After sedans, hatchbacks are facing the SUV heat. In January 2024, the Tata Punch outsold the Maruti Suzuki Wagon R, and the Tata Nexon found more buyers than the Maruti Suzuki Dzire. Moreover, the Hyundai Creta, Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara, Maruti Suzuki Fronx and the Hyundai Venue-Kia Sonet duo are regularly amongst the 10 highest-selling cars in India every month. So, with the new Swift entering its fourth generation, it has only one direct rival still existing in the B-segment – the Hyundai Grand i10 Nios.
But the new Swift is down on one cylinder now, it hasn’t grown drastically in terms of dimensions compared to its predecessor, but it has gotten slightly more expensive than before. So should you consider buying the new Swift or look for a high-riding alternative? The alternative comes in two forms, the Tata Punch as well as the Nios-based Hyundai Exter. Let’s check which one makes more sense on paper - a refreshed B-segment dominating hatchback or a micro-SUV?
Also Read: New Maruti Suzuki Swift: Prices Of Official Accessories Revealed
In terms of dimension, the Swift is longer than the Exter at 3,860 mm compared to 3,815 mm; and it is also wider measuring 1,735 mm over Exter’s 1,710 mm. But the Exter being a micro-SUV stands taller at 1,631 mm compared to the Swift’s 1,520 mm height. It also has a higher ground clearance of 185 mm over the 163 mm you get with the Swift. Surprisingly the wheelbase for both measures the same at 2,450 mm.
| Dimensions | Swift | Exter |
| Length (mm) | 3860 | 3815 |
| Width (mm) | 1735 | 1710 |
| Height (mm) | 1520 | 1631 |
| Wheelbase (mm) | 2450 | 2450 |
| Ground Clearance (mm) | 163 | 185 |
Design-wise, both Swift and Exter have a completely different approach. Where the Swift continues its bulbous styling with a few sharper edges added with the new-gen update, the Exter follows the boxy, upright, and squared-off design language.
Both the Exter and the Swift have an all-black theme inside the cabin, but the Swift has some contrast silver inserts seen on the dashboard and door pads. Where the Exter has an identical cabin to the Nios, the new Swift takes some elements from the Baleno and Fronx. Part of the update inside the Swift is a new floating touchscreen and AC controls, but the steering wheel, gear lever and analogue dial are all carried over from the outgoing model. Over to the Exter, you get a floating panel on the dashboard which houses a touchscreen and an all-digital driver’s display in the binnacle.
Where the Swift offers a large seat, the seats in the Exter do not get adjustable headrests. Both lack a proper driver’s armrest though while driver’s seat height adjustment is available in the higher variants only. Over to the second row, the taller height of the Exter should make getting inside a much more comfortable affair compared to the Swift. Although both are suited for two at the back, the Swift has a slightly upright backrest compared to the Exter making the latter more comfortable in comparison for longer journeys. When it comes to boot space, the Exter offer 391 litres while the Swift in comparison has just 265 litres.
Also Read: 2024 Maruti Suzuki Swift Launched in India: Old Vs New
When it comes to features, let us consider the range-topping versions where both the Exter and the new Swift come loaded with a touchscreen, wireless charging pad, wireless phone integration, rear AC vents, reverse parking camera, along six airbags as standard across the range, ABS with EBD, hill-hold, creep function (AT only), and ESP.
Debuting with the new-gen Swift is a new Z-series petrol engine. It is a 1.2-litre naturally-aspirated, three-cylinder petrol engine which is down on power compared to the predecessor – 80bhp and 111Nm compared to 89bhp and 113Nm of the older Swift. And the gearbox choices remain unchanged with a five-speed manual and an AMT. While it's down on power, a good trade-off is a higher claimed fuel mileage of 22.38kmpl and 22.56kmpl for manual and AMT, respectively (up by 10-14 per cent).
| Specification | Swift | Exter |
| Engine | 1.2-litre 3-cylinder Z-Series | 1.2-litre 4-cylinder Kappa |
| Gearbox | 5-Speed Manual & AMT | 5-Speed Manual & AMT |
| Power | 80 bhp at 5700rpm | 82 bhp at 6000rpm |
| Torque | 111.7 Nm at 4300rpm | 113.8 Nm at 4000rpm |
| Mileage (ARAI) | 22.38kmpl (MT) & 22.56kmpl (AMT) | ~19.2kmpl |
Meanwhile, on the Exter, you also get a single petrol engine choice. With a similar displacement, the 1.2-litre Kappa four-cylinder petrol engine produces 82 bhp and 114 Nm. You can have the Exter with a similar five-speed manual or AMT choice. Surprisingly, Hyundai hasn’t revealed any official mileage figures for this petrol engine. But you can have the Exter with the CNG option, which will be offered with the new Swift at a later date.
| Price | Swift | Exter |
| Petrol Manual | Rs 6.49 - 9.14 lakh | Rs 6.13 - 9.71 lakh |
| Petrol AMT | Rs 7.79 - 9.64 lakh | Rs 8.23 - 10.28 lakh |
| CNG Manual | - | Rs 8.43 - 9.16 lakh |
While both the new Swift and the Exter in terms of specs are evenly matched on paper, things aren’t different when it comes to pricing either. You can buy the new Swift in 12 versions across five trim choices. Its prices range between Rs 7.67 lakh to 11.32 lakh (ex-showroom). On the other hand, you can buy the Exter in 17 versions across seven trim options with price tags ranging between Rs 7.22 to 12.19 lakh (ex-showroom).
