Why should you buy - Maruti Dzire

Introduction

It’s the highest selling compact sedan in India. Heck! It is one of the highest selling cars in India and stands only second to its younger sibling, the Alto 800, in terms of numbers. The Maruti Suzuki Dzire has been around for almost 10 years now and in that time, this car has become one of the cash cows for the Indo-Japanese automaker.

The first two generations sold because of the Maruti brand name rather than its looks and features. But now, with the competition catching up, Maruti has raised the stakes with a major update for the design and features.

So what are the highs and lows of buying the new Dzire? Read on to find out…

What’s good about it?

There is a general perception that buying a Maruti Suzuki car is always safe option and the Dzire pretty much reassures this train of thought. But a plain Jane appearance can only take you so far and so they have spiced up the car with a new design language and have added all the segment standard features. This list includes climate control, touchscreen infotainment and to boost the premium appeal, wood inserts in the dashboard as well as the door cards.

This coupled with Maruti’s well connected and spread out service network means you could own a Dzire anywhere and not worry about maintaining the car. Our first drive review and comparison tests point to an improved driving and usage experience, as compared to the older models.

What’s bad about it?

There are too many of them. One lakh and counting at the time of writing this story and if you want something that stands out, then the Dzire is not the best option to buy. On paper, its 1.3-litre diesel engine has the lowest output when compared to its rivals and it is also the oldest among its competitors.

Then there is the price. The base petrol variant might start at Rs 5.43 lakhs (ex-Delhi) but for the top-of-the-line diesel and diesel AT, you are paying Rs 8.92 lakhs and 9.39 lakhs. This is C-segment sedan and compact SUV territory.

The best variant to buy

We would recommend the ZXI/ZDI in both the manual or AMT trims as they get dual airbags, ABS with EBD and brake assist and climate control. Even on the entertainment front, you get a 2-DIN music system with Bluetooth connectivity as well steering mounted controls.

Quick facts

Price range

Petrol- Rs 5.43 lakhs to Rs 8.37 lakhs

Diesel- Rs 6.44 lakhs to Rs 9.39 lakhs

F.E (ARAI specified)

Petrol MT-22.0kmpl

Petrol AT- 22.0kmpl

Diesel MT- 28.40kmpl

Diesel AMT -28.40 kmpl

Specifications

Petrol 1.2-litre 82bhp@6000rpm and 113Nm@4200rpm

Diesel 1.3-litre 74 bhp@4000rpm and 190Nm@2000rpm