It would not be wrong to say that the Renault Kwid has stirred the Indian small car segment. Based on the company’s CMFA platform, the car was launched with an aggressive pricing and a number of segment-first features. Its value-for-money quotient made it extremely popular, giving a tough time to other popular cars from same, or in some cases even higher price segment.
Maruti Suzuki Swift, on the other hand, is one of the hottest selling hatchbacks for over a decade now, and is nothing short of a legend. Put on sale in 2005, the Maruti Swift is currently in its second generation, after it was updated in 2014. It has been very well received by the buyers looking for mid-level hatch since its launch.
Despite the fact that the Maruti Suzuki has been thumping its authority on the roads for over a decade, the Renault Kwid, with its ever-so-compact body, has a couple of uncanny traits and can take on the Swift head on head. Over the next few paragraphs, you will get a clearer picture of how the two compact cars would perform when thrown against each other.
Interiors
Despite being very compact in nature, the Renault Kwid is much more spacious than one would expect it to be. The interiors come with a complete piano black finish and touches of chrome every here and there to give it an urban feel. Divided into five different trims, the top-of-the-line RXT (0) gets premium features like a 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system with media and navigation integration and a full digital instrument cluster on the dashboard. Apart from these, remote keyless entry and central locking is present as standard in the top end variant.
After awaiting facelift for around 9 years, the upgradation gave the Maruti Suzuki some top notch features, very much upscale with the contemporary cars. The facelifted Swift comes with keyless entry, cruise control feature and push button start. Apart from these, regular features like, faux leather upholstery, a music system with Bluetooth, iPod and AUX connectivity, climate control, ABS and safety airbags make it to the car as standard.
Exteriors
Although the Renault Kwid is a compact hatchback, some aesthetic elements make it appear to be muscular in the making. A forward leaning stance and extra cladding on wheel arches provide testimony to the butch nature. The protruding front bumper with fog lamps on the top end trims render a tinge of aggressiveness in the front profile. The rear windscreen is small and slopes forward. The registration number plate is placed below the boot lid door, on the plastic cladded rear bumper.
On the other hand, the facelifted Maruti Suzuki Swift continues to get the same physical design that had won millions of heart. The overall platform remains the same, albeit some small changes in styling. The fog lamps are placed on silver colored bezels. The car is also available with non-alloy wheels. However, the wheel coating is different to what we had seen in the previous model.
Engine and transmission
After the tough neck to neck competition, the mechanical specification is something you can bet that the Renault Kwid bows down to the Maruti Suzuki Swift. The Kwid comes with a 0.8-litre triple cylinder engine with a very nominal 799 cc displacement. The figures produced by the small engine reads as 53.3 bhp of maximum power at 5,678 revs per minute and a peak torque of 72 Nm at 4,386 revs per minute. This power is transmitted to the front wheels via a 5-speed manual gearbox. But for the ones who have written off the Kwid after reading the power figures might be able to change their opinion because the car can be equally fast as any other small car when placed on similar road conditions. This is possible because the car is excessively light and zippy, with an overall kerb weight of well below 700 kgs.
The Maruti Suzuki Swift, on the other hand, is, indeed, fast on any road. It comes with two different engine options. The 1.2-litre petrol trim makes a maximum power of 85 bhp and a peak torque of 114 Nm. The other one is a 1.3-litre multijet diesel engine which makes a lesser 74 bhp of power and 190 Nm of torque. The power, in both the variants, is transmitted to the front wheels via a 5-speed manual gearbox, very much similar to its close counterpart.
The USP
Renault Kwid, the latest of the two has been highly popular even though it is built on low end tech specs. However, a special factor about the Kwid has earned it the popularity that it deserved. The Renault Kwid is placed at an unbelievable exclusive showroom price of just Rs. 2.71 lakhs in Delhi.
On the contrary, at Rs 5.01 Lakhs (ex-showroom, New Delhi), the Maruti Suzuki Swift has been a widely appreciated car in its segment with its urban aesthetic design and overall platform. At the time of its launch, the Swift was one of the few car that went on to be a visual treat for many.
Conclusion
Concluding this piece of comparison would be as difficult as anything else. The comparison is not a one sided affair with just the power figures coming into place. The Renault Kwid, even with a smaller engine, is capable of grabbing millions of eyes with its overall utility and a very nominal and reasonable price tag. It is mainly recommended for the people whose primary need is to get go economical rather than going for power. On the other hand, the Maruti Suzuki Swift is for those people who love power along with a slight piece of efficiency.