Maruti Suzuki Swift Dzire LXi sedan

Exterior The Swift Dzire 1st Gen is a good looker when new but the shape is prone to ageing. Shape most definitely not sleek and odd looking like the previous Honda City. But the Dzire is not an eyesore. Dont go for Black and golden colors as  nicks and scratches and dents show. But for Rs 4.8 lacs its a real humdinger. Keep it clean and dent free it will look handsome.

Interior (Features, Space & Comfort) For Rs 4.8 lacs onroad the Dzire LXi is a well equipped , spacious and a very comfortable car.Soft ride, soaks up bumps and thumps and ruts with disdain. Cushy ride. AC effective in rear seat on hot Delhi days. Good legroom in rear even with someone like me who drives with the seat pushed back and srma stretched. Downside: No access to trunk from cabin, no 60/40 split rear seats unlike Esteem. Very disappointing. Trunk room adequate, Good space for 2 large suitcases. Good storage space for nick nacks in the front cabin. Controls within easy reach. Interior plastic cheap and tacky. But the AC and light stalks are meaty and robust.

Engine Performance, Fuel Economy and Gearbox Smooth engine, reasonable pick up. Good high speed stabilty. However the engine is a wee bit underpowered for a sedan and  dont expect Swift hatchback like performance. 1.2 lit engine unsuitable. 1.6 engine perfect. Pick uo suffers with AC on.  Limited passing power. Oversteer an issue. Dont get adventurous with this sedan on highways. On summer days with AC on passingpower suffers. Not a V6 with ample power on tap at high speeds.

Ride Quality & Handling Soft ride, peppy pick up. light steering, easy to maneuvre on indian roads. High speed stabilty decent. Gear shift like Swift, slick and sure . Pedals spaced right.

Final Words Tje Dzire is a superb value for money sedan. At Rs 5 lacs its a  great buy. Cant speak for higher trims. If you are in the 6 to 8 bracket look elsewhere. Honda City, SX4, Nissan Sunny, Hyundai Verna etc etc. The Dzire is easy to maintain, has a thrifty engine good AC and is a perfect entry level sedan for India. DONTS: Dont push the engine hard or economy suffers, limited passing power so dont try reckless overtaking on highways. For its price the Dzire is a real humdindinger. WELL DONE MARUTI SUZUKI.

Areas of improvement  Engine a bit underpowdered. Correct oversteer. High speed 100 Km/h passing power limited. Install 60/40 split rear seats like Maruti 1000.

Good entry level sedan, soft ride, good handling, decent fuel economy, smooth engineLooks g Odd shape prone to ageing unlike Esteem. engine bit underpowered, No trunk access from cabin