Maruti Swift vs Tata Altroz Comparison – The Biggest Hatchback Battle!

by Harish Kumar | 12/12/2019
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We pit the Tata Altroz premium hatch against the Maruti Swift to see how the Maruti bestseller will stack against the latest Tata offering. Let's have a look at Maruti Swift vs Tata Altroz comparison.

1. Maruti Swift vs Tata Altroz: An Introduction

Have you seen Tata’s newest premium hatchback, the new Tata Altroz? We’d like to say, that it is not only one of the best-looking Tata cars, but one of the best-looking cars in India. The car has an undeniable aspirational value to it, and had managed to create a lot of hype even before its launch. Vying to grab a piece in the segment of the premium hatch, Tata Altroz will stack up against the Maruti Swift. That said, Maruti Swift has been dominating the sales charts for hatchbacks in India, and many buyers are probably wondering whether to buy a Swift or go an Altroz instead. Hardly in need of an introduction, the Maruti Swift is a superb car that is safer, more stylish, feature-loaded and aggressive in terms of pricing.

tata altroz exterior rear angle

While it’s been a while back since the price announcement of the Tata Altroz, people now start wondering how the new entrant could compete against the biggest segment leader in the competition. Does the new Tata Altroz have enough to disturb the sales order of the segment and take the money out of the hand of Maruti Swift? Let’s read along our Maruti Swift vs Tata Altroz comparison.

2. Maruti Swift vs Tata Altroz Dimensions: Which Is Bigger?

While both cars fit under the sub-4-metre limit, the Tata Altroz is larger than Maruti Swift by a slight margin. The all-new Altroz is quite an aggressive car that has been shown directly in every dimension of the vehicle. Look at the table below to see how Tata Altroz sizes up against Maruti Swift in terms of dimensions.

Dimensions

Maruti Swift

Tata Altroz

Length

3,840 mm

3,990 mm

Width

1,735 mm

1,755 mm

Height

1,530 mm

1,523 mm

Wheelbase

2,450 mm

2,501 mm

Ground Clearance

163 mm

165 mm

Kerb Weight

985 kg

1036 kg / 1150 kg

Boot space

316 litres

345 litres

From the table above, the difference between the sizes of Maruti Swift vs Tata Altroz is just mere millimetres. At 3,990 mm long, the new Altroz is closer to the metre length mark and is longer than the Swift by exactly 60 mm. In terms of width and wheelbase, the new Tata car also towers over the Swift hatchback by 20 mm and 51 mm, respectively. The Altroz also has the bigger boot of the two with its boot space of 345 litres as compared to the Swift’s 316 litres boot lid. Its ground clearance is also bigger than the Swift’s ground clearance of 163 mm. The Altroz measures 1,523 mm in height that is shorter than the Swift by only 7 mm but that does not make the Altroz less daunting in comparison with the Maruti Suzuki counterpart. Studying the overall dimensions, it’s not exacerbating to say that Tata Motor has put its new Altroz right in the mix with the competition.

3. Maruti Swift vs Tata Altroz Design: Which Is Better Looking?

Exterior Comparison

Tata Altroz

In terms of exterior design, the Tata Altroz does not stray far from the Tata 45X Concept which was debuted at 2018 Auto Expo. In the production version, the Tata Altroz has managed to spark a whole array of attention from the show-goers as well as the Indian auto enthusiasts. True, the Altroz doesn’t let us down when it comes to the exterior styling. The car is based on Tata’s new IMPACT 2.0 design philosophy which is evident from every angle of the hatchback.

tata altroz golden front end

Sure, the new Altroz still get a conventional silhouette for a hatchback car but we see a host of stylish flourishes on the overall bodywork to elevate the futuristic look of the model. The large swept-back headlamps are flanked by the blacked-out front grille upfront, giving the car a distinctive shark nose-like front fascia. It isn’t hard to realize the inspiration of the Indica’s smiling grille in the new Altroz even though Tata’s designers never mention it as an inspiration. It features high-set fog lamps and an elegant air dam that is some ultimate exterior design elements.

tata altroz 2020 side profile

The swept-up windows over the sides are underlined by the black embellishment which is a bit thick at the front but tapers toward the rear, thus adding to the upmarket feel of the model – a reminiscent of Lamborghini Diablo mass-market hatch, right? The Altroz sits in a set of large wheel arches but the sleek 16-inch laser-cut alloys wheels don’t look big enough. However, the character lines on the lower part of the sides of the Altroz do give the car a sportier appeal. The rear door handles are standing on the C-pillar rather than the conventional position that’s could be a thumbs-up for the Tata car.

     

What makes the Tata Altroz even more aggressive compared to its rival, especially the Maruti Swift is its rear profile. Tata has put the dual-tone theme for the Altroz’s edgy rear end with the spoiler, taillamps surround and upper part of the boot lid being finished in black, all the ways give the car a sporty look from the back. If that doesn’t sound enough, Tata offers an option of black roof for you to get full effect. Overall, the all-new Tata Altroz has a futuristic design that, to my subjective sense, give it’s a marginal edge over the Maruti Swift model.

Maruti Swift

If you are a Swift loyalist, you will know that the overall profile of the Swift is quite reminiscent of the previous two generations. So if the Tata Altroz is a futuristic car, the Maruti Swift, in its latest-gen avatar, is an evolutionary hatchback that wraps all quintessential Swift design cues in its exterior. The wraparound look of the Swift is retained with blacked-out A-pillars while the blacked-out C-pillars not only lends the Maruti car a floating roof effect but also incorporates the rear door handle, thereby giving the Swift a two-door coupe-like appearance.

2018 maruti swift red colour front angle

The Maruti Swift gets a blacked-out aperture front grille with multiple horizontal slats housing a Suzuki badge and number plates instead of the honeycomb unit. It is flanked by LED projector headlamps and LED Daytime running lamps that are identical to the ones of the successful Maruti Dzire.

maruti swift 2018 red colour rear angle

The taillamps and stop lamps also feature LED treatments for both. However, while the Altroz looks umber cool with chrome embellishments surrounding the grille, the chrome detailings are conspicuous by the absence despite the Indian buyers’ love for them. That could be a thumbs-down for the Maruti Swift in the comparison of Maruti Swift vs Tata Altroz comparison. The side and rear profile of the Swift also go in quite in a different approach as against the Altroz rival. While the Tata car gets an edgy tail end, the Swift still sticks to a conventional hatchback’s tailgate.

Since beauty is subjective to the eyes of the beholders, we won’t declare which one is the winner in this part of the comparison.

Interior Comparison

maruti swift interior dashboard layout

The Maruti Swift comes with a driver-focused cabin which also looks premium with an all-black interior theme. The dual-tone dash lends the Swift a first-class feeling, the flat-bottom steering with rounded Suzuki logo in the middle also looks pretty cool on the inside of the vehicle. We can see a range of rotary aircon dials placed below the centre touchscreen that is quite well-executed and convenient for usage. Those controls get black finishes combined with satin silver highlights that enhance the sporty appeal of the Swift’s interior. The digital clock is placed behind the steering that looks nicer than the part-analogue part-digital unit in the Altroz.

tata altroz dashboard layout

Tata Altroz, being a premium hatch, has a dual-tone dashboard layout with black & light grey combination and silver highlights are something that impresses us right after stepping into the vehicle. The grey-ish white colour of the bottom part of the dash also increases the upmarket feel on the inside of the new hatchback. There’s a floating touchscreen infotainment system that’s placed atop the dash that looks more prominent than the Swift’s touchscreen unit. However, in some cases, it could cause a bit of distraction on the go compared to the Maruti model. AC vents and physical controls are placed right below the touchscreen. The steering also has a flat bottom like the Swift model with Tata logo on the centre. Tata Altroz comes with a rectangular-shape instrument cluster which is part analogue and part digital. However, the buttons and surfaces are not as well-executed as Swift’s units.

4. Maruti Swift vs Tata Altroz Features: Which Is Safer and More Convenient?

Comfort Features Comparison

Tata Altroz’s biggest USPs on the Altroz's interior are its ambient lighting, auto climate control, a 7-inch touchscreen with Harman entertainment system along with a 7-inch digital instrument cluster. It is compatible with Android Auto, Apple CarPlay then there is cruise control, steering mounted controls, engine start push button, auto wipers and start-stop fuel-saving system. Sure, the Tata Altroz is set to take the premium hatchback market by storm by this long list of comfort goodies on offer.

tata altroz exterior static shot front angle

Maruti Swift comes to offer an array of features for convenience and comfort including a 7.0-inch SmartPlay infotainment system with Android Auto, Apple CarPlay and Mirror Link connectivity. We also have steering-mounted audio controls, auto climate control, engine start/stop push button with a smart key on the table of the Swift. Besides, it also packs front accessory socket, a MID, power and tilt steering, manual air conditioner with heater on its interior features package.

Safety and Security Features Comparison

The Maruti Swift is equipped with enough essentials for safety, comprising of dual front airbags, ABS with EBD, brake assist, engine immobilizer, ISOFIX Child Seat Anchorages, Seatbelt reminder for driver and co-driver, front seatbelts with pre-tensioners and force limiter, high-speed warning together with pedestrian protection compliance.

maurti swift test drive review front angle

On the other hand, dual front airbags, ABS with EBD, driver and front passenger seatbelt reminder, front fog lamps with cornering, rear and central locking, speed sensing auto door lock are standard safety features on the Altroz model. Just do note that the Altroz has been recently awarded with a 5-star rating from the global NCAP while the Swift was sadly given two stars from the global NCAP in 2018.

5. Maruti Swift vs Tata Altroz Engine Specs: Which Is Better In Terms Of Performance?

Tata Altroz is powered by two engine options under the bonnet - a BSVI-compliant 1.2-litre petrol engine that churns out 84.4 BHP of power and a 113 Nm of torque along with a 1.5-litre turbocharged diesel motor good for 100 BHP of power and 200 Nm of torque. Both the mills come mated to a 5-speed manual transmission only.

Tata Altroz First Drive (Hindi) | Detailed Review

Whereas the Swift gets an 81 BHP/ 113 Nm 1.2-litre VTVT petrol and a 100 BHP/ 200 Nm 1.3-litre diesel unit in its heart. Note that the latter will see the discontinuation before the BSVI rollout. When compared to the equivalent petrol-powered Altroz, the Maruti Swift is less powerful than the latter counterpart by a small margin. The diesel engine option of the Altroz is also more powerful than the Swift’s DDis engine by 26 BHP of power and 10 Nm of torque. However, the Swift endears itself with a choice of a 5-speed AMT for both motors while the Altroz still misses out on an automatic variant.

Specifications

Maruti Swift

Tata Altroz

Engine Type

1.2-litre VTVT Petrol

1.3-litre DDis Diesel

1.2-litre Petrol

1.5-litre turbo-diesel

Displacement

1197 cc

1248 cc

1199 cc

1497 cc

No. of cylinders

4

4

3

4

Power

81.80 BHP @ 6,000 rpm

74bhp@4000rpm

84.4bhp@6000rpm

100.57bhp@5500rpm

Torque

113Nm @4200rpm

190Nm@2000rpm

113Nm@3300rpm

200Nm@1250-3000rpm

Drive Type

FWD

FWD

FWD

FWD

Transmission

5-speed MT/ AMT

5-speed MT/ AMT

5-speed MT

5-speed MT

6. Maruti Swift: Other Competitors

Apart from the upcoming Altroz, Maruti Swift rivals the likes of Hyundai Grand i10 Nios, Renault Triber, Maruti Baleno, old Hyundai Grand i10, Ford Figo among others in the hatchback department.

Other competitors  Compare With Maruti Swift 
 Hyundai Grand i10 Nios  Maruti Swift vs Hyundai Grand i10 Nios
 Maruti Baleno  Maruti Swift vs Maruti Baleno
 Hyundai Grandi 10  Maruti Swift vs Hyundai Grand i10
 Ford Figo  Maruti Swift vs Ford Figo
 Renault Triber  Maruti Swift vs Renault Triber

7. Tata Altroz: Other Competitors

Tata Altroz directly compete with the likes of Hyundai Elite i20, Toyota Glanza, Honda Jazz, and Maruti Baleno in the domestic competition.

Other Competitors   Compare with Tata Altroz
 Maruti Baleno  Tata Altroz vs Maruti Baleno
 Hyundai Elite i20  Hyundai Elite i20 vs Tata Altroz
 Tata Nexon  Tata Altroz Vs Tata Nexon

8.  Maruti Swift vs Tata Altroz Verdict: Which model is worth buying?

The price of the Tata Altroz is surprising, with a low entry price of Altroz Rs. 5.29 lakh, going up to Rs. 9.29 lakh (both prices ex-showroom). Maruti Swift is priced even lower, between Rs. 5.14 – 8.84 lakh (ex-showroom price). With this competitive price point, lavish design and BSVI-compliant engines, the Altroz is quite a brilliant deal. You can check out the price table below for reference.

 Model  Maruti Swift Tata Altroz 
 Price (ex-showroom, New Delhi)  Rs 5.14- 8.84 Lakh   Rs 5.29 - 9.29 Lakh
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