Comparison: 2015 Model Maruti Dzire vs Tata Zest

The Maruti Swift Dzire had been on sale for quite some time and although, that was not hurting sales in any way, it was about time Maruti gave it an update. The updated 2015 Maruti Swift Dzire was launched this week with a mildly updated exterior and a few additions to the features list. One of the most successful models for Maruti in India, it is not only the best selling compact sedan, but also one of the best selling cars in India right now. Does that make it the best in its segment? Well, that’s a tricky question to answer, especially with competent, new competition around. One of which is the Tata Zest, a car that has revived Tata‘s fortunes in the passenger car market and with good reason. So, is India’s most beloved compact sedan, in its newest avatar, better than the Tata Zest, or does the Zest deserve more love and appreciation than the Dzire? Read on to find out more…

Design

The updated 2015 Maruti Swift Dzire gets a slightly altered face with a new bumper with chrome inserts, a wider air dam, new grille with a thick chrome slab and re-profiled headlamps with black surrounds. All these changes do brighten up the front fascia make the car look slightly more upmarket. The alloys are new and much more premium looking than before and there’s also a new rear bumper. The stubby boot design, in order to duck under the 4 meter small car limit, makes for a very awkward looking design B-pillar onwards and the Swift Dzire remains a not-so-good looking car. On the inside though, things get better as you get a dashboard borrowed from the Swift, finished in black and beige with faux wood inserts making the Dzire a nice place to be in. What works against it is the cramped rear seat, which is as spacious as a large hatchback.

With the Zest, Tata has taken styling very seriously and it shows. The front end with its projector headlamps and LED daytime running lights looks impressive and thankfully the chrome usage has been kept to a minimum. Nice clean lines on the side flow into a stubby boot, much like the Dzire, but styled way better. The large wraparound tail lamps with LED inserts look great and the blacked out bottom add a sporty touch to the design. The interior is another area where the Tata Zest excels with its impressive levels of quality and fit and finish. The black and beige colour combination with silver inserts looks very appealing and elements such as the steering wheel, touchscreen infotainment system and instrument cluster are especially very good looking. The back seat has much more space than the Dzire and the boot is also marginally bigger.

[box type=”success” ]The Tata Zest manages to pull off the stubby boot look much better than the Maruti Swift Dzire and it is also more spacious on the inside. Both cars are equally good in terms of dashboard layout and design.[/box]

Features

One of the major additions made to the 2015 Maruti Swift Dzire is in the form of more equipment such as remote locking with push button start, electrically folding ORVMs. Also, Maruti has added more equipment to the lower variants and has also added an additional LXi(O) petrol trim. Comparing the top spec trims, the push button start for the engine is unique to the Swift Dzire, while features such as a touchscreen infotainment system with built-in GPS, 8 speaker audio system, projector headlamps, LED daytime running lights and LED tail lamps are all part of the Zest’s extensive features list. Even the lower variants of the Tata Zest are much better equipped than similarly priced variants of the Dzire making the Tata a much better value for money prospect as compared to the Maruti Suzuki.

[box type=”success” ]The Tata Zest is much better equipped than the 2015 Maruti Swift Dzire and offers greater value for money.[/box]

Ride & Handling

Both cars offer a comfortable and enjoyable driving experience. The Swift based Dzire has always been a good car to drive and since Maruti hasn’t made any major mechanical changes things behind the steering wheel are as fun as before. The Tata Zest, however, edges ahead thanks to a much more comfortable ride and a more involving driving experience. The suspension setup has been tuned very well so that it absorbs all the bumps and potholes with ease and still manages to ensure the car tackles corners very well.

[box type=”success” ]The 2015 Maruti Swift Dzire and the Tata Zest are almost equally good in terms of ride and handling, but the latter is slightly more comfortable and offers a richer driving experience.[/box]

Engine & Transmission

*claimed

The 2015 Maruti Swift Dzire gets a slightly tweaked engine line-up in order to improve fuel efficiency. The petrol motor is now a little less powerful, but more efficient than before. While the power output of the diesel engine remains unchanged even though fuel efficiency has been bumped up to 26.59kmpl making it the most fuel efficient diesel sedan on sale in India. Both cars make use of the same Fiat-sourced 1.3 litre Multijet diesel engine, but the one in the Zest has been tuned for more power and torque. The Zest is also the only car in its class to get an optional automatic transmission in the form of a 5-speed AMT. The 1.2 litre Revotron petrol motor on the Tata Zest has a big torque advantage thanks to turbocharging.

[box type=”success” ]The Tata Zest scores more in terms of Engine & Transmission thanks to the brilliant new Revotron engine and the optional automatic transmission.[/box]

Price

*all prices ex-showroom, Delhi

Although, the starting price point of both vehicles is almost the same, there is a significant price difference in the higher spec trims with the top spec Zest being cheaper by INR 50,000!

[box type=”success” ]The Tata Zest is a cheaper and more value for money prospect than the 2015 Maruti Swift Dzire.[/box]

Verdict

The Tata Zest is really a great product and comes out on top in every single aspect in this comparison. It is a good looking car with a rich feature list, good engines, comfortable ride and great pricing. In fact, it is the best compact sedan on sale right as you can read in this comparison here. The Dzire is a much improved car now with marginally better looks and a better feature list. It is also the most fuel efficient diesel sedan in India, but Maruti Suzuki still hasn’t been able to get rid of the fundamental weaknesses of the car i.e the awful styling and the cramped rear seat. Sadly, the Dzire will continue to sell the way it does, while a much better car like the Zest will lag behind.

[box type=”success” ]The Tata Zest comes out on top in every single category and is the better than the Maruti Swift Dzire and also the best compact sedan on sale in India right now.[/box]

Which of these two cars do you like more? Express your views in the comments section below.