Hi, See review by Autocar India. Diesel version is also available, not sure if A*W has them in stock.
Design & Engineering
The Dzire and Swift hatchback are identical upto the B-pillar. The only difference is the grille — the saloon gets two prominent chrome strips to differentiate it from its older and smaller cousin. However, there’s an awkwardness about the styling behind the B-pillar which suggests the saloon derivative was an afterthought, conceived after the hatchback was born. (In fact, it was.
The Dzire or three-box Swift is unique to India with no plans to make it anywhere else in the world.) The rear section looks disproportionately stretched, thanks mainly to the large rear doors and the sharply raked C-pillar which is at odds with the less angular A-pillar. While the peeled-back lights at the rear, another Swift styling cue, look good, the stubby boot with its ‘bustleback’ shape and complex rear-door shut lines simply add to the fussy styling. The chrome strip above the numberplate comes to the rescue and the reflectors and stop lamp integrated into the rear bumper make the rear look less heavy. The wheelbase remains unchanged but the overall length has increased considerably to 4160mm. Maruti must be kicking itself for not doing an ‘Indigo CS’ or restricting the length to 4 metres to qualify as a small car, which would bring a huge excise duty saving of 12 per cent.
Mechanically, the Swift hatch and Dzire are identical. The suspension, brakes, wheels and tyres are all shared; the only difference is that the spring rates are slightly stiffer at the rear to compensate for the additional 25kg increase in weight.
Interior
Like the Swift before it, the Dzire has a lot of firsts to its credit, like offering an integrated audio system with steering-mounted controls and a climate control system. There are lots of subtle changes to the interiors of the Dzire — the dials are chrome-ringed and the digits are white-backlit, which looks very cool and classy. It also scores an unexpected victory with dashboard plastics, the best in this group. The switchgear also feels the best to use. However, this has more to do with the competition being below par.
We’ve always complained about the claustrophobic feel of the Swift’s all-black interiors, so now the seats on the ZDi are beige and this brightens things up considerably. The front seats are very comfortable — there’s plenty of headroom and legroom and even six-footers won’t have a problem. The driver’s seat adjusts for height and the steering wheel adjusts for rake, making it easy to find a very comfortable driving position, whatever seat height you prefer.
However, there’s no real improvement in rear seat space. The wheelbase is the same as the Swift, so legroom and headroom remain the same, so do the small windows, unfortunately. The rear seat has different contours and the back rest is slightly more reclined for greater headroom, so comfort is slightly improved. Only shoulder support is lacking on a seat that otherwise impresses. The ZDi version comes with a centre armrest (another first in the segment) and full-size bottle-holders in the rear doorpads. Still the Dzire’s greatest weakness is its narrow rear seat, the least comfortable for seating three abreast.
The one discernible difference between the Dzire and the Swift hatch is that the saloon feels marginally more refined in the back seat. Though sound insulation material is the same, the boot shields the passengers from underbody vibrations and road noise to some extent. The Dzire puts out 75bhp of power.
This engine and gearbox combo is the same as on the Swift, down to the number of teeth on the gear cogs. It is refined and smooth. At cruising speeds, you’d be hard-pressed to tell that it’s a diesel motor under that stubby hood. Straight-line performance is sprightly. It takes 14.3 seconds to get to 100kph. There is a bit of throttle lag but once you get past 2000rpm, there’s a strong tug as the fixed-geometry turbocharger spins up. The Dzire manages to return 13.5kpl in the city and 18.9kpl on the highway.
The Dzire’s rides really well. The softer rear suspension is an indication that Maruti is targeting chauffeur-driven owners. At lower speeds, it rides quite well. There’s a nice rounded edge to the way it rides over lumpy tarmac and bumps are dispatched with relative ease under its tall 70-profile tyres. The flipside is that the ride isn’t as settled or composed as that of the Logan as speeds build.
Maruti has stiffened the front suspension of the diesel Swift to compensate for the extra weight of the heavier engine ahead. So, pitching over rough surfaces is limited and there’s none of that nose-heavy feel that is characteristic of a lot of diesels.
The compromise however is in the way the Dzire handles. It doesn’t feel as sharp as the Swift hatchback, the soft rear suspension making it feel a little loose and floaty, especially when changing direction. At higher speeds, it doesn’t feel plantedand crosswinds affect its stability. Thankfully, some good aspects remain — the brilliant steering, the progressive brakes and the good weight distribution means you can still have some fun behind the wheel.
Verdict
8/10
There are many ways to consider the Dzire. As a Swift with a boot, you get the added bonus of luggage space, but as a scaled-down SX4, the Dzire with its cramped interiors and lack of big-car feel may be slightly disappointing. However, it does come with a diesel option which the SX4 doesn’t offer. However, it is as a replacement for the Esteem that this car makes the most the sense. It offers the best of all worlds — the low-cost of ownership and reliability the Esteem was reputed for, the bucket-loads of appeal of its hatchback sibling and the status of a saloon. It’s this combination that makes the Dzire a winner.
Top 3 cars in this class
Specification
MARUTI SWIFT DZIRE
Length 4160 mm
Height 1530 mm
Wheel base 2390 mm
Width 1690mm
Rear interior width 1290mm
Ground clearance 170mm
ENGINE
Fuel Diesel
Type 1248 cc 4 cylinders
Installation Front, transverse
Bore/stroke 69.6/82mm
Compression ratio 17.6:1
Valve Gear 4 valves per cyl, DOHC
Power 75bhp at 4000rpm
Torque 19.3kgm at 2000rpm
Power to weight 67.26 bhp per tonne
TRANSMISSION
Gearbox Five-speed manual
CHASSIS & BODY
Weight 1115kg
Tyres 185/70 R14, tubeless
SUSPENSION
Front Independent, MacPherson strut with coil springs
Rear Non-independent, torsion beam, coil springs
STEERING
Type Rack and pinion
Type of power assist Electric assist
BRAKES
Front Ventilated disc
Rear Drums
WHAT IT COSTS
On-road price (Mumbai) Rs 7.71 lakh
Warranty 24 months/40,000km
RANGE AT A GLANCE
Price Rs 5.38-7.71 lakh
ENGINES
Petrol 1.3 litre
Diesel 1.3 litre
Performance
ACCELERATION
KPH
TIME(sec)
0-20 1.21
0-40 2.90
0-60 5.60
0-80 9.72
0-100 14.32
0-120 23.82
0-140 34.95
ACCELERATION IN GEAR
20-80kph (3rd gear)
13.24 s
40-100kph (4th gear) 17.81s
BRAKING
80-0KPH 27.63 m
ECONOMY
TEST
City 13.5kpl
Highway 18.9kpl
Tank size 43 litres
