Ever since Maruti launched the Swift a few days back, people have been divided over its pricing. Now it was always a pricey car no doubt but in its latest avatar, prices of the Swift are very close to Maruti Baleno which is a segment above in the premium hatchback segment.
The Baleno is retailed via Maruti’s Nexa chain of premium dealerships whereas Swift is retailed via the Arena chain of dealerships. We are going to find out which Maruti hatchback offers better value for money.
Maruti Swift Vs Maruti Baleno: Dimensions
| Dimensions | 2024 Maruti Swift | Maruti Baleno |
| Length | 3860 mm | 3990 mm |
| Width | 1735 mm | 1745 mm |
| Height | 1520 mm | 1500 mm |
| Wheelbase | 2450 mm | 2520 mm |
| Boot Space | 265 litres | 318 litres |
The new Swift is shorter, narrower but taller than Baleno. In the real world too, the Baleno is more spacious than Swift. In fact, Baleno is also the more practical option given that it offers a larger 318 litre boot as compared to the 265 litre boot offered in the new-gen Swift.
Maruti Swift Vs Maruti Baleno: Features
The Swift has received a significant overhaul in terms of features. In fact, almost the entire equipment offered in the new-gen Swift and Baleno are common. This includes features like leather wrapped steering wheel, auto climate control, 9-inch touchscreen infotainment display, wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, automatic headlights with follow me home function, electrically adjustable and auto-folding ORVMs, etc.
The only difference is the Swift gets a wireless charging pad which the Baleno misses out on and the Baleno gets a Head-up display which Swift misses out on.
Maruti Swift Vs Maruti Baleno: Engine
Maruti Swift gets a brand new 1.2-litre 3-cylinder Z-series petrol engine whereas the Baleno gets a 1.2-litre 4-cylinder K12 petrol mill. The latter offers better power and torque outputs but the new Z-series motor offers better fuel efficiency, at least on paper. Therefore, it depends on what the owner desires more, performance or mileage.
| Engine Specs | 2024 Maruti Swift | Maruti Baleno |
| Displacement | 1.2-litre 3-cyl petrol | 1.2-litre 4-cyl petrol |
| Power | 81 bhp | 89 bhp |
| Torque | 112 Nm | 113 Nm |
| Transmission | 5-speed MT / 5-speed AMT | 5-speed MT / 5-speed AMT |
| Claimed Fuel Economy | 25.75 km/l (AMT) & 24.80 km/l (MT) | 22.94 km/l (AMT),22.35 km/l (MT) &30.61 km/kg (CNG) |
Maruti Swift Vs Maruti Baleno: Price & Verdict
The new-gen Maruti Swift is more affordable than the Maruti Baleno in both entry-level and top-spec variants, but the price gap between the two hatchbacks is smaller than before. The base-spec Baleno is Rs 17,000 more expensive than the corresponding new-gen Swift whereas the premium hatch is Rs 39,000 dearer than the top-spec Swift.
| 2024 Maruti Swift | Maruti Baleno |
| Rs 6.49 lakh to Rs 9.65 lakh (introductory) | Rs 6.66 to Rs 9.88 lakh |
It is very hard to choose between either of them but given the negligible price gap, it would make better sense to opt for the bigger and more premium and powerful car in the form of Baleno.
