Maruti Suzuki launched the new Swift in India at the Auto Expo 2018 at a starting price of Rs 4.99 lakh. Maruti’s other premium hatchback, the Baleno, starts Rs 37,000 higher, at Rs 5.36 lakh. Both these are not natural rivals as the Baleno is a bigger hatchback. But since prices of some variants of these cars overlap, there is bound to be some confusion when shopping for a premium Maruti hatchback.
So, which car should you buy: Baleno or the Swift 2018? Also, which variant makes the most sense? Read on for the answers.
Understanding the cars
There’s a lot in common between the Swift and the Baleno, like the platform on which they ride, the engines, and the features too. But there’s still a lot that separates them.
| Dimensions | Maruti Swift 2018 | Maruti Baleno |
| L x W x H (all in mm) | 3840 x 1735 x 1530 | 3995 x 1745 x 1510 |
| Wheelbase (mm) | 2450 | 2520 |
| Ground clearance (mm) | 163 | 170 |
| Boot space (litres) | 268 | 339 |
| Swift petrol | Baleno petrol | Swift diesel | Baleno diesel | |
| Displacement | 1197cc | 1197cc | 1248cc | 1248cc |
| Max. power | 83PS@6000rpm | 84PS@6000rpm | 75PS@4000rpm | 75PS@4000rpm |
| Max. torque | 113Nm@4200rpm | 115Nm@4000rpm | 190Nm@2000rpm | 190Nm@2000rpm |
| Transmission | 5MT / 5AMT | 5MT / CVT | 5MT / 5AMT | 5MT |
| Claimed FE | 22kmpl | 21.4kmpl | 28.4kmpl | 27.39kmpl |
Some major differences:
| Swift | Baleno |
| Compact but not small The Swift is smaller in size than the Baleno and is also less spacious on the inside. However, three in the backseat over shorter distances won’t complain. | Bigger and more spacious The Baleno’s rear bench can accommodate three passengers in better comfort compared to the Swift. It also has the bigger boot. So it’s better for those who go out for road trips with family or friends more often. |
| Firm ride but not uncomfortable The Swift’s ride is on the firmer side although it’s not bone-jarring. But road uncertainties filter into its cabin more compared to the Baleno. | Deals with potholed roads better The Baleno is comfortable at most speeds. The suspension setup soaks road inconsistencies better than the Swift. |
| Driver’s car The stiffer suspension setup results in a better handling package. The Swift should be more confident in tackling twisties than the Baleno. | Family car While the Baleno is based on the same platform as the Swift, it’s not as agile as the latter. Instead, it is more focused on delivering ride comfort. |
| Variety of powertrain options Both petrol and diesel engines in the Swift come paired with a manual as well as an AMT (automated manual transmission) option. AMT is more affordable than a CVT (continuously variable transmission). | Better technology The diesel Baleno is available only with a manual transmission. However, the petrol engine comes with the option of a CVT as well. The drive experience of a CVT is more refined compared to an AMT, in which gear shifts are often accompanied by some power loss which results in headnod. |
| Better resale value The Swift is a successful nameplate in India and has always been in demand in the used car space. The new one is also expected to sell well and is, therefore, expected to have better resale value than most of its contemporaries. | Imperfect past, glorious present The Baleno sedan didn’t do well in India but that’s history. The hatchback is going strong on the sales chart, so resale value should not be a matter of concern. |
If, at this point, you have managed to shortlist one of the two cars based on its size, powertrain or ride, then head to the respective car’s “Variants Explained” article (link below) to find out which variant you should buy. But if you’re still confused whether to buy the Swift or the Baleno, keep reading.
Variants of the Maruti Suzuki Swift 2018 are explained here. Click here for the Baleno’s “Variants Explained” story.
Swift 2018 vs Baleno: Which One Is More Value For Money?
Well, the answer to that also depends on the money you are willing to spend. In the table below, we have listed down the car and the variant to buy depending on your budget.
| PETROL | |||
| Case | Budget (on-road) | Most VFM car model and variant | On-road Delhi price |
| Case 1 | Rs 5.5 lakh | Swift Lxi | Rs 5,45,129 |
| Case 2 | Rs 6 lakh | Swift Lxi with added features | Rs 5,45,129+ |
| Case 3 | Rs 6.5 lakh | Personalised Swift Lxi | Rs 6,58,029 |
| Case 4 | Rs 7 lakh | Personalised Swift Lxi with added features | Rs 6,58,029+ |
| Case 5 | Rs 7.5 lakh | Baleno Zeta | Rs 7,43,544 |
| Case 6 | Rs 8 lakh | Baleno Zeta with added features | Rs 7,43,544+ |
| Case 7 | Rs 8.5 lakh | Baleno Zeta with added features | Rs 7,43,544+ |
| DIESEL | |||
| Case | Budget (on-road) | Most VFM car model and variant | On-road Delhi price |
| Case 1 | Rs 7 lakh | Swift Ldi | Rs 6,58,314 |
| Case 2 | Rs 7.5 lakh | Swift Ldi with added features | Rs 7,33,944 |
| Case 3 | Rs 8 lakh | Personalised Swift Ldi | Rs 7,74,414 |
| Case 4 | Rs 8.5 lakh | Personalised Swift Ldi | Rs 7,74,414 |
| Case 5 | Rs 9 lakh | Baleno Zeta | Rs 8,82,007 |
| Case 6 | Over Rs 9 lakh | Baleno Zeta with added features | Rs 8,82,007+ |
How did we arrive at this conclusion? Scroll down to find out.
PETROL - Swift vs Baleno
Case 1: Budget = Rs 5.5 lakh (on-road)
Car to buy: Swift Lxi
Reason: Budget constraint
| Within Rs 5.5 lakh | Swift Lxi |
| Ex-showroom price (with 2 year standard warranty) | Rs 4,99,000 |
| Zero Dep insurance | Rs 18,554 |
| Registration charges + HP | Rs 22,503 |
| Fast Tag | Rs 600 |
| Auto Card / Nexa Card | Rs 472 |
| MCD Parking Charges | Rs 4,000 |
| On-road Price | Rs 5,45,129 |
Below are the features the Swift Lxi gets as standard, plus the ones it misses out on:
| What it gets | What it doesn’t |
| Air conditioner | No mirror on passenger-side sunvisor |
| Front accessory socket (so you can charge your phone with car charger) | Front seatbelts with pretensioner & load limiter |
| ABS, EBD, Brake Assist | No tachometer |
| 2 airbags | No music system, although roof antenna is present |
| Manually adjustable ORVMs | Steel wheels without wheel covers |
| Black ORVMs and door handles | |
| Body-coloured bumpers | |
| ISOFIX anchorages | |
| Tilt-adjustable steering |
Case 2: Budget = Rs 6 lakh (on-road)
Car to buy: Swift Lxi with added features
Reason: Swift Lxi & Baleno Sigma fall within the budget. You can buy the Swift Lxi and save Rs 40,000 over the Baleno Sigma. This amount can be used to get basic equipment like a music system, seat covers, floor mats and even the features that the Baleno Sigma gets.
| Within Rs 6 lakh | Swift Lxi | Baleno Sigma |
| Ex-showroom price (with 2 year standard warranty) | Rs 4,99,000 | Rs 5,35,872 |
| Zero Dep insurance | Rs 18,554 | Rs 19,598 |
| Registration charges + HP | Rs 22,503 | Rs 23, 978 |
| Fast Tag | Rs 600 | Rs 600 |
| Auto Card / Nexa Card | Rs 472 | Rs 1,180 |
| MCD Parking Charges | Rs 4,000 | Rs 4,000 |
| On-road Price | Rs 5,45,129 | Rs 5,85,228 |
| Additional features (over each other) | ||
| X | Body-coloured door handles | |
| X | Body-coloured ORVMs | |
| X | Central locking | |
| X | Front power windows | |
Takeaway: There’s a difference of around Rs 40,000 between the on-road price of the Swift Lxi and the Baleno Sigma. Front power windows and central locking for the Swift will cost around Rs 10,000 (in total) from Maruti Suzuki. You can get them installed at a lower price from the aftermarket but that would void the standard warranty. Door handles and ORVMs can be painted for around Rs 5,000 and that won’t affect the warranty.
Our advice: Buy the Swift and get power windows, central locking and music system installed from Maruti Suzuki since these features are a must-have these days. Set aside a maximum budget of Rs 30,000 for this. The range of 2-DIN music system units from Maruti Suzuki starts from Rs 8,288 and there are quite a few options within Rs 20,000. If you spend Rs 30,000 on these you’ll still have Rs 10,000 for floor mats and seat covers, which you can buy from the aftermarket as well. Note that you’ll have to buy floor mats, seat covers and music system for the Baleno Sigma as well.
Even after getting all of the above accessories, you would still have about Rs 15,000 left (budget is Rs 6 lakh) to spend on further kitting up the Swift Lxi.
Case 3: Budget = Rs 6.5 lakh (on-road)
Car to buy: Personalised Swift Lxi
Reason: Both the Swift Vxi and Baleno Delta do not justify the incremental value over their previous variants
| Within Rs 6.5 lakh | Swift Lxi | Swift Vxi | Baleno Delta |
| Ex-showroom price (with 2 year standard warranty) | Rs 4,99,000 | Rs 5,87,000 | Rs 5,99,500 |
| Zero Dep insurance | Rs 18,554 | Rs 21,188 | Rs 21,503 |
| Registration charges + HP | Rs 22,503 | Rs 26,023 | Rs 26,523 |
| Fast Tag | Rs 600 | Rs 600 | Rs 600 |
| Auto Card / Nexa Card | Rs 472 | Rs 472 | Rs 1,180 |
| MCD Parking Charges | Rs 4,000 | Rs 4,000 | Rs 4,000 |
| On-road Price | Rs 5,45,129 | Rs 6,39,283 | Rs 6,53,306 |
| Key additional features (over Swift Lxi) | |||
| Body coloured door handles | Body coloured door handles | ||
| Body coloured ORVMs with turn indicators | Body coloured ORVMs with turn indicators | ||
| Wheel covers | Wheel covers | ||
| Speed sensitive door lock | *Not mentioned in brochure | ||
| Central locking | Central locking | ||
| Music system with steering controls | Music system with steering controls | ||
| Keyless entry | Keyless entry | ||
| All 4 power windows | All 4 power windows | ||
| Electrically adjustable ORVMs | Electrically adjustable & foldable ORVMs | ||
| Height adjustable driver seat | X | ||
| X | Defogger | ||
| X | Reverse parking sensors | ||
| X | Rear wiper/washer | ||
| X | Automatic AC | ||
| X | Rear seat adjustable headrest | ||
Takeaway: Clearly, the Baleno Delta is the most feature-loaded car here, at at price of Rs 6.53 lakh on-road. However, our Baleno Variants Explained story reveals that it is not the most value for money variant of the Baleno as the additional features you get over the Baleno Sigma don’t justify the corresponding increase in price. Same is the case with the Swift Vxi.
The Swift Lxi costs Rs 5.45 lakh on-road so you have about Rs 1 lakh spare that can be spent on the car to personalise it and take it up to the Baleno Delta’s level. But even then, you won’t be able to get features like auto AC, defogger, rear wiper/washer and rear adjustable headrests. But what you can get is things like alloy wheels, infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, fog lights, front armrest, all basic things like seat covers and floor mats and personalise the interior and exterior with offerings from Maruti Suzuki. So, while you might have to spend some more money on the Baleno for seat covers and other basic accessories, you can have a fairly loaded Swift at that price.
Our advice: Those who don’t want much flash and feel that they’d be happy to overspend on their car for features like auto AC, defogger and rear wiper and washer can go for the Baleno. Otherwise, go for the Swift and personalise it according to your taste. Here’s one example.
| Personalised Swift Lxi | Price |
| Swift Lxi | Rs 5,45,129 |
| Exterior styling kit (MGA) | Rs 15,990 |
| Roof wrap (MGA) | Rs 2,990 |
| 2DIN system with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto (MGA) | Rs 26,990 |
| Alloy wheels (MGA) | Rs 27,960 |
| Rear upper spoiler (MGA) | Rs 3,490 |
| Front grille black finish (MGA) | Rs 1,490 |
| Central locking + keyless entry (MGA) | Rs 10,000 (approx) |
| Rear parking sensors + camera (MGA) | Rs 14,990 |
| Power windows (MGA) | Rs 9000 (approx) |
| Total cost | Rs 6,58,029 |
Case 4: Budget = Rs 7 lakh (on-road)
Car to buy: Personalised Swift Lxi with added features
Reason: The Swift Zxi and Baleno Zeta, the respective variants over the Swift Vxi and Baleno Delta, are not available at an on-road price of under Rs 7 lakh. Equipping the Baleno Delta with features like touchscreen audio system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto with rear parking camera and alloy wheels -- already a part of our personalised Swift Lxi -- will take the cost over Rs 7 lakh. So it’s better to either equip the already personalised Swift Lxi with more equipment or save the money.
Case 5: Budget = Rs 7.5 lakh (on-road)
Car to buy: Baleno Zeta
Reason: The personalised Swift Lxi can’t be equipped with most of the features that the Baleno Zeta gets standard. The Baleno Zeta justifies the incremental cost over the personalised Swift Lxi.
| Within Rs 7.5 lakh | Personalised Swift Lxi | Swift Zxi | Baleno Zeta |
| Ex-showroom price (with 2 year standard warranty) | Rs 4,99,000 | Rs 6,49,000 | Rs 6,65,189 |
| Zero Dep insurance | Rs 18,554 | Rs 23,046 | Rs 23,469 |
| Registration charges + HP | Rs 22,503 | Rs 47,973 | Rs 49,106 |
| Fast Tag | Rs 600 | Rs 600 | Rs 600 |
| Auto Card / Nexa Card | Rs 472 | Rs 472 | Rs 1,180 |
| MCD Parking Charges | Rs 4,000 | Rs 4,000 | Rs 4,000 |
| On-road Price with personalisation | Rs 6,58,029 | Rs 7,25,091 | Rs 7,43,544 |
| Key features | |||
| Alloy wheels | Alloy wheels | Alloy wheels | |
| Manual black coloured ORVMs | Electrically adjustable and retractable body coloured ORVMs with turn indicators | Electrically adjustable and retractable body coloured ORVMs with turn indicators | |
| X (can be easily fitted) | Leather wrapped steering | Leather wrapped steering | |
| Reverse parking sensors with camera | Reverse parking sensors | Reverse parking sensors | |
| X (can be easily fitted) | Front fog lamps | Front fog lamps | |
| Touchscreen audio system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto; minus steering controls | Audio system with steering-mounted controls and 2 tweeters | Audio system with steering-mounted controls and 2 tweeters | |
| X | Push start/stop button | Push start/stop button | |
| X | Automatic AC | Automatic AC | |
| X | Rear wiper, washer and defogger | Rear wiper, washer and defogger | |
| X | Height-adjustable driver seat | Height-adjustable driver seat | |
| X | 60:40 split rear seat | 60:40 split rear seat | |
| X | X | UV-cut glass | |
| X | X | Auto headlamps | |
| X | X | Auto dimming IRVM | |
| Tilt steering | Tilt steering | Tilt and telescopic steering | |
| X | X | Follow-me-home headlamps | |
| X (can be easily fitted) | X | Front armrest | |
Takeaway: The Baleno Zeta is not only more feature-rich than the personalised Swift Lxi, it also gets more equipment than the Swift Zxi. More importantly, some of the fitments on the Baleno Zeta like telescopic steering adjustment, auto dimming IRVM, and UV-cut glass can’t be fitted onto other cars. So the Baleno Zeta will justify the additional money you’ll spend on it over both the personalised Swift Lxi (around Rs 86,000) and the Swift Zxi (around Rs 18,000).
Our advice: If you have Rs 7.5 lakh to spend on one of these two hatchbacks, buy the Baleno Zeta.
Case 6 and 7: Budget = Rs 8 lakh and Rs 8.5 lakh (on-road)
Car to buy in both cases: Baleno Zeta with added features
Reason: Incremental cost to buy the Swift Zxi+ or Baleno Alpha is not worth the extra toppings they get over the Baleno Zeta.
| Within Rs 8 lakh and Rs 8.5 lakh | Baleno Zeta | Swift Zxi+ | Baleno Alpha |
| Ex-showroom price (with 2 year standard warranty) | Rs 6,65,189 | Rs 7,29,000 | Rs 7,35,761 |
| Zero Dep insurance | Rs 23,469 | Rs 25,382 | Rs 25,582 |
| Registration charges + HP | Rs 49,106 | Rs 53,573 | Rs 54,046 |
| Fast Tag | Rs 600 | Rs 600 | Rs 600 |
| Auto Card / Nexa Card | Rs 1,180 | Rs 472 | Rs 1,180 |
| MCD Parking Charges | Rs 4,000 | Rs 4,000 | Rs 4,000 |
| Rs 7,43,544 | Rs 8,13,027 | Rs 8,21,169 | |
| Key features | |||
| Leather-wrapped steering | Leather-wrapped steering | Leather-wrapped steering | |
| Reverse parking sensors | Reverse parking sensors with camera | Reverse parking sensors with camera | |
| Automatic AC | Automatic AC | Automatic AC | |
| UV-cut glass | X | UV-cut glass | |
| Auto headlamps | Auto headlamps | Auto headlamps | |
| Auto dimming IRVMs | X | Auto dimming IRVMs | |
| Tilt and telescopic steering | Tilt steering | Tilt and telescopic steering | |
| Follow-me-home headlamps | X | Follow-me-home headlamps | |
| Front armrest | X | Front armrest | |
| Halogen reflector-type headlamps | LED projector headlamps with LED DRLs | Bi-Xenon projector headamps with LED DRLs | |
| Regular audio system | Smartplay infotainment system | Smartplay infotainment system | |
Takeaway: The Baleno Zeta is approximately Rs 70,000 cheaper than the Swift Zxi+, which gets LED headlamps with DRLs and Smartplay infotainment system with rear parking camera that the Baleno Zeta doesn’t get. There are some features that the Baleno Zeta gets and the Swift Zxi+ doesn’t, like auto-dimming IRVM, telescopic steering, UV-cut glass, front armrest and follow-me-home headlamps. The fact is, most of these features can’t be fitted into the Swift Zxi+ while you can have the Smartplay infotainment system with parking camera that the Swift Zxi+ gets fitted in the Baleno Zeta.
The Baleno Alpha gets bi-xenon projector headlamps, LED DRLs, and Smartplay infotainment system with parking camera for an additional amount of around Rs 78,000 over the Baleno Zeta.
Our advice: Buy the Baleno Zeta and if you really feel the need to have Apple CarPlay and Android Auto in your car, go for MGA’s infotainment system that costs Rs 26,990. Add the parking camera to it, which is worth Rs 4,590, from MGA. That will take the cost of the Baleno Zeta to around Rs 7.75 lakh. Use the remaining amount (around Rs 25,000 in case 6 and Rs 75,000 in case 7) to kit up your ride further.
DIESEL - Baleno Vs Swift
Case 1: Budget = Rs 7 lakh (on-road)
Car to buy: Swift Ldi
Reason: Budget constraint
| Variants within Rs 7 lakh | Swift Ldi |
| Ex-showroom price (with 2 year standard warranty) | Rs 5,99,000 |
| Zero Dep insurance | Rs 21,749 |
| Registration charges + HP | Rs 32,493 |
| Fast Tag | Rs 600 |
| Auto Card / Nexa Card | Rs 472 |
| MCD Parking Charges | Rs 4,000 |
| On-road Price | Rs 6,58,314 |
The Swift Ldi gets and misses out on the following features:
| What it gets | What it doesn’t |
| Air conditioner | No mirror on passenger-side sunvisor |
| Front accessory socket (so you can charge your phone with car charger) | Front seatbelts with pretensioner & load limiter |
| ABS, EBD, Brake Assist | No tachometer |
| 2 airbags | No music system but roof antenna |
| Manually adjustable ORVMs | Steel wheels without wheel covers |
| Black ORVMs and door handles | |
| Body-coloured bumpers | |
| ISOFIX anchorages | |
| Tilt-adjustable steering |
Takeaway: The Swift’s base Ldi variant, which is priced at Rs 5.99 lakh ex-showroom, is Rs 52,000 (approximately) cheaper than the Baleno’s base Sigma variant. However, when you factor in the taxes to calculate the on-road price of both these cars in Delhi, the difference between the price jumps to Rs 80,000 (approximately), as road tax for private buyers on cars with ex-showroom price under Rs 6 lakh is 5 per cent and for cars with ex-showroom price over Rs 6 lakh is 8.75 per cent. So, it’s only the Swift diesel that is available within Rs 7 lakh (on-road price) in Delhi.
Our advice: Buy the Swift Ldi and equip it with all basic things like central locking, power windows and a music system.
Case 2: Budget = Rs 7.5 lakh (on-road)
Car to buy: Swift Ldi with added features
Reason: The Swift Ldi costs significantly less than the Baleno Sigma and the savings can be used to add features that you want in your car
| Within Rs 7.5 lakh | Swift Ldi | Baleno Sigma |
| Ex-showroom price (with 2 year standard warranty) | Rs 5,99,000 | Rs 6,51,119 |
| Zero Dep insurance | Rs 21,749 | Rs 23,267 |
| Registration charges + HP | Rs 32,493 | Rs 59,516 |
| Fast Tag | Rs 600 | Rs 600 |
| Auto Card / Nexa Card | Rs 472 | Rs 1,180 |
| MCD Parking Charges | Rs 4,000 | Rs 4,000 |
| On-road Price | Rs 6,58,314 | Rs 7,39,682 |
| Additional features (over each other) | ||
| X | Body coloured door handles | |
| X | Body coloured ORVMs | |
| X | Central locking | |
| X | Front power windows | |
Takeaway: There’s a difference of around Rs 80,000 between the on-road price of the Swift Ldi and the Baleno Sigma. On top of that, you have around Rs 10,000 in hand if you have a budget of Rs 7.5 lakh.
Our advice: Buy the Swift Ldi and get all the basic equipment you need in your car. Here’s one example:
| Swift Ldi with added features | Price |
| Swift Ldi | Rs 6,58,314 |
| Central locking + keyless entry (MGA) | Rs 10,000 (approx) |
| Rear parking sensors + camera (MGA) | Rs 14,990 |
| Power windows (MGA) | Rs 9000 (approx) |
| Camera compatible touchscreen audio system (MGA) | Rs 17,990 |
| Painted door handles and ORVMs | Rs 5,000 |
| Wheel covers (MGA) | Rs 1,960 |
| Floor mats and seat covers | Rs 10,000 |
| Leather wrapped steering | Rs 3,000 |
| Front fog lamps (MGA) | Rs 3,690 |
| Total | Rs 7,33,944 |
Case 3: Budget = Rs 8 lakh (on-road)
Car to buy: Personalised Swift Ldi
Reason: Both the Swift Vdi and Baleno Delta do not justify the incremental value over their previous variants
| Variants within Rs 8 lakh | Swift Ldi with added features | Swift Vdi | Baleno Delta |
| Ex-showroom price (with 2 year standard warranty) | Rs 5,99,000 | Rs 6,87,000 | Rs 7,17,215 |
| Zero Dep insurance | Rs 21,749 | Rs 24,414 | Rs 25,268 |
| Registration charges + HP | Rs 32,493 | Rs 62,656 | Rs 65,299 |
| Fast Tag | Rs 600 | Rs 600 | Rs 600 |
| Auto Card / Nexa Card | Rs 472 | Rs 472 | Rs 1,180 |
| MCD Parking Charges | Rs 4,000 | Rs 4,000 | Rs 4,000 |
| Extra features | Rs 75,630 | -- | -- |
| On-road Price | Rs 7,33,944 | Rs 7,79,142 | Rs 8,13,562 |
| Key additional features | |||
| Body-coloured door handles | Body-coloured door handles | Body-coloured door handles | |
| Body-coloured ORVMs | Body-coloured ORVMs with turn indicators | Body-coloured ORVMs with turn indicators | |
| Wheel covers | Wheel covers | Wheel covers | |
| X | Speed sensitive door lock | *Not mentioned in brochure | |
| Central locking | Central locking | Central locking | |
| Touchscreen audio system with rear parking camera display | Music system with steering controls | Music system with steering controls | |
| Keyless entry | Keyless entry | Keyless entry | |
| All 4 power windows | All 4 power windows | All 4 power windows | |
| X | Electrically adjustable ORVMs | Electrically adjustable & foldable ORVMs | |
| X | Height-adjustable driver seat | X | |
| X | X | Defogger | |
| Reverse parking sensors and camera | X | Reverse parking sensors | |
| X | X | Rear wiper/washer | |
| X | X | Automatic AC | |
| X | X | Rear seat adjustable headrest | |
Takeaway: The Baleno Delta exceeds the Rs 8 lakh cap by around Rs 13,000 but it’s better VFM than the Swift Vdi as spending Rs 34,000 extra on the Baleno would give you features like automatic AC, reverse parking sensors, rear defogger, wiper and washer and adjustable headrests for the rear passengers. Importantly, some of these features can’t be fitted after purchase.
But with the Swift Ldi (with added features), you have around Rs 65,000 extra which you can further spend on the car.
Our advice: Those who don’t want much flash and feel that they’d be happy to overspend on their car for features like auto AC, defogger and rear wiper/washer can go for the Baleno. Otherwise, go for the Swift Ldi (with added features) and personalise it according to your tastes. Here’s one example of a personalised Swift Ldi that would cost Rs 7.75 lakh on-road (approx.).
| Example of a personalised Swift Ldi | Price |
| Swift Ldi | Rs 6,58,314 |
| Exterior styling kit (MGA) | Rs 15,990 |
| Roof wrap (MGA) | Rs 2,090 |
| Camera compatible touchscreen audio system (MGA) | Rs 17,990 |
| Alloy wheels (MGA) | Rs 27,960 |
| Rear upper spoiler (MGA) | Rs 3,490 |
| Front grille red garnish (MGA) | Rs 590 |
| Central locking + keyless entry (MGA) | Rs 10,000 (approx) |
| Rear parking sensors + camera (MGA) | Rs 14,990 |
| Power windows (MGA) | Rs 9000 (approx) |
| Floor mats and seat covers | Rs 10,000 |
| Leather-wrapped steering | Rs 3,000 |
| Front seat armrest | Rs 1,000 |
| Total | Rs 7,74,414 |
Case 4 and Case 5: Budget = Rs 8.5 lakh and Rs 9 lakh (on-road)
Car to buy: Personalised Swift Ldi and Baleno Zeta
Reason: The personalised Swift Ldi delivers better value over the Swift Zdi. Those who find the Swift Zdi more appealing because of the additional features that it gets over the personalised Swift Ldi should instead stretch their budget by around Rs 30,000 and go for the Baleno Zeta.
| Variants within Rs 9 lakh | Personalised Swift Ldi | Swift Zdi | Baleno Zeta |
| Ex-showroom price (with 2 year standard warranty) | Rs 4,99,000 | Rs 7,49,000 | Rs 7,78,449 |
| Zero Dep insurance | Rs 18,554 | Rs 26,292 | Rs 27,121 |
| Registration charges + HP | Rs 22,503 | Rs 68,081 | Rs 70,657 |
| Fast Tag | Rs 600 | Rs 600 | Rs 600 |
| Auto Card / Nexa Card | Rs 472 | Rs 472 | Rs 1,180 |
| MCD Parking Charges | Rs 4,000 | Rs 4,000 | Rs 4,000 |
| Personalisation | Rs 1,16,385 | -- | -- |
| On-road price | Rs 7,74,414 | Rs 8,48,445 | Rs 8,82,007 |
| Key features | |||
| Alloy wheels | Alloy wheels | Alloy wheels | |
| Manual black coloured ORVMs | Electrically adjustable and retractable body coloured ORVMs with turn indicators | Electrically adjustable and retractable body coloured ORVMs with turn indicators | |
| Leather-wrapped steering | Leather-wrapped steering | Leather-wrapped steering | |
| Reverse parking sensors with camera | Reverse parking sensors | Reverse parking sensors | |
| X | Front fog lamps | Front fog lamps | |
| Touchscreen audio system minus steering controls | Audio system with steering-mounted controls and 2 tweeters | Audio system with steering-mounted controls and 2 tweeters | |
| X | Push start/stop button | Push start/stop button | |
| X | Automatic AC | Automatic AC | |
| X | Rear wiper, washer and defogger | Rear wiper, washer and defogger | |
| X | Height adjustable driver seat | Height adjustable driver seat | |
| X | 60:40 split rear seat | 60:40 split rear seat | |
| X | X | UV cut glass | |
| X | X | Auto headlamps | |
| X | X | Auto dimming IRVM | |
| Tilt steering | Tilt steering | Tilt and telescopic steering | |
| X | X | Follow-me-home headlamps | |
| Front armrest | X | Front armrest | |
Takeaway: The Baleno’s Zeta variant, one over the Delta, costs over Rs 8.5 lakh on-road. So you’re left with two variants of the Swift - the personalised Swift Ldi and the Swift Zdi. The Swift Zdi gets features like automatic AC, push start/stop and height-adjustable driver’s seat, which you can’t have on the personalised Swift Ldi. But the Swift Zdi costs around Rs 75,000 more than the personalised Swift Ldi.
Our advice: The personalised Swift Ldi delivers more value for someone who can’t spend beyond Rs 8.5 lakh. If you see the incremental cost of the Swift Zdi over the Swift Vdi, buying the Zdi makes more sense. But there’s the Baleno Zeta as well that costs around Rs 30,000 more than the Swift Zdi and brings more value to the table with additional features like telescopic steering and auto dimming IRVM. Buyers with a Rs 9 lakh spending capacity should therefore go for the Baleno Zeta over Swift Zdi.
Case 6: Over Rs 9 lakh (on-road)
Car to buy: Baleno Zeta
Reason: Incremental cost to buy the Swift Zxi+ or Baleno Alpha is not worth the extra toppings they get over Baleno Zeta
| Variants over Rs 9 lakh | Baleno Zeta | Swift Zdi+ | Baleno Alpha |
| Ex-showroom price (with 2 year standard warranty) | Rs 7,78,449 | Rs 8,29,000 | Rs 8,49,889 |
| Zero Dep insurance | Rs 27,121 | Rs 28,656 | Rs 29,284 |
| Registration charges + HP | Rs 70,657 | Rs 75,081 | Rs 76,908 |
| Fast Tag | Rs 600 | Rs 600 | Rs 600 |
| Auto Card / Nexa Card | Rs 1,180 | Rs 472 | Rs 1,180 |
| MCD Parking Charges | Rs 4,000 | Rs 4,000 | Rs 4,000 |
| Total | Rs 8,82,007 | Rs 9,37,809 | Rs 9,61,861 |
| Key features | |||
| Leather-wrapped steering | Leather-wrapped steering | Leather-wrapped steering | |
| Reverse parking sensors | Reverse parking sensors with camera | Reverse parking sensors with camera | |
| Automatic AC | Automatic AC | Automatic AC | |
| UV-cut glass | X | UV-cut glass | |
| Auto headlamps | Auto headlamps | Auto headlamps | |
| Auto dimming IRVMs | X | Auto dimming IRVMs | |
| Tilt and telescopic steering | Tilt steering | Tilt and telescopic steering | |
| Follow-me-home headlamps | X | Follow-me-home headlamps | |
| Front armrest | X | Front armrest | |
| Halogen reflector-type headlamps | LED projector headlamps with LED DRLs | Bi-Xenon projector headamps with LED DRLs | |
| Regular audio system | Smartplay infotainment system | Smartplay infotainment system | |
Takeaway: The Baleno Zeta is approximately Rs 55,000 cheaper than the Swift Zdi+, which gets LED headlamps with DRLs and Smartplay infotainment system with rear parking camera that the Baleno Zeta doesn’t get. There are some features that the Baleno Zeta gets and the Swift Zdi+ doesn’t get, like auto dimming IRVM, telescopic steering, UV-cut glass, front armrest and follow-me-home headlamps. The fact is, most of these features can’t be fitted onto the Swift Zdi+ while you can have the Smartplay infotainment system with parking camera that the Swift Zdi+ gets fitted in the Baleno Zeta.
The Baleno Alpha gets bi-xenon projector headlamps, LED DRLs, and Smartplay infotainment system with parking camera for an additional amount of around Rs 78,000 over the Baleno Zeta.
Our advice: Buy the Baleno Zeta and if you really feel the need to have Apple CarPlay and Android Auto in your car, go for MGA’s infotainment system that costs Rs 26,990. Add parking camera to it which is worth Rs 4,590 with MGA. That will take the cost of Baleno Zeta to around Rs 9.14 lakh. Use the remaining amount (around Rs 23,000 in Swift Zdi+’s case and Rs 47,000 in Baleno Alpha’s case) to kit up your ride further.
Disclaimer
1. The calculations are based on prices in Delhi as on February 15, 2018
2. The amount for insurance, road tax, registration, and MCD parking charges is as per the price list of Magic Auto Pvt Ltd, Desh Bandhu Gupta Road (for Swift), and DD Motors, Rohtak Road (for Baleno), dated February 15, 2018.
3. The price of accessories is as per the Baleno Accessory Price List (dated February 15, 2018) of DD Motors, Rohtak Road, for both the Baleno and the Swift since Swift’s accessory list was not available at the time of publishing this report
4. We’re considering the price of accessories from MGA (Maruti Genuine Accessories) only since that will not void warranty. Buyers can opt for third party accessories as well but that might void warranty in some cases
5. The prices are calculated for individual buyers
6. We’ve set a minimum jump of Rs 50,000 in budget to ease the calculation and reach a definite conclusion
7. We have considered Zero Dep insurance at the price suggested in the price lists. Buyers have the option to save money by opting to not buy insurance from the dealership
Disclaimer: This article has not been edited by Deccan Chronicle and is taken from a syndicated feed. Photos: CarDekho.
