When it comes to the premium hatchback segment, India has a couple of choices that top the popularity charts, while there are those that may not be as popular but offer sheer luxury and class.
On one hand we have a car maker that is known as common man's brand and offers value for money. Yes you got that right, it is Maruti Suzuki India indeed.
On the other hand we have Honda which is known for its class apart cars. Be it design, features or looks Honda makes a clean sweep against its rivals.
The two car companies have one of the most prominent hatchbacks in the premium segment namely, Maruti Swift and Honda Jazz.
Exterior:
Honda Jazz is the first offering from the Japanese auto maker in the hatchback segment for the Indian market.
The styling is done aesthetically rendering it an avant-grade appearance.
The super forwarding form enables minimum effort to cut through air along with endowing a super chic look to the hatch.
Large vent window and spacious window graphics bestow a flexuous look, elongated headlamps suit perfectly with the car's exteriors, sporty hexagonal thick front grille gives a bold look to the front fascia and embossed rear combination design makes the back look modish.
Maruti's star performer and one of the bestselling hatchbacks in India, Swift dons sporty looks.
The new Swift has a sharper design, with more fluid in the aerodynamic lines, it looks more stylish and more energetic than before.
New generation Swift is wider and longer than its forerunner with 90mm increase in length, 40mm increase in wheelbase and 5mm enhanced width.
It has an athletic bearing and a sleek sense of power. However, the new Swift retains the DNA of the predecessor with some cosmetic touches here and there
Interior:
Honda Jazz offers ample space and can easily accommodate five people inside the cabin.
The hatch is capacious, gives abounding space to the passengers.The dashboard is designed perceptively and the unified
audio with Aux-in and USB are also present inside the hatch.
Interiors are done in beige and black that renders a classy feel to the Jazz.
The upgraded Honda Jazz is equipped with a rear reclining seats which implies that one can stretch their legs during long drives and have a comfy ride.
Step inside the Swift and you will be blown away with the roomier and chic interiors.
The interiors flaunt style and luxury, it also offers abounding space to the passengers.
Inside the cabin, five people can easily find space for themselves and enjoy a smooth ride together.
Maruti has not compromised on the quality of the interiors and hence has used top notch quality material and avant-grade upholstery inside the car.
Engine:
Honda Jazz has a four cylinder, 16 valve, 1198cc petrol motor under the hood with a maximum power of 90PS at 6200rpm and a peak torque of 110 Nm at 4800rpm.
Mated to a five speed manual transmission, the 1.2 litre i-VTEC engine delivers a good performance and decent fuel economy.
The hatchback is available only with petrol mill; though the company is developing diesel power plant for its range of cars, therefore in future we might see Jazz with a diesel heart.
Maruti has bestowed Swift with both petrol and diesel motors, the petrol mill is a K Series motor with VVT technology.
The four cylinder, 16 valve engine comes with a displacement of 1197cc.
While the diesel variant has a DDiS diesel engine with four cylinders, 16 valves and a displacement of 1248cc.
Both the variants are harmonised to a five speed manual transmission.
Mileage:
Honda Jazz is available only in petrol version and returns a decent mileage too. The 1.2 litre i-VTEC engine returns a mileage of 16.7 kmpl as certified buy the ARAI.
However, Swift which comes in both petrol and diesel variants offers a better mileage as compared to Honda Jazz.
The petrol version of Swift delivers 14.5 kmpl in city and 18.6 kmpl on highway, while the diesel guise runs 19 kmpl in city and 22. 9 kmpl on highway.
Safety:
Honda is known for equipping its cars with ample safety features and Jazz too is no exception.
Honda cars are conceived on the 'Advanced Compatibility Engineering' body.
On the other hand EBD delegates the work force among the four wheels on the basis of load on each wheel.
Jazz also comes with a seat belt with load limiter. Apart from this, driver and front passenger SRS airbags reduces the risk of head and chest injuries during a sturdy collision.
Comfort:
Honda Jazz is packed with a host of comfort features that brings the hatch in the luxury car league.
Some of the comfort features present in the hatch include keyless entry with answer back, power door lock, power door mirror which is available only in the top end version.
Front power window auto up and down (driver), average fuel consumption display, instant fuel consumption display, key alarm, accessory socket and coat hanger.
Swift on the other hand is housed with safety features like body hugging front seats that are larger and more comfortable, ample legroom and foot space for the rear passengers, multi information LCD display fuel consumption meter, low fuel warning lamp, a seven step illumination control odometer, trip meter, redesigned instrument panel and enhanced suspension.
Price:
On the price front Maruti Swift definitely has an edge over Honda Jazz, the new Maruti Swift petrol version is priced at Rs 444,000 (ex-showroom Delhi) while the diesel version of Swift is tagged at Rs 553,000 (ex-showroom Delhi).
Price wise too Swift is more affordable than Jazz, Jazz also lacks diesel variant that is present in Swift.
Honda Jazz is a typical luxury car with some innovative comfort and safety features which are not present in other cars of the same segment.