Maruti Suzuki Dzire First Drive Review

If you were to ask any global CEO of an automotive manufacturer about their views on the Indian market, you’d hear a common response – they would acknowledge that it is the most complicated and complex market in the world. And that is absolutely true. Our ever-changing government regulations and their constant tweaks make for an incredibly difficult market environment. However, for those who are enterprising or persuasive enough, even these complexities can offer glimpses of success and hope.

Take, for example, the Maruti Suzuki Dzire. Born out of a bizarre rule where vehicles under 4 metres in length receive a significant tax advantage, the Dzire was a stroke of genius by Maruti Suzuki as a custom-made product primarily for the Indian market. The result? The Dzire became the best-selling sedan ever in the Indian market. However, this success came with a downside – the Dzire also became the taxi of choice in the country. While this is, in many ways, a kind of praise and an acknowledgement of its success, it nevertheless made a section of consumers shy away from it.

Now, with the latest iteration though – a completely redesigned model from the ground up – Maruti Suzuki is looking to change that perception by positioning the Dzire as a more premium product and hoping to make it the sedan of choice of discerning Indian consumers. But does it succeed in its new role? Does it offer an upgraded experience to Indian consumers? Well, we spent a day with it in Goa to find out exactly that. 

Sharp Look

While the Dzire still shares its platform and underpinnings with the Swift, it now virtually shares nothing in terms of its styling with the hatchback. This is perhaps the biggest change in the sedan, especially compared to its previous variations, which were essentially a Swift with a boot grafted on. The result of this boot grafting on earlier models of Dzire was an unbalanced, awkward appearance, almost as if the boot was an afterthought.

However, in this generation, Maruti Suzuki’s design team was given a free hand, and the result is a completely fresh design, which, I dare say, looks absolutely fantastic. Right from the sharp front end – the headlights look fantastic and could easily belong on a luxury brand’s sedan – to the sleek, well-defined rear end, the Dzire now exudes class and balance. The proportions are spot on, and I would go so far as to say that it’s probably the best-looking sub-4-metre sedan we’ve seen in the Indian market to date.

In fact, given that Maruti Suzuki is trying to reposition the Dzire as a more premium offering, it’s a good thing that the current model shares virtually no design elements with its previous versions – the only common thing is the model name.

Inside, space has never been a problem, even in the last-generation model. For its size, it was a very spacious vehicle – something that remains true with the new-generation model as well. Fitting four full-size adults is a breeze, and while fitting five might be a bit of a squeeze but still not too uncomfortable. Add to that the huge boot, and you can see why older versions of the Dzire were a popular choice for both commercial vehicle operators and regular customers in our market.

One of the biggest upgrades in the new Dzire, however, is the interior design and finishing. While it has many parts from the Maruti Suzuki parts bin, there is no doubt that the new Dzire definitely has a more premium feel to it. The seats are extremely comfortable, and there is plenty of space inside. While the plastic bits are still a bit hard to my liking, considering the pricing, the overall package feels very well thought out.

The feature set also contributes significantly to the overall premium experience. The Dzire now comes with six airbags as standard across all variants, along with other notable features such as LED headlamps and taillamps, ABS, automatic climate control, connectivity with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. I also quite like the clean design of the dash, along with the overall ergonomics. As an added bonus for Indian customers, the Dzire now offers a sunroof, making it the first sedan in its segment to do so.

Another highlight of the new Dzire is that it is the first compact sedan in India – and the first Maruti Suzuki product – to get a 5-star safety rating from GNCAP, underscoring the enhanced safety it offers to occupants. 

Smooth Operator

What the Dzire shares with its hatchback sibling, other than the platform, is the drivetrain. The three-cylinder 1.2-litre engine is the same here, delivering 80bhp and 112 Nm of torque, available with either a five-speed manual or an AMT. However, a key upgrade that previous Dzire customers will notice is a noticeable improvement in refinement compared to the Swift. Despite being a three-cylinder unit, the engine is much more refined. In fact, unless someone explicitly tells you that it’s a three-cylinder unit, you’d be hard-pressed to realise that fact – that’s just how good the new engine is. 

Another surprising aspect of the new Dzire is its fuel efficiency. It offers a claimed return of 25.71km/l with the AMT and 24.79km/l with the MT. While these figures are based on standard test conditions, in real-world driving conditions, achieving 17 –19km/l should be a breeze, making the Dzire a highly efficient car to run. 

In terms of driving, the new engine is simply fantastic, just like it is in the Swift. Sure, on paper, it might seem a bit underwhelming, but in reality, it pulls brilliantly and is extremely refined.  The Dzire is quite content to pull even at low revs, without feeling strained when you demand performance, even at low revs. The manual gearbox allows you to drive in the city without frequent gear changes, and the AMT holds onto a gear for longer durations. However, you do lose out on strong top-end performance a bit. It’s a bit more difficult to gain speeds during highway cruising. 

The ride and handling characteristics of the new Dzire also feel more mature – it is now more composed and quite plush. The ride over rough surfaces is smooth, and you aren’t thrown around when driving over broken patches. High-speed stability has improved too, even more than the new Swift. The steering is light enough in most situations, and the Dzire still remains very eager around corners at most speeds. It feels predictable and stable, and the body roll feels natural too. 

Another Winner?

All said and done, I think Maruti Suzuki has another winner on their hands in the world of compact sedans. In fact, I think with the Dzire, they have truly hit it out of the park. It looks fantastic, offers a lot of space and features, prioritises safety, and delivers great value. The real question is whether Indian customers can look beyond its past image as a taxi and appreciate the value and the package on offer. That will be the key factor in determining whether this tempting package resonates with the large customer base it’s targeting.

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From the sharp front-end to the sleek, well-defined rear-end, the Dzire now exudes class & balance

Unless someone explicitly tells you that it’s a three-cylinder unit, you’d be hard-pressed to realise that fact