Tata Tigor vs Maruti Suzuki Swift Dzire - Spec Comparison

Update March 29, 2017: Tata Tigor Launched At Rs 4.70 Lakh

The word 'sedan' in India is almost synonymous with the Maruti Swift DZire. Not only is it the highest selling sedan in the country, it is also the second highest selling car in India. With about 17,000 new customers opting for the Maruti DZire every month, does the new Tata Tiago pack enough meat to post a threat to the king of sedans? Leaving aside sales numbers and concentrating purely on substance, how does the Tata Tigor stack up against the Maruti Suzuki Swift DZire? Let's find out.

Mechanics

Starting with the petrol, both are neck to neck with each other. The 1.2-litre naturally aspirated engine of both the cars produce identical amounts of torque but the Tigor produces 0.7PS more, which will be negligible in real-world conditions. In terms of transmission, the DZire has an upper hand as it offers an automatic transmission option over the standard 5-speed manual. The Tigor makes do with just a 5-speed manual in the lineup. Fuel efficiency numbers of the Tigor are not in yet but are expected close to the Tiago, which delivers 23.84kmpl. The DZire is currently the most fuel efficient car in the segment and returns a claimed fuel efficiency of 20.9 kmpl in in the manual variants. If the Tigor is able to maintain a number close to the Tiago, the DZire's crown of being the most fuel efficient petrol might be under threat. 

Moving to the diesel engines, the Tigor uses a considerably smaller engine than the DZire. This is reflected in the specifications as well. The 1.05-litre diesel motor of the Tigor is only 5PS less in power than the DZire, but loses a huge 50Nm in the torque figures. As in the petrol, the DZire offers an automatic transmission with the 1.3-litre diesel as well; the Tigor only has the 5-speed manual. Similarly, in terms of fuel efficiency, the Tiago claims to run 27.28 kilometres in a litre whereas the DZire claims 26.59kmpl. Here too, the claim of the DZire being the most efficient sub-four sedan is under threat.

All in all, both the cars are close in terms of on-paper specs, but the diesel motor on the Tigor is a tad small for a car of this size. Also, where the DZire really offers more is in the transmissions. Automatic options with both the petrol and diesel really make it convenient for city driving. 

Size

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With the Tigor, Tata has pioneered a new segment, which sits below the sub-four metre sedans. This does not mean that the space inside has been compromised as -- here is the clever part -- the wheelbase of the Tigor is longer by 20mm than the Maruti. Also, given its notchback design, even the boot of the Tigor is larger than the DZire by a massive 103 litres. In terms of overall dimensions, the DZire is longer, wider and taller than the Tigor. 

Moral of the story: the Tata Tigor is smaller in size for city driving, but in terms of space inside it is as practical as the other sub-four sedans. 

Equipment

In terms of equipment offered, the Tata Tigor is on par with all its rivals, if not ahead in some aspects. It gets a touchscreen infotainment system with a variety of applications to pair your smartphone with. The DZire also gets Bluetooth integration but without a touchscreen display. Automatic climate control is available on both the cars but the DZire further gets smart keyless entry with push button start/stop, a feature absent on the Tigor. Another point where the Tigor scores a point over the DZire is the headlamps. The Tigor gets double-barrel projector headlamps with a smoked cover whereas the DZire only gets halogen headlamps. Other than that, both the cars are pretty much similar in terms of equipment offered. 

In terms of looks, we feel that the Tigor, with its notchback design, look more impressive than the DZire. But looks are of course subjective and there will be buyers who will prefer the DZire's subtle appeal. 

Score Sheet

In the entire comparison, the DZire has had an upper hand. But the surprising thing is that the Tigor has been able to keep up with the DZire all along, and on some points, like the boot space and equipment, even exceed the latter. The only thing pulling the Tigor back is its smaller diesel engine. We believe a bigger diesel engine would have gone a long way in making it a complete package. But, with prices expected to be in between Rs 4.2 to Rs 6.5 lakh, the Tigor is showing some serious potential (on paper). Whether the notchback is able to maintain this performance in real life or not, we will find out soon by doing a real world head-to-head comparison. Stay tuned. 

Recommended Read

- Tata Tigor: First Drive Review

- Tata Tigor: 5 Things You Need To Know

- Maruti Launches Limited 'Allure’ Edition Of Swift DZire