and is very cheap on the pocket as far as costs are concerned, however, if you need to sell it quickly, in case you don't like it (impulsive decision), then considering its an EV, you would have to take a hit with depreciation.

The recently updated Tiago.ev can also be considered considering you don't have an EV in your garage and if you want a slightly more spacious one and don't like the looks of the Comet.

I suggested the same as we in our family have the Comet and it is really so easy driving it around town, it hardly needs any space and is quite well built for the price, for a pure city car, it will more than suffice.

I'm sure that the Baleno's top of the line hybrid, if launched, would arrive at approximately ~13-14L (on-road Mumbai) which again would be a far stretch from what I initially planned on budgeting.

Swift is seemingly the only option that I'm willing to stretch out my budget for another 10-15% over 10L.
Anything more, and it would enter the 15L category, then all logic would go out the window, and I'll start daydreaming of the german twins - Slavia/Virtus

Wagon R is really an interesting choice that can be made, as in a previous reply to this thread, I did start to wonder if it misses out on a lot, given the price difference of almost ₹3L (on-road Mumbai)

But when comparing both on paper,
The skinny tyres, only 2 airbags, manual AC, no rear camera, no cruise control, no keyless entry/button, no automatic LED headlamps, etc.
While some do seem like minor inconveniences, the other things really hinder the safety of the car.

The only positives for the Wagon R in my opinion, are the dimensions and the legendary K-series engine. Might also be a slightly more valued nameplate though.

Also, as you mentioned about the EV's, I sadly couldn't consider these as I don't have the necessary space and infrastructure in my garage to accommodate these and I'm personally big on ICE cars that feel lively to drive!
Thankyou again, cheers!

[yedukrishnan199]

Originally Posted by shubhgala9699

I'm sure that the Baleno's top of the line hybrid, if launched, would arrive at approximately ~13-14L (on-road Mumbai) which again would be a far stretch from what I initially planned on budgeting.

The Swift seems to check most of your boxes at the moment:
1. Compact
2. Fuel Efficient
3. Resale
4. Priced under 12 lakh OTR
5. Full option Automatic within this price

No other car comes close to the Swift considering these requirements, cheaper options like Renault Kwid, Maruti Suzuki S-Presso, Alto, Celerio, Tiago, Ignis, Tigor, i10 Nios are either not too safe, too small or lack features, the i10 Nios is much better but you already have an i20, so not worth considering

The more expensive options whose top-end variants still fall within Budget are Baleno, Punch, Aura, Dzire and the Citroen C3 out of which Dzire has been eliminated from the get-go owing to similarity with Swift and preference for hatchbacks, on similar terms the Aura gets eliminated as well, the Citroen hardly sells but is a great car for driving dynamics, fuel efficiency and service centre availability are poor though.

The remaining options are Baleno as you have already considered and the Tata Punch, with Tata Punch being a best seller, it can be considered but it won't be as fuel efficient or have as great resale as what a Swift would have.

So to make it simple for you, Go for the Swift!

Hope you find this useful as I have considered your requirements and the available options so that you can (ONLY if required) look at other options as alternatives if you are considering anything apart from the Swift.

[shubhgala9699]

Originally Posted by yedukrishnan199

The Swift seems to check most of your boxes at the moment:
1. Compact
2. Fuel Efficient
3. Resale
4. Priced under 12 lakh OTR
5. Full option Automatic within this price

No other car comes close to the Swift considering these requirements

So to make it simple for you, Go for the Swift!

Hope you find this useful as I have considered your requirements and the available options so that you can (ONLY if required) look at other options as alternatives if you are considering anything apart from the Swift.

Absolutely! The 6th point being reliability is also present with MS Swift, I am gaining more and more clarity on my decision.

Will keep the forums updated with regards to the same. Thanks again for the kind suggestions, much appreciated. Cheers!

[Phantom 510]

Swift with its quick steering, superb driving position and taut suspension set up is meant for the enthusiast. Whereas, Baleno with its better space, comfort and features makes it suitable for the mature audience IMO.

[shankar.balan]

Originally Posted by shubhgala9699

gh the forums and watching all YouTube reviews about the new Swift/Dzire and a thought came to mind, why not buy a budgeted small car (beater) with an Automatic transmission to take care of the city drives,

I considered Suzuki to be one of the best contenders to go for, that fit the aforementioned criterias and also fit my budget requirements (10L, stretched to 12L on-road, Mumbai)
P.S - I only consider the top of the line variants of cars while making a purchase decision or I start feeling as if I missed out on the best that could have been offered (just a quirk of mine, I apologise)

P.S - I am personally of the opinion that the Swift in itself is a brand, which has a lot of aspirational value, something I'll be happy to have in my garage, and not to mention that helps with the resale quotient as well. (Just my thoughts)

!

I wholeheartedly endorse your choice. Being as I am, a Suzuki aficionado myself. I love Japan, their culture, their spirit, their design, innovation and engineering and their pragmatism.

And these are beautifully exemplified by their wonderful, practical little Kei cars, of which the Swift is one. Perfect for our tight-squeeze cities and narrow roads, hills and squeezy parking spaces in India.

My wife had a first gen Swift from 2006 upto 2010. That wonderful little 1.3 litre G13BB engine - same as the Esteem and Gypsy but packaged in a tight little baby hatch with a classic short throw clicky Suzuki gearbox. That car was just fun.

And honestly if I drove that to my office instead of my then Scorpio, I would save a clean 10 minutes on my commute of 10 Kms.




That first gen Swift still holds a special place in my world. So when I visited Japan I made a pilgrimage to the Home of Suzuki in Hamamatsu.






The Swift looks especially delicious (always has) in Bright Red. Very very pretty car. (Somehow the 1st and 3rd Gen looked best, to my eyes. But the 4th gen is a close contender.




Perfect for city use and worth buying it ‘eyes closed’.
Maruti is Maruti and frankly they and Hyundai make the best sense when you’re considering a petrol powered small hatch, city commuter here in India.

[Rolwynj]

Ignis is quite underrated and it perfectly fits your requirement. Or next choice should be Toyota Glanza. (Same as Baleno + beige interior and beautiful alloys).

[shubhgala9699]

Originally Posted by shankar.balan

I wholeheartedly endorse your choice. Being as I am, a Suzuki aficionado myself. I love Japan, their culture, their spirit, their design, innovation and engineering and their pragmatism.

Perfect for city use and worth buying it ‘eyes closed’.
Maruti is Maruti and frankly they and Hyundai make the best sense when you’re considering a petrol powered small hatch, city commuter here in India.

Thankyou for the lovely comments! Japanese are undisputedly the best, and even though I'm still torn between the choice, but I'll still not waver to any other brands in the competition as of now

Originally Posted by Phantom 510

Swift with its quick steering, superb driving position and taut suspension set up is meant for the enthusiast. Whereas, Baleno with its better space, comfort and features makes it suitable for the mature audience IMO.

Choosing between the youthful and the matured guy in me has been tough for this exact reason!

Originally Posted by Rolwynj

Ignis is quite underrated and it perfectly fits your requirement. Or next choice should be Toyota Glanza. (Same as Baleno + beige interior and beautiful alloys).

I agree, it's quite a good VFM package for the price and category it falls in. Though for me personally, the compact interiors and the rear design (somewhat ugly) were some of the reasons to not consider this car in my choices; some other reasons being the vague steering response and the jerky AMT gearbox which is not similarly tuned as the Swift/Baleno.

Glanza was the next best choice, but after reading on the forum about the costly maintenance/service affairs at the Toyota ASS, I happily refrained myself from choosing it over Baleno, lovely car though, the interiors do look airy and refreshing.

A genuine thanks for the recommendation, but I think I'll be sticking with my original dilemma as of now!

[shankar.balan]

Originally Posted by shubhgala9699

Japanese are undisputedly the best,

I agree, it's quite a good VFM package for the price and category it falls in. jerky AMT gearbox which is not similarly tuned as the Swift/Baleno.

Glanza was the next best choice, but after reading on the forum about the costly maintenance/service affairs at the Toyota ASS, I

Actually the Koreans too are quite up there with the Japanese. And now the Chinese have moved way beyond everyone else.
Coming back;
The Ignis is definitely a superb compact little beater. I wanted to recommend it but I observed your heart seemed set on Swift.
I bought a Glanza 6 years ago for my Parents. My dad uses it daily. Automatic CVT. Very comfortable car to drive and to sit in. A sedate driver will love it. Really excellent as a city commuter but a little biggish compared to the Swift.
It is a bit of a myth that Toyota Service is expensive. Not true. All you need to do is go and make friends with the Service folks and specifically tell them you do not want any of the add ons that they offer. Just the basic servicing is fine. Problem with the newer generation Baleno and Glanza AT is that they come with only the AMT and not the CVT.
All things considered I’d go with the Swift for its compact dimensions and sporty looks. Especially in that lovely red.

[shubhgala9699]

Originally Posted by shankar.balan

Actually the Koreans too are quite up there with the Japanese. And now the Chinese have moved way beyond everyone else.
Coming back;
The Ignis is definitely a superb compact little beater. I wanted to recommend it but I observed your heart seemed set on Swift.
I bought a Glanza 6 years ago for my Parents. My dad uses it daily. Automatic CVT. Very comfortable car to drive and to sit in. A sedate driver will love it. Really excellent as a city commuter but a little biggish compared to the Swift.
It is a bit of a myth that Toyota Service is expensive. Not true. All you need to do is go and make friends with the Service folks and specifically tell them you do not want any of the add ons that they offer. Just the basic servicing is fine. Problem with the newer generation Baleno and Glanza AT is that they come with only the AMT and not the CVT.
All things considered I’d go with the Swift for its compact dimensions and sporty looks. Especially in that lovely red.

I don't think I'll ever be able to purchase a Chinese no matter how good they get
Koreans are great as well, owning an i20 N-Line right now and it's serving us very well, we love driving it.

As for the Ignis, for the reasons stated in the above thread's posts, I'm currently keeping it out of consideration.

The downgrade in gearboxes from Cvt to Amt is definitely a big factor, but atleast the 1.2L 4-cylinder K-series flagship engine is retained, and that coupled with the additional feel good features in the Baleno is keeping it head to head in comparison with Swift.

[Random_Alien]

Here's another idea: if you're open to the used market, you may find some gems there. Polo, Figo, Punto, Ecosport, i20, you name it and the market will have it!

[Sidban85]

Considering a hatchback for my senior citizen family members to replace a 13 year old Brio.

Read the ground clearance of Swift is low. Have you folks faced issues in city speedbreakers in Bangalore?

[yedukrishnan199]

Originally Posted by Sidban85

Considering a hatchback for my senior citizen family members to replace a 13 year old Brio.

Read the ground clearance of Swift is low. Have you folks faced issues in city speedbreakers in Bangalore?

The ground clearance of the Swift is lower than the other hatchbacks in this segment at just 163mm, while this will not pose an issue on well-maintained roads. Bangalore's notorious speedbreakers can pose a challenge, especially when the car is fully loaded. There have been issues with a few of my friends' cars where the underbody gets scraped on large speed bumps. Careful driving and approaching the speed breakers at an angle can help mitigate the issue.

Since you are considering a car for your senior family members, it would be wise to look for a crossover kind of vehicle, which helps in both ground clearance and with better ingress and egress.

Cars like the Magnite/Kiger (although not the most popular or best-selling ones), Hyundai Exter, Tata Punch, and Maruti Suzuki Fronx could be better options.

[rroy92]

Something of interest : Apparently the suspension mounting points are the same for the 3rd gen and the new 2024 Swift. So it should be possible to retrofit the new suspension in the outgoing older version.

src: MotorInc (2:20)

https://youtu.be/N3tybvkARJc?si=vNtY40CgfPRdsoXm&t=139