Maruti Suzuki Dzire Test Drive Review

While the SUV segment has been getting more and more interest from buyers, compact sedans have more or less lost their sheen. Well, most of them except the Dzire, which still manages to sell over 15K units a month. Now MSIL has launched the 4th generation Dzire based on the recently launched Swift; It gets a lot of changes, both inside and out. We sampled it in the sunshine state of Goa to find out if it cuts the cheese.

From a design perspective, changes are evolutionary and a lot of modern elements have been incorporated into the design. The front end gets XL6 inspired LED headlamps with a wide black front grille. The rear profile gets signature LED tail lamps with a rear boot spoiler. You also get a shark fin antenna and for the first time in this segment, a sunroof. The dual tone precision cut alloys look quite sporty and request sensors are present on both front doors. A fair bit of differentiation has been done with respect to the Swift.

The cabin is a comfortable place to be in. The front seats are comfortable with adequate cushioning and lateral support. There is a fair amount of head, knee and shoulder room. Under thigh support is strictly average here. The rear seat feels just about right for three adults, head and shoulder room is average here, I found the knee room and under thigh support lacking here for a person of my height. The three-point seatbelt for the middle passenger is a welcome addition thanks to the new regulations, however there is no headrest offered for the middle passenger. 

The beige upholstery does make the cabin look roomy but it is likely to get dirty quickly, although the dual tone beige and black interior theme does look modern. Maruti have tried to go the Korean way by offering a lot of features. The electric sunroof and the 360-degree cameras are segment first features and will definitely help woo buyers. Amongst the others features offered are things like TPMS, an 8-inch SmartPlay Pro+ Infotainment System with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, Automatic Climate Control with rear AC vents, Cruise Control, a Wireless Phone Charger and Suzuki Connect which offers basic features like vehicle tracking and geofencing, however you can not switch on the vehicle or the AC.

Powering the Dzire is the same powertrain which does duty in the 4th Gen Swift. The 1.2 litre, three cylinder, ‘Z12E’ engine produces 82 HP of power, 112 N-m torque and comes with either a five speed manual or an AMT. You also get a CNG option but the power and torque are lower at 70 HP and 102 N-m, only comes mated to a MT. We drove the petrol MT and it was quite rev happy. The Z-Series engine loves to be pushed and is quite a lot of fun if you want to drive aggressively. The gear ratios are well spaced and the Dzire will hit the rev limiter at 6000 RPM. It does 47 Km/h in first gear, 85 in second and approximately 135 in third, which is good if you want to drive in a rush. In gear acceleration is slow, the previous one had a bit more of power on offer; so if you want to accelerate in fifth from 50 Km/h, the car will take its own sweet time.

However, this three pot comes with its own set of issues. There is a lot of vibration at higher revs and NVH levels could have been much much better. Besides the vibration, it is extremely noisy too as you climb the rev band. The carmaker could have opted for better engine mounts with damping to reduce the vibrations but cost is a major play in this segment. Coming to the AMT, it will get the job done for those who look at the convenience of an automatic but it is quite laggy and shifts are slow. In fact, the shifts are so slow that you literally have to mathematically calculate all your overtakes on the highway. On paper, the MT delivers 24.79 km/l while the AMT is rated higher at 25.71 km/l. However in the real world, one can expect around 15-18 km/l as per the driving conditions.

The suspension is set up on the softer side and is comfort oriented, it cushions out most of the undulations on the road without straining your back. The handling is average though, the steering weighs up decently at high speeds but feedback is average but will do the job when it comes to the target buyer who is probably looking for his first car or sedan. Brakes bite well and are predictable, but tyres do not offer the best levels of grip. That said, everything has been built to a cost in mind, there are signs of cost cutting like: in the boot there is a section of wiring which is exposed.

On the safety front, MSIL have been under a lot of flak for poor NCAP ratings in the past but they have knocked it out of the park with the Dzire. A full five star crash test rating by Global NCAP is a testament to Maruti taking safety seriously and this will also develop confidence with customers, will likely to create a positive effect on showroom footfalls. Besides the full marks for crash worthiness, the Dzire also gets six Airbags, three point seatbelts for all seats, ABS, EBD, ISO-FIX child seat mounts and more. As already demonstrated by the NCAP results, the automaker had to increase the structural rigidity of the body shell.

The Dzire makes a strong comeback with the 4th generation with segment first features like the sunroof and 360-degree cameras, it will surely attract customers. But the question is, does it need to? No, the Dzire is a brand by itself and already sells in good numbers. However, a fresh modern design with features on hand and the biggest plus of scoring five stars in GNCAP will reassure a lot of critics when it comes to safety. The top of the line ZXI+ variant costs ₹12.1 Lakhs on-road Mumbai, a marginal premium over the Swift. Overall, we reckon the Dzire will pick up from where it left off, probably setting the charts of fire again.