Maruti Swift has been a legendary hatchback in the history of Indian cars. It was first launched in 2005 and it has received some updates and facelifts since then. The current generation Swift models come with the 1.2-litre Z-series (Z12E) 3-cylinder petrol engine which comes with either 5-speed manual or 5-speed AMT gearbox. You can also opt for the factory-fitted CNG variants of Swift. The best mileage in its lineup is offered by the CNG variants that only come with the 5-speed manual transmission.
Maruti Baleno is also a popular hatchback that was first launched in 2015. It comes with a 1.2-litre K-Series Dualjet petrol engine and a factory-fitted CNG kit is also available. Like Swift, CNG variants offer the best mileage in Baleno’s lineup as well. The CNG variants are available only with the 5-speed manual transmission whereas the petrol variants come with 5-speed manual and 5-speed automatic transmission options. Though Swift offers higher mileage than Baleno as per the ARAI claimed mileage figures, the real-world mileage might differ. In this article, we will explore the real-mileage of each powertrain of Baleno and Swift to compare them against each other.
Table of Contents
Maruti Swift vs Maruti Baleno Specs
The specifications of Maruti Swift and Maruti Baleno should also be considered to evaluate their impact on their respective mileage. The below table sheds some insights into this:
| Specification | Maruti Swift | Maruti Baleno |
| Engine | 1.2-litre Z-series (Z12E) 3-cylinder petrol1.2-litre Z-series petrol + CNG | 1.2-L 4-cylinder Petrol1.2-L petrol + CNG |
| Displacement | Petrol: 1197 cc CNG: 1197 cc | Petrol: 1197 cc CNG: 1197 cc |
| Power | Petrol: 80.46 bhpCNG: 68.80 PS | Petrol: 88.50 bhpCNG: 76.43 PS |
| Torque | Petrol: 112 Nm CNG: 101.8 Nm | Petrol: 113 Nm CNG: 98.50 Nm |
| Transmission | 5-speed manual transmission (MT)5-speed automatic transmission (AGS) | 5-speed manual transmission (MT)5-speed automatic transmission (AGS) |
| Drive layout | Front Wheel Drive (FWD) | Front Wheel Drive (FWD) |
| Kerb weight | 920 kg to 990 kg (depending upon the variant) | 940 kg to 960 kg (depending upon the variant) |
| Fuel tank capacity | 37 litres | 37 litres |
Baleno models generate slightly more power and torque than Swift models. Also, the kerb weight of their models fall in the similar range and the engine configurations are also similar. However, Swift comes with a 3-cylinder petrol engine whereas Baleno comes with a 4-cylinder petrol engine. So, Swift models might have a slight upper hand when it comes to real-world mileage. Let’s see the ARAI claimed mileage figures of both these cars now.
Maruti Swift vs Maruti Baleno: ARAI Claimed Mileage
When it comes to ARAI mileage, the cars generally claim slightly better mileage than their real-world mileage. This happens because the ARAI mileage tests are performed in a controlled way under ideal conditions. The claimed mileage of Maruti Swift vs Maruti Baleno are provided in the below table:
| Engine & Transmission | Fuel Type | Maruti Swift – ARAI Mileage (km/l) | Maruti Baleno – ARAI Mileage (km/l) |
| 1.2-litre NA Petrol – 5-Speed MT | Petrol | 24.8 km/l | 22.35 km/l |
| 1.2-litre NA Petrol – 5-Speed AMT | Petrol | 25.75 km/l | 22.94 km/l |
| 1.2-litre Petrol + CNG with 5-speed manual | Petrol + CNG | 32.85 km/kg | 30.61 km/kg |
The claimed mileage of Swift models are higher than Baleno models because the Swift models generate comparatively lesser power and torque. Also, their 3-cylinder engine is not as powerful as the 4-cylinder NA engine of Baleno. This means that the more powerful petrol engine of Baleno decreases its fuel-efficiency as higher torque and power increases the rate of fuel consumption.
Also Read: Ultimate Guide to Selling Your Maruti Suzuki Baleno
Maruti Swift vs Maruti Baleno: Real-World Mileage
Now, let’s see whether the higher claimed mileage figures of Swift translates to real-world mileage or not. The real-world mileage for each powertrain of Swift and Baleno are provided below:
| Maruti Swift (1.2-litre NA Petrol) | Maruti Baleno (1.2-litre NA Petrol) | |
| City | Manual: 15.50 km/lAutomatic: 14 km/l | Manual: 15.50 km/lAutomatic: 14 km/l |
| Highway | Manual: 20.50 km/lAutomatic: 21 km/l | Manual: 20 km/lAutomatic: 18 km/l |
| Average | Manual: 18 km/lAutomatic: 17.5 km/l | Manual: 17.75 km/lAutomatic: 16 km/l |
| Tank range | 650 km | 625 km |
| Swift CNG | Baleno CNG | |
| City | Manual: 22.50 km/kg | Manual: 21.50 km/kg |
| Highway | Manual: 33 km/kg | Manual: 28 km/kg |
| Average | Manual: 27.75 km/l | Manual: 24.75 km/l |
| Tank range | 900+ km per fill (petrol + CNG combined range) | 800 + km per fill (petrol + CNG combined range) |
In the city, both Swift and Baleno variants offer similar mileage. However, when it comes to highway driving, Swift models deliver a slightly better mileage. Therefore, the overall mileage figures of Swift tend to be slightly better than Baleno models in the real-world conditions.
Swift CNG models offer much better mileage than Baleno CNG variants as well. This means that Swift has a clear advantage over the Baleno models when we compare their real-world mileage. Now, let’s see how this difference converts into real-world fuel costs.
Also Read: Complete Guide to Buying a Maruti Suzuki Baleno
Maruti Swift vs Maruti Baleno: Fuel-Cost Comparison
The monthly, yearly, and 5-yearly fuel costs of both Swift and Baleno models will give us an idea about how their real-world mileage figures impact on our periodic savings. For reference, we have considered that both cars run 1500 km per month on average. The latest fuel prices of petrol (Rs. 111.52) and CNG (Rs. 97.50) are taken for calculating the periodic fuel costs:
| Swift 1.2-NA Petrol | Baleno 1.2-NA Petrol | Swift CNG | Baleno CNG | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly Running | 1500 km | 1500 km | 1500 km | 1500 km |
| Monthly Fuel Use | 85 L | 89 L | 54 kg | 61 kg |
| Average Monthly Fuel Cost | ₹ 9479 | ₹ 9925 | ₹5265 | ₹ 5947 |
| Average Yearly Fuel Cost | ₹ 1.13 lakh | ₹ 1.37 lakh | ₹ 63,180 | ₹ 71,370 |
| 5-Year Fuel Cost | ₹ 5.65 lakh | ₹ 6.89 lakh | ₹ 3.15 lakh | ₹ 3.56 lakh |
The periodic fuel costs associated with Swift petrol models are far lesser than the periodic fuel costs associated with Baleno petrol models. Swift also turns out to be the more cost-friendly option when we compare the CNG models of Swift and Baleno.
Maruti Swift vs Maruti Baleno Price
Let’s compare the ex-showroom prices of Maruti Swift and Baleno variants now to find which one among them is more expensive than the other:
| Model | Variant (Base to Top) | Price (Ex-Showroom) |
| Maruti Swift | LXi to ZXi Plus AMT DT | ₹ 5.79 to ₹ 8.84 lakh |
| Maruti Baleno | Sigma to Alpha Top | ₹ 5.99 to ₹ 9.84 lakh |
Swift models are priced slightly below Baleno models when we compare the ex-showroom prices of their base and top-spec models. So, Swift not only delivers better mileage but is also slightly cheaper than Baleno.
Also Read: How to Buy a Used Maruti Suzuki Swift?
Summary
When we compare Swift and Baleno models across the variants, we see that Swift delivers better mileage than Baleno in both 1.2-litre petrol and petrol+CNG models across the powertrains. This puts Swift at a higher pedestal when we compare the most fuel-efficient hatchbacks in India. However, that doesn’t mean that Baleno cars are any less fuel-efficient. Its 4-cylinder engine generates enough power and proves to be the better option for highway driving. When it comes to city driving, the manual variants of both Swift and Baleno offer similar mileage.
However, Swift delivers a slightly higher mileage on the highways. The difference in the petrol models of these cars isn’t huge enough to influence the decision of buyers. However, the difference is quite significant when we compare the CNG variants and Swift proves to be a clear winner here as well. So, if you want a fuel-efficient car mainly for city driving with some occasional long trips, the CNG or petrol models of Swift can prove to be quite cost-effective.
FAQs
Q. The automatic petrol variants of which car offers better mileage in the city: Swift or Baleno?
The automatic petrol variants of both Swift and Baleno offer similar mileage in the city. Therefore, it is difficult to choose one car over the other when it comes to the automatic petrol variants of Swift and Baleno.
Q. The manual petrol variants of which car offer better mileage on the highway: Swift or Baleno?
The manual petrol models of Swift offer a mileage of up to 20.50 km/l on the highway. On the other hand, the manual petrol models of Baleno offer a mileage of up to 20 km/l on the highway. So, it is clear that the manual petrol variants of Swift offer slightly better mileage on the highway as compared to Baleno’s manual petrol variants.
Q. Which variant of Swift proves to be the most cost-effective when it comes to monthly fuel costs?
The 1.2-litre petrol+CNG variant of Swift proves to be the most cost-effective when it comes to monthly fuel costs.
Q. Which petrol powertrain of Baleno proves to be the most cost-effective when it comes to monthly fuel costs?
The 1.2-litre petrol + manual powertrain of Baleno proves to be the most cost-effective when it comes to monthly fuel costs.
Q. Do Swift models come with a mild hybrid system for better fuel-efficiency?
No, the models launched in India do not come with any hybrid system. However, the global variants of the Maruti Suzuki Swift come with a 12V mild hybrid setup.
Q. Which features are present in Baleno to maximise its fuel-efficiency?
The petrol models of Baleno have the idle start-stop feature to maximise the car’s fuel-efficiency. On the other hand, the CNG models of Baleno are integrated with the S-CNG technology that includes an intelligent injection technology to preserve the optimal air-fuel ratio in the CNG tank. This along with the dual interdependent ECUs allow them to maximise the fuel-economy.
