A good diesel sedan

I am writing this review pretty late but then its better late than never. Right now the 2009 dzire has done around 63k kms and is still performing well. While purchasing this one we were thinking of the dzire and the xylo, xylo because its a big vehicle and can be real handy when we have relatives at our place. We were looking only for a diesel because the monthly run was over 2500 kms. Looking at all the different areas of interest we finally settled for the dzire

Exterior Never liked the looks when the Dzsire was launched but over time I was fine with the way it looked. Still feel Maruti could have done better with the rear of this car. From the front you really cant make out if its the swift or the dzire unless you know that the front grill of the dzire has chrome strips. This too could be remodelled.

Interior (Features, Space & Comfort) Features are pretty good. The integrated music system gels well with the dash. Steering mounted controls only add to the convenience. The overall quality of plastics is pretty decent. Air conditioning is good enough though it takes a little time for it to cool the entire cabin. In terms of space the rear rows are not very comfortable to accommodate 5 adults. Its good for 4 adults or 2 adults and 2-3 kids/teenagers. If you have people with around 5'10'' + height then it is uncomfortable.

Engine Performance, Fuel Economy and Gearbox Engine and performance is what floored me. The turbo kicks in a  bit late but is sufficient enough to drive you around the city without any problems. Being a 1.3litre engine it returns a decent FE of around 20kmpl highway and city combined. Gearbox is very good with precise shifts.

Ride Quality & Handling Ride quality is decent, good enough what you can get for this price. Handling is pretty good in city and highways alike. At high sppeds its planted to the roads and you feel the confidence to drive. Steering response is pretty good as well.

Final Words On the whole a very good machine, drives well, handles well, performs well and is priced well too.

Areas of improvement Space in the rear, design in the front and the back. Just these minor changes and we are good to go.

Review update in Oct 2013 - The car has completed over 1.12 lac+ kms. The engine is a gem and still feels as new as the day it was brought. No mechanical problem what so ever with the engine or the turbo and they are strong as ever. The clutch however has become a bit hard. Steering also needa more effort to maneuver. Rattles are there in all doors. However that could be because of the hardship the car has been through. Apart from that the car is excellent and a pleasue to drive even today

Good performance and fuel efficiency, good service backupSpace in the rear