Maruti Suzuki Wagon R Vs Maruti Suzuki Swift – Comparison

Our Maruti Wagon R vs Maruti Swift comparison will help you find out how these two models compare in terms of specs, mileage, features, interior, and design

The 2019 Maruti Wagon R was launched on 23 January 2019 and comes with bigger dimensions, a powerful 1.2-litre petrol engine option, an optional AMT, and many new features that make it come across as a more premium offering than the previous version. More importantly, the new car’s Heartect platform and the K12M petrol engine are shared with the Swift.

The introduction of the advanced platform and the bigger petrol engine brings the tallboy closer to the hot-selling B1-segment hatchback. Our Maruti Wagon R vs Maruti Swift comparison will help you find out if the new generation of the tallboy has the traits of the sporty Swift.

Maruti Wagon R vs Maruti Swift – Design

The 2019 Maruti Wagon R carries over its trademark tallboy design from its predecessors. Therefore, it gets the same airy cabin with a lot of headroom for even the tallest of the passengers. However, unlike the previous model, the latest Wagon R misses out on a design that has a wide appeal. To some, the new Wagon R would look bolder and more modern, but to others, it could simply look too boring and flab-sided.

On the other hand, the Maruti Swift looks funky and very sporty. Like the Wagon R, it retains the essence of the design of its predecessors but that doesn’t make it look any less modern than any of its rivals. In fact, the increase in dimensions has only made it look even smarter and sportier. Between the Wagon R and the Swift, it’s the latter that will win a beauty contest.

It’s not like the new Wagon R looks too boring or ugly. Its front end, which has bold headlamps and some chrome, gives it a pretty handsome face but it simply can’t match the Swift when it comes to design flair and overall visual appeal. Hence, the Swift is the clear winner of this round of our 2019 Maruti Wagon R 1.2 vs Maruti Swift comparison.

Maruti Wagon R vs Maruti Swift – Interior

The interior of the new Maruti Wagon R has a dual-tone beige-black colour theme, with the lighter colour shade having dominance over the dark tone. More than the colour scheme, however, it is the space on offer that will impress all the buyers of this tallboy. The increase in dimensions has made the Wagon R bigger even on the inside.

The new model is 3,655 mm long, 1,620 mm wide, and 1,675 mm tall. It has a wheelbase of 2,435 mm, which is 35 mm higher than that of the outgoing version. In fact, the wheelbase of the new Wagon R is only 15 mm shorter than that of the Swift.

The top-spec trim of the Maruti Wagon R comes with the SmartPlay Studio system, which is the company’s latest touchscreen infotainment unit. It offers Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. It also has Bluetooth but comes with only 2 front speakers, which have a pretty average sound quality.

The cabin on of the 2019 Maruti Wagon R also has many more safety features than the previous version. All the variants of the tallboy come with a driver’s side airbag, ABS, ISOFIX child seat restraints, speed-sensing door lock, impact-sensing door unlock, high-speed alert, and front seatbelt warning. The top-end trim also gets a front passenger airbag and remote-controlled central locking.

The interior of the Maruti Swift has an all-black colour theme, which makes it look sportier than that of the Wagon R. However, it misses out on the great headroom that the Wagon R offers. Even the Swift comes with a touchscreen infotainment unit that has Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. Moreover, all variants of the funky hatchback come with dual front airbags with ABS.

While the longer wheelbase does help the Swift offer a slightly higher leg space, it falls behind when it comes to the luggage carrying capacity. The new Wagon R has a boot space of just 268-litres, which is significantly lesser than the 341-litres that the new tallboy offers. Hence, the latest Wagon R becomes the winner of this part of our 2019 Maruti Wagon R 1.2 vs Maruti Swift comparison.

Maruti Wagon R 1.2 vs Maruti Swift 1.2 – Price

As always, the Maruti Wagon R continues to be more affordable than the Maruti Swift. However, with the introduction of the latest generation, the two models in Maruti’s stables sit very close to each other in terms of pricing. The Wagon R, which is now available in 1.0 and 1.2 engine options, overlaps the Maruti Swift on the pricing charts.

The 1.2-litre option of the Wagon R is available only in the VXI and ZXI trims. The Maruti Swift is available in LXI, VXI, ZXi, and ZXI Plus trims. The price of the Maruti Wagon R 1.2 VXI is only Rs 10,000 lesser than the Maruti Swift LXI. Also, both the models now come with an optional AMT.

However, the top-end Swift petrol is more than Rs 2 lakh costlier than the top-end Maruti Wagon R 1.2. Hence, in terms of value for money, it’s the Wagon R that wins this part of our 2019 Maruti Wagon R 1.2 vs Maruti Swift comparison.

Maruti Wagon R 1.2 vs Maruti Swift Comparison

The 2019 Maruti Wagon R is available with two petrol engine options – 1.0-litre and 1.2-litre. For now, it is not available with any CNG variant. The smaller petrol engine option is the K10 motor available on the previous model. It has been carried over to the new Wagon R without any change.

The bigger engine option is that of the same K12M motor that powers the petrol variant of the Swift. Both the engine variants of the Wagon R get an optional AMT. What’s even more interesting is that it’s based on the Heartect platform, which is the same architecture that also underpins the Swift. The smaller petrol engine develops a maximum power of 67 PS and a peak torque of 99 Nm. The bigger motor outputs 83 PS and 113 Nm.

In comparison, the Maruti Swift is available with the same K12M 1.2-litre petrol engine and a D13A 1.3-litre diesel engine. Both the transmissions are available with a 5-speed manual and a 5-speed AMT. The petrol engine delivers a maximum power of 83 PS and a peak torque of 113 Nm, which is exactly the same as what the Wagon R 1.2 has on offer.

The diesel engine outputs 75 PS and 200 Nm. While having a diesel engine could turn out to be those who have an extremely high monthly running, the fast decreasing price gap between petrol and diesel cars and the higher investment on buying the diesel version might negate any advantage. If we keep our focus only on the 1.2-litre petrol variants of these models, there is really little difference between the two cars. Hence, there’s no clear winner of this part of 2019 Maruti Wagon R 1.2 vs Maruti Swift comparison.

2019 Maruti Wagon R 1.2 vs Maruti Swift – Comparison of Mileage

Surprisingly, the Maruti Wagon R loses to the Swift when it comes to the fuel efficiency. In spite of having the same engine and the same platform as the Swift, the Wagon R 1.2 manages to offer an ARAI-certified fuel efficiency of 21.5 km/l. In comparison, the petrol model of the Swift can offer an ARAI mileage of 22 km/l, which is marginally more.

Even the Wagon R 1.0, which has much lesser power than the Swift petrol, offers only 22.5 km/l. This is only slightly higher than what the Swift offers. In real life, the mileage from the petrol-powered Swift and the two variants of the Wagon R should be quite similar to each other.

Things get even better if you take into account the mileage offered by the diesel-powered Maruti Swift. With an ARAI-tested fuel efficiency of 28.4 km/l, the Maruti Swift diesel is the most fuel efficient car in its segment. However, comparing it with the Wagon R makes little sense as it’s much cheaper and doesn’t have any diesel engine option to speak of. Still, going by the numbers of the petrol-powered Swift, it’s the sportier hatchback that’s the winner of this part of our 2019 Maruti Wagon R 1.2 vs Maruti Swift comparison.

Maruti Wagon R 1.2 vs Maruti Swift – Comparison Verdict

Design – Design is a matter of personal choice and the design of the new Wagon R is sure to polarize opinions. However, the Swift definitely looks funkier and is a more handsome hatchback than the Wagon R. Hence, it’s the Swift that is the winner in this aspect.

Interior –  In terms of features, between the similarly priced variants of the two cars, it is the Wagon R that offers you more features. While you can definitely opt for a top model of the Swift, it will cost at least 2 lakh rupees more. Plus, the Wagon R offers much more headroom and a bigger boot. Hence, the new tallboy wins this round of our comparison.

Price – Between the two, it’s clearly the Wagon R that comes across as the one that is better priced. It has the same platform and engine as the Swift but is much cheaper in spite of having a bigger boot and a roomier cabin. It lacks some features but still comes across as a better priced product.

Specifications – The K12M engine for the new Wagon R makes it as powerful as the Swift. Also, both the cars get the Heartect platform. While the Wagon R doesn’t get a diesel option, it will soon receive a CNG variant to bring down the running costs. For now, however, there is no clear winner of this part of our comparison.

Mileage – Going only by the figures, the Swift wins this part of our comparison by a small margin. Compared to the 21.5 km/l offered by the Wagon R 1.2, the Swift petrol offers 22 km/l.

Well, some of you might disagree to our decision of comparing these two cars as they both belong to different segments. However, one must note that with the launch of the new Wagon R, the price difference between the two models has reduced big time. Moreover, both the cars have the same engine and the same platform.

Hence, a buyer of the entry-level Wagon R 1.2 could be tempted to put in another Rs. 10,000 and buy the Swift instead. Similarly, a buyer of the base Swift petrol could want to opt for a feature-laden variant of the Wagon R by spending only a little more.

VERDICT – While the Maruti Swift is a highly likable car, it’s actually the Wagon R that wins our hearts with a terrific pricing, a strong performance from the 1.2-litre engine, and a higher practicality.