Nissan Sunny Petrol Vs Maruti Swift Dzire Petrol– Which Is Better And Why?

Nissan India has recently announced the prices of Nissan Sunny Petrol sedan in India which are very attractive prices considering the space and quality which Sunny offers. In our car comparison series on Car Blog India, here we will compare Nissan Sunny Petrol with its closest competition, Maruti Swift Dzire Petrol. The two cars are very close in pricing and Dzire is one of the star sellers in the entry level sedan segment. We will compare various important aspects of both these cars in details.

Nissan Sunny Exteriors Vs Maruti Swift Dzire Exteriors

image – Maruti Swift Dzire (Left) and Nissan Sunny (Right)

Nissan Sunny Dimensions

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

Nissan Sunny is based on Nissan Micra platform, but fortunately, it has a different looking front fascia unlike the same fascia shared by the Maruti Swift and Swift Dzire, which make Dzire look kind of weird sometimes. Nissan Sunny has got decent looks, with elegance and sporty character well balanced. The looks are neither too aggressive nor to boyish, The Sunny commands attention with its subtle spottiness and looks quite attractive. The proportions of Sunny with a sloping roof give it an above the class look and elegance.

Maruti Swift Dzire Dimensions

Overall Length : 4160mm
Overall Width : 1690mm
Overall Height : 1530mm
Overall Wheelbase : 2390mm

Swift Dzire in absolute terms, looks good, but the admiration for a Dzire is subjective. Some people like the Dzire for its non-contemporary styling, some don’t appreciate its looks. In my view, the Swift Hatch does look attractive in its rounded proportions, but a boot added to it in Dzire sedan kills the look. So in terms of exteriors, Dzire is not as pleasing as Sunny. So my vote goes to Sunny.

Nissan Sunny Interiors Vs Maruti Swift Dzire Interiors

image – Nissan Sunny Interiors

Nissan Sunny is way more spacious than Maruti Swift Dzire and has a very large legroom at the rear seat which is a weak point of Dzire. The new model of Dzire is due by the end of 2011 or early 2012, so the new Dzire is expected to be better. But as of now, the Dzire looks quite dated in terms in Interiors styling, space and quality.

Image – Maruti Swift Dzire Dashboard and Steering Wheel

image – Maruti Swift Dzire Interiors From Top

The Nissan Sunny clearly beats Dzire of the Interiors in terms of space, quality of material, boot space, leg room, and feel on the cabin.

Nissan Sunny Petrol Engine Vs Maruti Swift Dzire Petrol Engine

Nissan Sunny Petrol Engine Specifications

Type: HR15DE, DOHC 16 Valves
4 Cylinder MPFI Petrol Engine
Displacement(cc): 1498
Maximum Power: 98.6 BHP @ 6000 RPM
Maximum Torque: 134 Nm @ 4000 RPM
Transmission: 5 Speed Manual
ARAI Certified Mileage of 16.95 KMPL
Kerb Weight = 998 Kg to 1027 Kg
Power to weight ratio of 97.6 BHP / 1000 Kg

Maruti Swift Dzire Petrol Engine Specifications

Suzuki K12 1.2 Litre MPFI Petrol Engine
4 Cylinder, Displacement 1197 CC
Max power of 83.8 BHP @ 6000 RPM
Max torque of 113 Nm @ 4500 RPM
5 Speed manual transmission
ARAI Certified mileage of 17.94 KMPL
Kerb Weight = 1010 Kg to 1035 Kg
Power to weight ratio of 82.1 BHP / 1000 Kg

While the Maruti has a fuel efficient small 1.2 Litre engine which does the duty in Maruti Dzire, the Nissan has planted a larger 1.4 Litre Petrol engine in Sunny which produced about 20% more power and torque compared to the Dzire. The power and torque provided by Sunny is close to what Maruti SX4 Petrol delivers. So here also, Nissan is a class above in the engine terms, however, this does have a downside that Sunny gives about 6% less mileage compared to the Dzire. Sunny has a power to weight ratio of about 18% more compared to Dzire, which means more punch and agility.

If you are a spirited driver and don’t bother much about the mileage difference of 6%, Sunny has got a better spec engine compared to the Dzire, so my pick here will be Sunny only.

Nissan Sunny Petrol Handling and Performance Vs Maruti Swift Dzire Petrol Handling and Performance

Performance and handling is one area which has been a very strong area of Swift and Swift Dzire. In the small car segment, Swift is the master of Handling and steering feedback, since the Dzire is derived practically from Swift, it has similar characteristics with slightly less precise handling compared to the Swift hatch. Still the Dzire is one or the best handling entry level sedans in India.

Sunny comes quite well at the handling, but its suspensions is not as stiff as the Swift Dzire, so it does provide good ride comfort with little bumps, but does have some body roll. The steering feedback at higher speeds is not as precise as the Dzire, so it does not instill too much confidence at higher speeds as the steering feels lighter than it should. However, in most cases, you won’t find any problem with it, but for sporty and spirited drivers, this may be a slight disappointment.

If you are very particular about handling and usually drive your car in very sporty fashion, you are better off with Dzire, for rest of the drivers (which makes the majority), the Sunny is good enough.

Nissan Sunny Petrol Price Vs Maruti Swift Dzire Petrol Price

Nissan Sunny Petrol Price In India

The ex-showroom Delhi price of Nissan Sunny Petrol in India are as follows:

Nissan Sunny XE Petrol is priced at Rs. 5.78 Lakhs
Nissan Sunny XL Petrol is priced at Rs. 6.88 Lakhs
Nissan Sunny XV Petrol is priced at Rs. 7.68 Lakhs

Maruti Swift Dzire Petrol Price

The ex-showroom Delhi price of Maruti Swift Dzire Petrol is:

Maruti Swift Dzire LXI BS IV – Rs. 4.95 Lakhs
Maruti Swift Dzire VXI BS IV – Rs. 5.47 Lakhs
Maruti Swift Dzire ZXI BS IV – Rs. 6.39 Lakhs

Comparing these two cars on value for money scale, lets compare the fully loaded Swift Dzire Zxi with the Nissan Sunny XL which is priced at about Rs. 49,000 higher than the former. Almost both the cars offer similar features on the Zxi of Dzire and XL variant of sunny with minor variations like – Dzire Zxi comes with alloy wheels while the Sunny XL comes with Steel wheels with full wheel covers, however, Sunny has wider profile tyres which provide a better road grip. Dzire Zxi has height adjustable driver seat while the Sunny XL does not. Sunny has electrically adjustable outside rear view mirrors, whereas the Dzire has manually internally adjustable outside rear view mirrors. Both provide automatic climate control, but Sunny provides fan vents at the rear seat middle position with air-filter fitted in the air conditioning system, while the Dzire does not provide rear fan vents and filter. Both come with safety features like dual airbags at front, ABS with EBD etc. for higher safety. The Sunny additionally provides Keyless entry with central locking, not to mentions, that Sunny is far more spacious and more powerful, so gives it an edge over Dzire event at a higher (about 4.7% more) price tag.

Car Blog India verdict – Nissan Sunny Petrol Vs Maruti Swift Dzire Petrol

If you are looking for a comfortable and safe family sedan with lots of boot space, great power and good quality of Interiors, Sunny is a clear winner. However it’s a little soft on high speed handling, which is the only advantage on the Dzire. So if you have your top priority as handling and performance, Dzire may be a better options, but for majority of buyers, Sunny seems to be a better value proposition.

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