Is the Maruti Swift's Z-Series engine really a step down?

A hot topic of conversation with the fourth-gen Maruti Suzuki Swift has been its new Z-series petrol motor. Many of you haven't been happy with Maruti Suzuki dropping power and lopping one cylinder off this engine when seen against the much-liked K-series motor that you find in other cars like the Baleno. Another concern has been that refinement will take a hit.

Maruti Suzuki Z-Series vs K-Series performance

These are some of the things we paid close attention to in our recent comparison between the Swift, Glanza and Nios. The Glanza is Toyota's identical twin to the Baleno. To start with, there's not a massive performance hit. We managed a 0 to 100 kmph time of 12s in the Glanza while the Swift did it in 12.8s, although we think a better launch will bridge that gap further. More telling were the rolling acceleration numbers. In our 30 to 50 kmph, 50 to 70 kmph and 60 to 80 kmph runs, the two posted identical times, doing it in 4.0s, 5.8s and 8.4s. This is despite the Swift's Z12 E making 82PS and 112 Nm and the Glanza's K12 N making 90PS and 113 Nm. Both were equipped with a five-speed manual.

The numbers may be close but there's quite some nuance in how these engines perform. The K12 is more energetic and quicker to rev, it also takes some waking up. The four-cylinder is smoother and hits its stride past 4,000 rpm, where there's a sharp edge to the way it makes power. The Z12 is calmer but more practical. There's an eagerness to it just off idle that makes handling traffic easier, it also seems to find its best rhythm below 4,000 rpm so middling city speeds are smoother to tackle. Sure, you can still rev it out but there's not quite the pay-off of the Glanza's motor.

Maruti Suzuki Z-Series vs K-Series fuel-efficiency

This still doesn't justify going through the trouble of developing an entirely new engine. One of the main draws seems to be the astounding efficiency. We managed over 25.7 kmpl on the highway in the Swift, a notable improvement over the 23.3 kmpl in the Glanza. There are similar improvements in the city numbers, The Swift managed 19.2 kmpl here, up from the Glanza's 17.9 kmpl. The Glanza is only 10 kg heavier than the Swift, so the gains come from the engine.

Maruti Suzuki Z-Series vs K-Series differences

The fewer moving parts in a three-cylinder unit and the generally improved thermal efficiency from larger cylinders may be some of the factors that drive this efficiency. This, in turn, should help Maruti Suzuki meet emission regulations more effectively. This is especially important in the current context, where Corporate Average Fuel Efficiency (CAFE) norms are coming into relevance. With this motor expected to go into Maruti Suzuki's best-sellers, and the massive numbers these entail, this switch will significantly impact the company's performance in this regard.

Maruti Suzuki hybrid launch plan

In the longer term, this also opens up Maruti Suzuki's hybridisation strategy. There's widespread talk of this engine being able to support a strong hybrid powertrain, the more compact design that a three-cylinder allows may have been chosen with this in mind. While no details have been revealed yet, this powertrain could differ significantly from the Toyota-based systems that Maruti Suzuki currently uses in the Grand Vitara and be accommodated in smaller models like the Baleno, Fronx and Swift. In this form, this motor's current disadvantages of top-end performance and refinement may be better controlled too.

Watch our Maruti Suzuki Swift vs Toyota Glanza vs Hyundai Nios video review below

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Maruti Suzuki Swift vs Toyota Glanza vs Hyundai Nios comparison review