New Maruti Swift Dzire 2012 Petrol Vs Toyota Etios Petrol
Maruti has recently launched the new 2012 Swift Dzire and it will be less costly than the model it replaces because it ducks under the four-metre length, which means reduced excise taxes on the vehicle. Without any doubt, it is one of the most affordable petrol-engined sedans in the Indian market and is also a hit among buyers because it is loaded with features, has good service backup affordable spares, high re-sale value and excellent ride and handling.
The Toyota Etios Petrol was launched more than a year back and initially it sold in quite decent numbers but as petrol prices shot up, enthusiasm for it hit a low and people started waiting for the diesel-powered model which was launched recently. In this article we pit the new Dzire petrol against the Etios petrol and find out which is the better car overall and which one you should put your money down for.
Photo Credit: Hotnewscars.com/suzuki/suzuki-swift-dzire-an-elegant-car.html
The Toyota Etios is a proper three box sedan compared to the Maruti Dzire which is a notchback. The cabin of the Etios is spacious and the boot is large enough to accommodate lot of luggage, which makes it a ideal for long road trips. It is also one of the largest selling cars in the Toyota range.
The Dzire has always been at the top of the sales chart and it will be no different with the current model too. The Dzire has been so successful that buyers prefer it over the larger, pricier and better Maruti SX4.
Photo Credit: Toyotacarpictures.in/2012-toyota-etios
Dimensionally, the Etios is 4265mm long with a wheelbase of 2550mm compared to Dzire’s length of 3995mm and wheelbase of 2550mm. Both cars have the same width at 1695mm, while the Dzire is taller at 1555mm compared to Etios’ height of 1510mm. Both cars have a similar ground clearance of 170mm.
New Maruti Swift Dzire 2012 Petrol Vs Toyota Etios Petrol
Design
The exterior styling on both cars is not ground breaking. The Etios has been built by Toyota strictly to offer the masses a cheap to buy and cheap to live with car, so its looks are bland as styling it adventurously would have resulted in costs rising and it would have been beyond the reach of most buyers.
The Dzire is based on the Swift so it retains the hatchback’s good looks, though the boot isn’t the most good looking feature of the car.
On the interior, Toyota has followed the same philosophy as with the exterior styling. Though the space inside is very good and five persons can be easily accommodated, the design of the cabin is staid.
Compared to the Etios, the interior of the Dzire is smaller but it is more cheerful with a combination of grey and beige brightening up the cabin. The design of the dash in the Dzire is much better than that on the Toyota.
Powerplant & Performance
The Maruti Dzire is equipped with a 1200cc multipoint fuel injection system (MPFI) K12 M petrol engine having VVTI tech. The power output is 86bhp at 6000rpm while peak torque generated is 114Nm at 4000rpm. According to ARAI, the mileage of the Dzire is 19kmpl.
Photo Credit: Newsbeats.in/auto/maruti-launched-swift-dzire-2012-price-in-india
The standard transmission on the Dzire is a five-speed manual, while a four-speed automatic is available as option only on the Vxi model. The power to weight ratio is 88bhp/ton and this makes the Dzire go from 0-100kmph in a time of 12.6 seconds.
The Toyota Etios is powered by a petrol MPFI, 4-cylinder 16V, direct overhead camshaft (DOHC) 1496cc engine having an output of 89bhp at 5600rpm and torque of 132NM at 3000rpm. The mileage of the vehicle is 17.6kmpl and it has a power to weight ratio of 97.3bhp/ton, which is more than that of the Dzire.
Photo Credit: Bestsellingcarsblog.com/2012/01/06/india-full-year-2011-maruti-alto-leads-for-7th-consecutive-year-december-2011-toyota-has-its-best-month-ever/toyota-etios-india-december-2011
With a bigger engine and good power to weight ratio, the Etios, which is lighter than the Dzire by 30kg, performs better on the road than the Dzire, but the Maruti is more frugal.
Ride & Handling
Though the Etios has more power and torque, which makes it more agile, the Dzire has more sharper handling and the steering setup imparts more feedback. The Etios though has the better ride comfort owing to the longer length and wheelbase.
Sum Up & Price
The prices of different variants of Maruti Swift Dzire 2012 petrol (ex-showroom, Delhi) are: LXi (manual transmission) Rs 4.79 lakh; Vxi (manual transmission) Rs 5.32 lakh; Vxi (automatic transmission) Rs 6.54 lakh; ZXi (manual transmission) Rs. 6.19 lakh. The price of Toyota Etios petrol (ex-showroom Delhi) variants is: J Rs 5.04 lakh; G Rs 5.59 lakh; G with Safety Package Rs 6.06 lakh.
The Etios V is priced at Rs 6.57lakh while the top of the range VX retails for Rs 7.04lakh. The price difference between the base version of the two cars is around Rs 25,000, while the price difference between the top version is Rs 85,000.
This makes the Dzire a more value for money car. If you want lot of space and luggage-carrying capacity, the Etios will fit the bill nicely. However, overall, the Dzire is the better car here, because not only it is cheap, fun to drive and sporty, it looks better and is more economical to run and the top of the range ZXi model comes with a host of safety features.
