2017 Maruti Suzuki Swift Dzire vs Ford Aspire – Specs Comparison

New Swift Dzire is expected to hold its stead against Ford Aspire with new design and more upmarket appearance

Maruti Suzuki Swift Dzire is certainly the bestselling and most popular compact sedan in India. The car comes with an attractive design, upmarket features and generous comfort on offer along with efficient powertrain. Despite overall declining sales figure in the compact sedan segment, the Indo-Japanese automaker has managed to keep the Swift Dzire on top of the space, amidst competition from rivals like Honda Amaze, Hyundai Xcent, Ford Aspire, etc.

Now, with Maruti Suzuki preparing the new generation Swift hatchback for early 2018 launch, the Dzire sedan’s new avatar has finally been launched in India. The new Dzire shares its design language with the forthcoming Swift hatch, but the distinctiveness is clearly visible in the compact sedan.

The all-new Swift Dzire comes based on a new HEARTECT platform borrowed from Baleno premium hatchback. It comes pretty much lightweight compared to the existing model. Inside too, Maruti Suzuki leaves no stones unturned to make it a very attractive car with upmarket vibe. With the arrival of the compact SUVs and crossovers, the sales figure of the compact sedans have dropped too but the new Dzire looks to change all that.

Already the segment topper, the 2017 Dzire (Swift name dropped for separate identity) will likely strengthen its position against the rivals. On the other hand, the Ford Aspire has received decent response from the customers with its good design, build quality, safety features and powertrain as well. With arrival of the new Dzire, Maruti Suzuki may nullify the little competition from the Aspire sedan.

While the two models prepare to lock horns with each other, here we take a close look at a spec-sheet based comparison between them:

2017 Maruti Suzuki Dzire vs Ford Aspire – Exterior

The 2017 Maruti Dzire bears significant design update compared to the current model. It sports a completely redesigned front fascia. The front grille looks new and larger and ironically, it looks little similar to the Ford Aspire’s front grille, but it’s quite different than the new generation Swift. The headlamps come identical to the new Swift. They look sharp and features projector units in the top-end variant. Apart from the integrated LED daytime running lights also add zing to the look.

The front grille gets plenty of chrome garnishing and four horizontal slats as well with the brand logo sitting at the centre. The fog lamps come with chrome trim around them with black surrounding also. Apart from that the wide air intake gets horizontal slats. The hood gets a plain look with the lack of presence of any crease.

The side profile appears with a crafted appearance, thanks to the character lines. Apart from that, the alloy wheels, turn indicator integrated ORVMs, blackened pillars enhance the appeal of the car. Moving to the rear profile, the 2017 Dzire comes with a similar design like the current model. It sports identical taillights, a chrome strip running between the tail lamps and similar looking rear bumper too. Overall, the 2017 Maruti Suzuki Dzire comes more attractive than its current avatar.

Speaking about the Ford Aspire, the compact sedan sports a muscular front fascia with a large and horizontally slated radiator grille, sharp and laid back headlamps, a chunky bumper with neatly positioned fog lamps and sleek air intake. At the side profile, the Ford Aspire compact sedan gets alloy wheels, character lines portraying a muscular vibe, turn indicator integrated ORVMs and black pillars. The rear profile sports compact and wraparound taillights with a horizontal chrome strip running between them.

Overall, if we compare the design of the 2017 Maruti Suzuki Dzire and the Ford Aspire, both these cars come with practical and attractive look. But, the former comes with a more eye-catching stance compared to the Aspire, thanks to the new styling.

2017 Maruti Suzuki Dzire vs Ford Aspire – Dimension

Despite being based on a new lighter platform, the new Maruti Suzuki Swift Dzire will have different dimensional figures. The height is reduced by 40 mm while the wheelbase is increased by 20 mm. The width of the vehicle has gone up by 40 mm and it will translate into more cabin room. The fuel tank capacity is reduced to 37 litres from 42 litres.

Dimensionally, the Ford Aspire compact sedan on the other hand comes with 3,995 mm of length, 1,695 mm of width, 1,525 mm of height and 2,491 mm of wheelbase. It also gets a ground clearance of 174 mm, while the boot storage and fuel tank capacity for this car are 359-litre and 42-litre respectively.

So, it’s clear that the 2017 Maruti Suzuki Dzire appears with identical length as the Aspire but the width is 40 mm more. The Maruti vehicle is 10 mm shorter than the Aspire, while the Ford compact sedan features 41 mm longer wheelbase and 19-litre of less boot storage as well. Also, the Aspire compact sedan gets more or less same extra ground clearance compared to the Maruti Suzuki Dzire. Therefore, on paper, the Aspire is spacious and roomier than the Aspire.

2017 Maruti Suzuki Dzire vs Ford Aspire – Interior

Like the exterior, interior of the 2017 Maruti Suzuki Dzire come bearing a refreshed appearance. In terms of design, it looks more upmarket than its predecessor, while the seat and upholstery materials come of improved quality as well. The 2017 Maruti Suzuki Dzire shares the interior design with its hatchback sibling, the new generation Swift.

The all-new Swift Dzire sports a sporty flat-bottom three-spoke multifunction steering wheel, dual-pod instrument cluster with analog dials and digital MID. The centre console will come sporting a SmartPlay touchscreen infotainment system with multiple connectivity options. The circular AC vents enhance the premiumness of the car along with the blackened theme and superior seat and upholstery materials quality.

The dual-tone interior of the Ford Aspire compact sedan features multi-function steering wheel, three analog dials and a small LCD display at the instrument cluster. The centre console identical to the Ford EcoSport and it comes with an unusual cluttered appearance. It gets a digital display at the top with several control buttons positioned below.

At both ends of the dashboard there are circular AC vents with silver accent. The seat and upholstery materials come of pretty good quality. Now, if we compare the cabin of two cars, 2017 Maruti Suzuki Dzire and the Ford Aspire, the Swift Dzire comes with better looking and sportier cabin with more upmarket features than its rival. No wonder, the Indo-Japanese automaker has left no stones unturned in making its one of the bestselling model appealing.

2017 Maruti Suzuki Dzire vs Ford Aspire – Powertrain

The new Maruti Suzuki Dzire comes available in both petrol and diesel engine options. The car continues with the same engines available under the hood of the current model. The popular compact sedan gets a 1.2-litre petrol engine, while the diesel variant will sport the Fiat-sourced 1.3-litre DDiS engine. Apart from that, a 1.0-litre Boosterjet petrol engine sourced from the Baleno premium hatchback is also on card later.

Power and torque output of the 1.2-litre petrol and 1.3-litre diesel engines remain same as the current model. For transmission duty, the petrol variant of the compact sedan will feature a 5-speed manual gearbox and a 4-speed automatic transmission, carried forward from the existing model.

On the other hand, the diesel model will feature an AGS along with a 5-speed MT. The petrol engine is capable of generating 84.3 PS of peak power at 6,000 rpm and 115 Nm of peak torque at 4,000 rpm.

The diesel engine produces 75 PS of peak power at 4,000 rpm and 190 Nm of peak torque from 2,000 rpm. The 2017 Maruti Suzuki Dzire delivers slightly improved fuel efficiency than the outgoing model.

Speaking about the Ford Aspire compact sedan, it is available with both petrol and diesel engine options. The petrol engines on offer are a 1.2-litre Ti-VCT and a 1.5-litre Ti-VCT unit, while the diesel model gets power from a 1.5-litre engine. Transmission options include a 5-speed manual gearbox for both petrol and diesel engines, while the top end petrol model with 1.5-litre Ti-VCT engine gets a 6-speed automatic gearbox.

The smaller 1.2-litre Ti-VCT petrol motor mated to a 5-speed MT generates 88 PS of peak power at 6,300 rpm and 112 Nm of peak torque at 4,000 rpm. The 1.5-litre petrol engine paired with a 6-speed AT kicks out 111 PS of peak power at 6,300 rpm and 136 Nm of peak torque at 4,250 rpm. The diesel model on the other hand kicks out 100 PS of peak power at 3,750 rpm and 215 Nm of peak torque at 1,750 rpm.

So far, the Maruti Suzuki Dzire comes with lower power and torque output compared to the Ford Aspire. Also, a 6-speed automatic transmission in the Aspire sedan compared to Swift Dzire’s 4-speed AT makes the Ford vehicle more appealing. But, keep it in mind that Maruti Suzuki Swift Dzire gets an AGS in the diesel variant, while the Aspire diesel gets only manual gearbox. If we check the fuel efficiency, the Maruti Suzuki Dzire appears more economical compared to its rival with class leading figures.

2017 Maruti Suzuki Dzire vs Ford Aspire – Safety

The 2017 Maruti Suzuki Dzire will come with essential safety features like dual front airbags, ISOFIX child mount and ABS with EBD as standard features. Apart from that, it will also receive reverse parking camera, engine immobilizer, etc. On the other hand, the Ford Aspire has truly impressed us with its safety features on offer.

This is the first car in the segment to offer six airbags (dual front, side and curtain). Apart from that, the compact sedan also gets high-strength steel cage, perimeter alarm, Hill Launch Assist, ABS with EBD, ESP, etc. So far, both the Maruti Suzuki Dzire and Ford Aspire come with high-quality safety features, offering greater protection to the occupants.

2017 Maruti Suzuki Dzire vs Ford Aspire – Price

The 2017 Maruti Suzuki Dzire is expected to be priced between Rs. 5.45 lakh and Rs. 9.41 lakh (ex-showroom, New Delhi). The Ford Aspire compact sedan on the other hand is priced between Rs. 5.4 lakh and Rs. 8.29 lakh (ex-showroom, New Delhi). Therefore, both the cars come priced pretty close to each other on the lower trim but the Dzire is expensive by more than a lakh due to its additional features.

* All prices, ex-showroom, New Delhi.

2017 Maruti Suzuki Dzire vs Ford Aspire – Comparison Verdict

As we already mentioned, Maruti Suzuki Dzire is the most popular and bestselling compact sedan in the country for quite long time. With the arrival of the new model, the popularity and appeal of this car are certainly going to be increased to the next level. Also, with the new design, new features and added premiumness, the 2017 Swift Dzire is going to be more attractive than the existing model.

In comparison with the Ford Aspire compact sedan, the all-new Dzire comes with better and more contemporary styling, more upmarket features and superior quality materials. Being the largest and most popular brand of the country, Maruti Suzuki certainly knows the pulse and demand of the domestic buyers. Therefore, the new model will surely continue catering the demands of the customers.

Despite additional advantages in the powertrain segment with more power and torque amount than Dzire and the dual-clutch automatic gearbox, the Ford Aspire compact sedan is yet to throw considerable challenge to the Maruti vehicle. Finally, we can say that with the arrival of the new Maruti model, it will certainly become an even tougher task for the Ford car despite it being a highly capable product with good servicing network.