Upcoming compact sedans vs Maruti Swift Dzire and Honda Brio Amaze

Snapshot: The compact sedan segment is one of the hottest sectors in the Indian car market. While  the Maruti Swift Dzire, Honda Brio Amaze and the Tata Indigo eCS are the three major compact sedans sold in India, three more will be added in the next one year. CarToq profiles the Hyundai Xcent, Tata Zest and the Ford Figo compact sedans while going into brief comparos with hot sellers such as the Dzire and Amaze. This compilation aims to give the reader a quick reference of the six major compact sedans that will be available for purchase over the next one year.

Maruti Suzuki Swift Dzire

The Swift Dzire is India’s best selling compact sedan by a mile. Available both in petrol and turbo diesel engine options, the Dzire is based on the tried and tested, 2nd generation Swift platform. The Dzire petrol starts at 5.03 lakh rupees, going all the way up to 7.59 lakh rupees, both prices reflecting ex-showroom Delhi figures.

Likes

Highly reliable

Supported by a India’s best after sales service network

Fuel efficient 1.3 liter Multijet turbo diesel and 1.2 liter K-Series petrol engines

Well appointed interiors

Dislikes

Odd looking boot, not the best looker in the compact sedan category

Rattles develop over time when driven on less than perfect roads

Cramped back seat

Honda Brio Amaze

The Brio Amaze is a runaway success for Honda in India. The 1.5 liter i-DTEC motor, Honda’s first ever turbo diesel engine for India, is a big reason for the Amaze’s success in India. The car is also available with a petrol engine that comes with automatic and manual gearbox options. The Amaze starts at 5.21 lakh rupees for the base petrol model, going up to 7.78 lakh rupees for the top end diesel model.

Likes

Fresher looking than the Swift Dzire

Highly reliable with low maintenance costs

Reasonably spacious interiors and boot

Very frugal 1.5 liter i-DTEC diesel engine

Dislikes

Noisy all-aluminum diesel engine

Pricier than the Dzire

Interior plastics feel low rent

Tata Indigo eCS

The Indigo eCS started it all. In 2008, Tata Motors spawned the sub-4 meter compact sedan category with this car. Ever since, the car has been a steady seller for the brand and has gone through a series of refreshes. The lowest priced compact sedan in town, the Indigo eCS is aimed squarely at the budget compact sedan buyer. Prices range between 4.99 and 6.04 lakh rupees, ex-showroom Delhi. The car is sold with petrol, CNG and diesel engine options.

Likes

Least priced compact sedan in India

Low maintenance costs

High fuel efficiency from the 1.4 liter CR4 turbo diesel engine

Spacious interiors, a signature Tata trait

Dislikes

Stodgy, downmarket image

Dates looks

Lack of Airbags even as an option

Hyundai Xcent

Due for a launch next month, the Xcent is Hyundai’s sub-4 meter replacement to the Accent sedan. The Xcent will get 1.2 liter petrol and 1.1 liter-3 cylinder turbo diesel engines. The diesel motor is a capable and fuel efficient performer while the petrol motor is refined and peppy. A 5 speed manual gearbox will be available on both engines while the petrol motor will gain a 4 speed automatic option as well. Hyundai has been talking about pricing the Xcent very competitively and also about loading the car with class leading equipment. The Xcent is based on the Grand i10 platform. Expected prices range between 5 to 7.5 lakh rupees.

Likes

Class leading features

Largest boot in its class

Well appointed interiors

Dislikes

Insipid looks

Steadily growing service costs for Hyundai cars

Tata Zest 

The Zest is based on the Manza platform and is Tata Motors’ second compact sedan. The Zest is one of the better looking compact sedans when it comes to the way in which the boot has been integrated with the body shell. The Zest will be sold with 1.2 liter turbo petrol (80 Bhp-140 Nm) and 1.3 liter Fiat Multijet turbo diesel(90 Bhp-200 Nm) engines. The biggest story around the car is that it will feature the automated manual transmission (AMT) on the diesel powered variants, a unique feature among cars sold in the sub-10 lakh rupee space. Expect Tata Motors to undercut the Amaze and Dzire with the Zest’s pricing.

Likes

One of the better looking compact sedans in town

AMT option for the diesel

First turbo petrol car in the compact sedan class

Spacious interiors with a good feature set

Dislikes

Tata image

Launch still a few months away (second half 2014)

2015 Ford Figo based compact sedan

Easily the best looking compact sedan, the Ford Figo concept was showcased ahead of the Auto Expo. The car will make it to production next year and is based on a modified Figo platform. On first glance, the Figo compact sedan’s interiors appeared well put together design wise. In terms of equipment too, Ford has promised to offer a decent set of features. Both petrol and turbo diesel engine options will be offered on the Figo based compact sedan.

Likes

Ravishing good looks

Dislikes

You can’t buy one until 2015 at least