Rs. 33,000 discount on Beat: A better buy than the Swift or Figo?

General Motors is offering a good Rs. 33,000 discount on its hot-selling Chevrolet Beat, but is that a good enough proposition if you were considering the frugal and affordable Ford Figo or the segment leader Maruti Suzuki Swift? We analyze the offer and help you decide.

Chevrolet Beat vs. Ford Figo (Petrol – Base variants)

If we just look at the prices alone then the Beat looks like a better deal than the Figo. The base petrol variant of the Beat 1.2 (LS) costs Rs. 3.99 lakhs, which drops down to Rs. 3.66 lakhs after discount. This compared to the Ford Figo Duratec (LXi), which costs Rs 3.71 lakhs after a Rs. 10,000 discount offered by Ford.

Post discount, the price difference reduces to just Rs. 5,000.

The Beat in this trim offers most of the features that the Figo has to offer and a little more with a tachometer, central locking, 4 speakers and an 80bhp 1.2L engine which gives you an ARAI certified 19kmpl. The Figo scores with a much larger 284ltr boot against Beat’s 170ltrs and driving dynamics which hugely compensates for the lack of power from the 70bhp 1.2L engine. Also read: Big discounts on Maruti Suzuki Alto and Chevrolet Spark: Which one is more VFM?

There is not much to choose. If you want to save Rs. 5,000, then go for Beat. Otherwise, the bigger Figo might make more sense.

Chevrolet Beat vs. Ford Figo (Petrol – Top-end variants)

If we look at the top-end variants of the same cars, the Beat Option 1.2 (LT) costs Rs. 4.93 lakhs and the Figo Duratec Titanium costs Rs. 4.96 lakhs. Only Rs. 3,000 separate the two but after discount they drop down to Rs. 4.60 lakhs for the Beat and Rs. 4.86 lakhs for the Figo and the difference now is Rs. 26,000.

For Rs. 26,000 lesser the Beat offers more with all 4 power windows, rear windscreen wiper, IPod dock and a phone charger. The Figo only scores on an ABS system with EBD, while the Beat only offers an ABS system. Though, again, the extra Rs. 26,000 for the Figo is not justified. So the Beat comes out on top here too.

It’s a similar story with the diesel variants too with the Beat scoring over the Figo.

Chevrolet Beat vs. Ford Figo (Diesel – Base variants)

The base variant Beat TCDI (PS) costs Rs. 4.53 lakhs as against the base Figo Duratorq (LXi) which costs Rs. 4.79 lakhs. That is a difference of Rs. 26,000 but the discounts being offered on the diesel variants of the Beat are substantially lower. Chevrolet offers a meager discount of Rs. 2,000 against the Rs. 10,000 discount offered by Ford. Thus the Beat TCDI (PS) would cost you Rs. 4.51 lakhs post discount whereas the Figo Duratorq (LXi) will cost you Rs. 4.69. So, the Beat is still cheaper by Rs. 18,000. Also read: Up to Rs. 150,000 off on Skoda Laura

Basic features in both cars are the same but the Figo offers 10bhp more power from a 1.4L engine compared to the Beat’s 58bhp from a 1.0L engine.

Overall the Beat with an ARAI certified 24kmpl trumps the Figo’s 20kmpl mileage figure. Hence the Beat is a better proposition and helps you save Rs. 18,000.

Chevrolet Beat vs. Ford Figo (Diesel – Top-end variants)

The top-end Beat TDCI Option (LT) is priced at Rs. 5.74 lakhs compared to the Figo Duratorq Titanium’s Rs. 5.94 lakhs tag. Post discount the Beat costs Rs. 5.72 against Figo’s Rs. 5.84. The Beat is cheaper by Rs. 12,000 and offers you a climate control air-conditioning system, anti-glare inside rear view mirror which the Figo does not have apart from the common features.

The Chevrolet Beat then, petrol or diesel, scores more and comes out as better value for money against the Ford Figo.

How does the Swift stack up against the Beat?

The Maruti Suzuki Swift Petrol (LXi) costs Rs. 45,000 more than the Beat Petrol (LS) and the top-end Swift Petrol (ZXi) costs Rs 75,000 more than the Beat Option (LT). Similarly, the lower variant Swift Diesel (LDi) costs Rs. 1.01 lakhs more than the Beat TDCI (PS) and the top-end Swift Diesel (ZDi) costs Rs. 1.02 lakhs more than the Beat TDCI Option (LT). Also read: Fiat Linea and Punto Absolute festive editions launched

The Swift being the segment leader does come at a premium but loses out in the price war due to no discounts being offered across all variants by Maruti Suzuki. Although, the Swift has superior handling and drivability over the Beat and being a Maruti it is backed up by a huge service network, lower maintenance costs and better after sales service.