Etios V v/s Swift Zxi

 

I had a Maruti Swift Zxi (2007 model) with a 1.3 lt engine after which I changed to the Etios V model. The Swift was doing perfectly fine, however I needed a car with greater space and luggage carrying capacity within a budget. The only choices I had were the Dzire, Manza and Etios. I did not consider the Manza as I don’t think Tata cars are good to drive. The Dzire’s interiors look exactly like the Swift and hence that was also ruled out leaving only the Etios and hence the choice. The V model offered most of what I wanted like ABS, Alloy wheels etc. I did not like the red interiors of the VX model and hence did not consider that. Since a lot has been written about the Etios, I will just give a users opinion of the differences I felt between the Swift Zxi (2007 model) and Etios V model having now used this car for around 4 months (driven about 6000kms).

Exterior Looks are a subjective matter and I would like to say I liked both the Swift and Etios. The Swift had very sporty looks while the Etios has a very non-offensive family car look. It is well proportioned and does not look like a hatch with a boot fitted. Its smiley face is pleasant to look at though not in any way a beauty!

Interior (Features, Space & Comfort) The interiors of the Swift looked good with climate control and the looks of interior plastic. In the Etios, quality is not bad, but does not give a very up market feel. Fit is better in Etios, but Swift plastics look better. Quality may be comparable though. I did not like the gear knob in the Etios and got this changed to one with a grey finish with chrome along with a chrome bezel which appeared to greatly improve the looks. For a short heighted person, the seat height adjustment was a very useful feature in the Swift. The Etios does not have this, however has a steering column adjustment which served the purpose. Thus visibility is not an issue in the Etios and is very good even for a short heighted person.Passenger space is a great plus point in the Etios, 5 adults can sit very comfortably which was an issue in the Swift. Leg room is also very good even with the front seats fully pulled back.Seats, although thin are comfortable in the Etios. I have been on 2 long journeys and found them fairly comfortable without any feeling of fatigue. Both cars compare equally good in terms of seat comfort.

Engine Performance, Fuel Economy and Gearbox This is where the Etios scores much better than the Swift. It has a larger engine with better torque resulting in a much better pulling power. In the Swift, it pulls and performs well with 3 adults. More than that and it starts to take effort to pull. The Etios is able to pull very well even with 5 adults and I was able to attain triple digit figures even with a full load. The greater torque also results in lesser gear changes in the city which is a plus. For fuel economy, the Swift gave me around 12.5 kms/lt in Banglore city traffic with the A/C on all the time. The Etios gives around 11.5 kms/lt under the same conditions. This appears acceptable given that the Etios has a 1.5 lt engine against the 1.3 lt engine of the Swift. The gearbox of the Etios is smoother than the Swift although the Swift was not bad at all.

Ride Quality & Handling On the Swift, the suspension was a bit on the stiffer side, good for the driver since it gave a very good control but not very good for rear seat passengers. Handling was excellent on the Swift and I really enjoyed driving that car! On the Etios, the suspension is on the softer side, gives smooth ride for both driver and passenger. This however meant it cannot be thrown around as the Swift. It has a very comfortable and relaxed ride. Handling is very good although due to its light weight, it is does not give a lot of confidence at very high speeds. Doing triple digit speeds, I did not feel very comfortable at curves. Straight line drives were fine. The Swift could easily jump over humps when lightly loaded, but the Etios needs to be driven slowly since the suspension make a loud thump if driven too fast over these. Ground clearance is comparable on both cars and I felt is better in the Etios on a full load. When fully loaded, the Swift did touch a few humps, but the Etios could clear most of these if driven carefully.

Final Words Maruti is very good at customer service and I did not have any issues most of the time. Toyota has a very friendly staff that is willing to help. The issue they have is they are not used to handling volumes and that shows in the time they take to service. Overall, the Swift is a very good car for a small family. It is a pleasure to drive and does not have any maintenance issues. This is a pure thrill car for the driver. The Etios is a very good car for a large family. Has lots of space in the rear seat and luggage space is very generous. More practical car for an average Indian family while also being low on maintenance for a car of this size.

Areas of improvement For the Etios, the interiors could be made better and more appealing. I would suggest changing the gear knob, adding a USB/AUX input cable for the CD player and changing the headlights to a more powerful one. Should not be compared to other Toyota cars that are much higher up the price range.

Great space, performace, fuel economyInteriors need to improve