Who is scoring in the war of sedans?

It’s the ride quality where Logan scores over Dzire. On most other counts, it’s the Maruti sedan that offers more value for money.

AFTER SELLING like hot property in the A3 segment for a year, the Mahindra Renault Logan 1.5 diesel now faces stiff competition from the country’s largest automobile manufacturer’s latest avatar Maruti Suzuki Swift Dzire.

The Logan is powered by a 4- cylinder, 1461cc, 1.5 Dci engine, and the Dzire is equipped with a multijet diesel 1248cc engine. To distill this technical mumbo- jumbo, the Dzire is more powerful and produces excellent acceleration thrust. Yet the slower Logan should not be dismissed off- hand – it has enough spunk to beat city traffic. Fire up both the engines, and there is the rattle and hum typical of diesel cars.

Between the two, it is the Renaults engine that makes its audible presence felt. Both have a 5- speed manual transmission, but the Dzire tops with its precise gear ratio and smooth shift. Needless to say, the Logans gearbox is not as slick as the Swift sedans. The Renault cars third gear has a tall ratio that may force frequent changing of gears.

When it comes to ride quality, the Logan scores. The Renault easily negotiates dirt roads. And the Dzire seems to take sadistic pleasure in making you feel each bump on the road. At a glance, neither the Dzire, nor the Logan are stunning beauties.

The Renault has an outdated 1980s boxy look that needs at least a set of nice- looking alloy wheels and a rear spoiler to give it a passable makeover. Maruti has played its trump card and transformed its Swift hatchback into the Dzire. The sedan, therefore, retains the sporty look of the hatchback at the front, with the thick line of chrome at the rear being a take- off of the Nissan Teana and the BMW 7- Series.

Looked at from the side, though, the Dzires silhouette is awkward given its disproportionate aspects, but compared to the Logan, the Swift sedan looks contemporary and fresh. When it comes to interiors, the Dzire leaves the Logan squirming in embarrassment. As Maruti has borrowed most of the Swifts interiors, there is a sense of familiarity with the Dzires dash and the instrument cluster.

The high- end ZDI trim gets steering wheel mounted audio controls and an automatic climate control, which are both firsts in the category. The integrated audio system is neatly tucked away in the dash and is user friendly. The Logan's interiors are tacky. The beige colour adds to the cheapness of the look. The inside door handles look down market. Improper placement of the power- window buttons on the central console under the air vents requires almost a GPS system to locate them during driving. The instrument cluster, though, is clear, big and simple.

The Renault is the only car that has an onboard computer in this class. The Logans trump card is the ample leg, head and shoulder room available. It has a 510- litre boot space, which is generous in comparison to the Dzires 400 litres, which had to be shaved to accommodate the intrusions from the trunks flab. The fuel average is high for both the cars. The Logan gives 18 kmpl in city conditions and 24 kmpl on highways; the Dzire returns 14 kmpl and 18 kmpl, respectively.

The Dzire costs Rs 6.7 lakh and the Renault, Rs 6.9 lakh. Not much of a price difference, but the Maruti sedan gives more value for money. Given that they are entry- level sedans, the Logan and the Dzire have a lot going for them.