Nissan Sunny Diesel Vs Maruti SX4 Diesel- Which Is Better And Why?

Nissan has finally launched the Nissan Sunny Diesel in India sooner than we expected. Besides being an excellent value for money car, Nissan Sunny could not clock too high sales one of the major reasons being the missing Diesel variants. Almost half of the entry level sedans sold in India in past few months comprise of Diesel engine variants and not having a diesel variant can mean a lot of missed sales which go to competing brand with Diesel options. In continuation to or car comparison series on Car Blog India, in this article, we are going to compare the Sunny diesel with popular Maruti SX4 Diesel which has a good presence and performance in its segment. We have already compared the petrol variants of these cars here – Nissan Sunny Petrol Vs Maruti SX4 Petrol- Which Is Better And Why?

Nissan Sunny Exteriors Vs Maruti SX4 Exteriors

image – Nissan Sunny (Left) and Maruti SX4 (Right)

Nissan Sunny Dimensions

Overall Length : 4425mm
Overall Width : 1695 mm
Overall Height : 1505 mm
Overall Wheelbase : 2600 mm

Maruti SX4 Dimensions

Overall Length : 4490mm
Overall Width : 1735 mm
Overall Height : 1550 mm
Overall Wheelbase : 2500 mm

Both cars look good in their own right, but SX4 is kind of dated now as it has been around for many years and lacks the freshness which Sunny brings with its elegant stance and beautiful exterior looks. For a detailed comparison, check out this link – Nissan Sunny Petrol Vs Maruti SX4 Petrol- Which Is Better And Why?

Nissan Sunny Interiors Vs Maruti SX4 Interiors

image – Nissan Sunny Interiors

image- Maruti SX4 Interiors

Both cars have dual tone interiors with Beige as the primary colour. Maruti SX4 is slightly simple and plain when compared against the Nissan Sunny’s interiors. For detailed comparison check out this link – Nissan Sunny Petrol Vs Maruti SX4 Petrol- Which Is Better And Why?

Nissan Sunny Diesel Engine Vs Maruti SX4 Diesel Engine

Engine Specification of Nissan Sunny Diesel:

8 Valve K9K CRDI Diesel Engine
4 Cylinder SOHC Engine
Displacement 1461 CC
Fuel Efficiency 21.64 KMPL
Max Power 85 BHP @ 3750 RPM
Max Torque 200 Nm @ 2000 RPM
5 Speed Manual Transmission
Kerb Weight 1092 to 1097 KG Kg
Power to weight ratio of 77.6 BHP per 1000 Kg

Engine Specification of Maruti SX4 Diesel:

16 Valve DDis Multijet DOHC
4 Cylinder CRDI Diesel engine
Displacement 1248CC
Fuel Efficiency 21.5 KMPL
Max Power 88.8 BHP @ 4000 RPM
Max Torque 200 Nm @ 1750 RPM
5 Speed Manual Transmission
Kerb Weight 1225 to 1245 KG Kg
Power to weight ratio of 72.2 BHP per 1000 Kg

Looking at the engine specifications, it seems clear that Maruti has got a superior Multijet engine by Fiat with better specifications, but the weight of the cars turns the odds in favour of Nissan Sunny. With Sunny having a slightly lower powered engine, the low weight on Sunny delivers a better overall power to weight ratio and also delivers slightly better ARAI certified mileage. However, peak torque in the SX4 is delivered at lower RPMs which is an advantage, but overall they come very close in engine performance with Sunny being slightly more agile because of lower overall weight. I would call it a tie.

Nissan Sunny Diesel Handling and Performance Vs Maruti SX4 Diesel Handling and Performance

Both cars handle well with having some level of body roll at high speed cornering. In terms of suspension and steering feedback, both are equally good, but none is excellent in this segment. In this area as well, none of these cars is a clear winner.

Nissan Sunny Diesel Price Vs Maruti SX4 Diesel Price

The Nissan Sunny Diesel Ex-showroom Delhi prices are as below:

Nissan Sunny XL Diesel is priced at Rs. 7.98 Lakhs
Nissan Sunny XV Diesel is priced at Rs. 8.78 Lakhs

The Maruti SX4 Diesel Ex-showroom Delhi prices are as below:

Maruti SX4 Diesel Vdi is priced at Rs. 7.88 Lakhs
Maruti SX4 Diesel Zdi is priced at Rs. 8.77 Lakhs
Maruti SX4 Diesel Zdi with Leather Upholstery is priced at Rs. 9.11 Lakhs

Nissan Sunny Diesel XL VS Maruti SX4 Diesel Vdi

In terms of price, Maruti SX4 is priced lower than the the Sunny Diesel by a mere Rs. 10,000 which is a small difference in percentage considering the price. But for a small difference of Nissan Sunny offers Automatic climate control with air filter, rear Comforting fans, steering mounted audio controls, height adjustable driver seats, remote boot opener, ABS with EBD, dual airbags, speed sensing door locks. On the other hand, SX4 provides larger 15 inch steel wheels compared to Sunny’s 14 inch wheels and USB input for the audio system which seems to be missing in Sunny. If you compare the overall features which Sunny XL offers at a small price difference, it’s a drooling deal with oodles on Interior space. The Sunny is a clear winner in terms of features it offers at this price and is very superior value for money and much safer car compared to SX4 Vdi.

Nissan Sunny Diesel XL VS Maruti SX4 Diesel Zdi

In terms of features, in the ZDi, the SX4 adds much more equipment which is already available in lower end version of Sunny Diesel like the ABS with EBD, Dual airbags, driver side height adjustment, steering mounted audio controls which is already offers at a price of Rs. 80,000 lower in Nissan Sunny. Sunny is a much better value for money with its lower end variant compared to ZDi variant of SX4 Diesel.

Nissan Sunny Diesel XV VS Maruti SX4 Diesel Zdi

The price difference between Sunny Diesel XV and SX4 Zdi is almost negligible Rs. 1000 only. In the Sunny VX, the features added over the XL include Electrically folding outside mirrors which SX4 does not offer, Blacked out B Pillar, more chrome on the interiors, larger 15 inch alloy wheels instead of steel wheels, better instrument cluster, outside temperature display, smart key with push button start, front fog lamps etc. If we compared it to the Sunny Diesel XL Itself, it seems like not so lucrative worth spending Rs. 80,000 extra. But when we compare with with top end SX4 Diesel Zdi, it still seems better deal. In the ZDi, the SX4 adds much more equipment which is already available in lower end version of Sunny Diesel like the ABS with EBD, Dual airbags, driver side height adjustment, steering mounted audio controls. In terms of features, Sunny is slightly ahead with SX4 only a few advantages like larger 16 inch alloy wheels compared to Sunny’s 15 inch and USB connectivity in the Audio control. In other aspects, Sunny is a better deal.

Car Blog India verdict – Nissan Sunny Diesel Vs Maruti SX4 Diesel

In terms of Interiors, exteriors, features, overall quality and safety Sunny offers much better value of money with almost similar engine performance and handling characteristics. Talking of value for money car Sunny Diesel seems like a clear winner. However there are few factor where SX4 is ahead which is larger wheel size, better after sales service network reach and better re-sale value because of Maruti’s brand name. In my opinion, if you are looking for a spacious and high value for Money car which is economical to run, Nissan Sunny Diesel is a better pick compared to Maruti SX4 Diesel.

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