- Maruti Swift CNG prices start at Rs. 8.2 lakh
- Grand i10 Nios gets Hy-CNG dual tank package
Back in action
Maruti Suzuki has the most comprehensive CNG line-up among budget manufacturers but has been absent from the hatchback fight since the launch of the fourth-generation Swift. Well, now it is back and is taking the fight to its biggest rival, the Hyundai Grand i10 Nios. How does it fare? Let us look at the top highlights.
Specifications
The Maruti Swift CNG uses the same 1.2-litre as the standard car but in CNG guise this engine produces 68bhp and 101Nm. In the normal guise, this engine produces 80bhp and 111.7Nm. Both configurations get a five-speed MT as standard, while the latter also receives a five-speed AMT.
Over in the Grand i10 Nios, it’s a 1.2-litre petrol and here, the output is 68bhp and 95Nm, while in standard petrol guise, this output stands at 82bhp and 114Nm. A five-speed MT comes as standard, while the latter also gets a five-speed AMT.
Hyundai’s upper hand?
Like Tata, Hyundai has moved to the dual-cylinder setup in a bid to liberate more useable space in the back. It has not officially revealed the boot space figure but the regular boot (with the seats up) stands at 260 litres, which is standard for this price bracket. The new design is expected to claw back at least half of that number.
Maruti, on the other hand, follows the older design. It too has not revealed the CNG-specific boot capacity but it is expected to be significantly less than the company-claimed 265 litres. Boot space has always been a big issue with CNG cars. Sources at Maruti have said that they are exploring design options for the boot but at the time of writing this story, nothing had come to fruition.
Pricing and variants
Looking to take the fight to Hyundai, Maruti too has now introduced top-spec CNG variants and for the first time, it is available in the loaded-up ZXi variant. This is the equivalent of the Sportz variant of the Grand i10 Nios with similar features both inside and outside. What makes this interesting is that both have yet to offer a fully loaded ZXi+/Asta variant for their respective vehicles. This, we suspect, is purely down to cost reasons and also to keep the gap between the Dzire and Aura respectively in terms of pricing.
The Maruti Swift CNG family is priced in the range of Rs. 8.20 lakh to Rs. 9.20 lakh, while the Grand i10’s CNG variants are priced from Rs. 7.68 lakh to Rs. 8.30 lakh. Hyundai has managed to achieve this lower pricing by offering both, its dual-cylinder tech as well as standard single-cylinder design.
