Battle of Affordability: Does Maruti Swift Pricing and Features Still Beat The Hyundai Venue?

Swift and Venue excel in their body styles with different strengths. Swift is ideal for driving enthusiasts with its dynamics, while Venue appeals to urban buyers with SUV-style design.

Maruti Swift & Hyundai Venue

Maruti Suzuki has dominated the hatchback segment in India for decades. Time and again, Maruti has launched new hatchbacks that strike the right chord with buyers. The Swift is one such hatchback that enjoys immense popularity among buyers even today.

However, modern car buyers want a compact SUV these days as they offer a higher seating position, more features, and macho looks inspired by bigger SUVs. Keeping up with this trend, Hyundai launched the Venue compact SUV back in 2019. The Venue turned out to be a runaway success, giving Maruti Suzuki some serious competition.

But even after Venue's success, Swift continues to be one of the highest-selling Maruti cars in India. So, does the Swift still beat the Hyundai Venue when we talk about pricing, features, performance and other aspects? Let's find out in this battle of affordability between the Maruti Suzuki Swift and Hyundai Venue.

Pricing Comparison

When launched back in 2005, Swift's attractive pricing was one of the major reasons behind its meteoric rise in popularity. The pricing remains competitive even today. The Swift car price for the base LXi variant starts at just ₹6.45 lakh. The top-spec ZXi+ automatic variant will set you back by ₹9.77 lakh.

In comparison, the Hyundai Venue is priced between ₹8.90 lakh and ₹15.77 lakh. So clearly, the base Venue variant is around ₹2.45 lakh, costlier than the base Swift.

Dimensions Comparison

Being a hatchback, the Swift measures 3,845mm in length, 1,735mm in width and has a height of 1,530mm. The wheelbase stands at 2,450mm. Thanks to the compact dimensions and peppy engines, it's a breeze to drive the Swift within the city. The Swift offers a boot space of 268 litres.

In comparison, the Hyundai Venue has larger proportions. It measures 3,995mm in length and 1,770mm in width. The height is 1,590mm and it gets a 2,500mm long wheelbase. The increased dimensions and height lend the Venue a more substantial road presence compared to the Swift hatchback. The 350-litre boot space is also larger in the Venue.

Features Comparison

Being Maruti Suzuki's compact hatchback, the Swift is quite well equipped in its top-spec avatar. It gets auto LED projector headlamps, push-button start/stop, auto climate control, touchscreen infotainment system with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, keyless entry, cruise control and auto folding ORVMs.

In terms of safety, all variants get dual front airbags, ABS with EBD and brake assist as standard. Top variants add reverse parking cameras and sensors, too.

Hyundai Venue takes things a notch higher with equipment like a sunroof, touchscreen system, ambient lighting, air purifier, remote engine start (in automatic variants), cornering lamps, wireless phone charger, driving rear view monitor, multi-info display (MID) and more.

On the safety front, up to 6 airbags, hill hold control, vehicle stability management, electronic stability control and front parking sensors are offered.

Engine and Performance

The Swift continues to employ the same K12M 1.2-litre petrol engine that puts out 89 bhp power and 113 Nm torque. A 5-speed manual gearbox is standard, while an AMT option is available as well. Claimed mileage stands at 23.2 kmpl for manual and 23.76 kmplfor AMT variants as per ARAI.

Hyundai Venue is offered with three engine options - 1.2L normally aspirated petrol, 1.0L Turbo petrol and a 1.5L diesel.

• The petrol engines generate 83 bhp and 87 bhp respectively. The diesel kicks out 118 bhp power with 240 Nm torque output. 
• Transmission options include 6-speed manuals and an IMT or 7-speed DCT automatic unit for turbo petrol trims.

In terms of acceleration and driveability, the more powerful turbo petrol and diesel engines have an edge over the Swift. The sophisticated automatic transmissions also offer a smoother performance. But enthusiasts will enjoy wringing out the free-revving naturally aspirated unit of the Swift.

Ride Quality and Handling

Thanks to its monocoque chassis and a well-calibrated suspension setup, the Swift excels at corner carving. The light clutch, quick steering feedback and rev-happy engine also make it a hoot to toss around on twisty roads. But it has a firm suspension setup not suited to patchy roads.

In comparison the Hyundai Venue offers a slightly soft and smooth ride quality ideal for our road conditions. But the suspension has been tuned to strike a fine balance between comfort and agile handling. While not as sharp a tool as the Swift, the Venue still attacks corners with enthusiasm and predictable body movements.

Conclusion

It is quite clear that both Swift and Venue excel in their respective body styles. Both offer an excellent blend of practicality, features, engines and value. But there are a few important differences one must consider before choosing one over the other.

If you love driving and prefer the dynamics of a hatchback, the Swift makes your heart skip a beat. The Venue, on the other hand, appeals more to urban buyers with its SUV-style design and features. In the end, what matters most is aligning your priorities and choosing the car that ticks the maximum number of boxes for your needs.

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