Rooting on the success of the Swift hatchback, Maruti Suzuki introduced the Dzire in the Indian market back in 2008. Since then, the vehicle has managed to become Maruti’s best-selling sedan ever. Now, the brand has launched a heavily updated model with more features and improved efficiency.
Design
On the outside, the new DZire sports a new bumper design, headlamps with a black tinge, fog lamps bezel with chrome accents. The additional chrome elements and the restyled bumper give the car a more elegant appearance. Further improving the looks are the new alloy wheels. However, when viewed from the rear, this new model looks pretty similar to the old model with the same wraparound taillights and the stubby boot lid.
Interior
Inside, the dashboard and the overall layout of all the controls remain the same although Maruti has added quite a few new features as standard to keep up with the modern trend in car technology. Thanks to the updated feature list, the top-spec trims now come with engine start/stop button, new upholstery, front and rear charging socket, electrically foldable rear view mirrors, audio and Bluetooth control on the steering wheel, reverse parking sensors and much more as standard.
Engine and Gearbox
The new Dzire comes powered by either the 1248cc DDiS diesel engine or the 1197cc, K-series VVT petrol engine. While the former develops 75bhp of power and 190Nm of torque, the petrol delivers 85bhp of power and 115Nm of torque. Maruti says it has made several changes in the engine hardware leading to improved thermal efficiency and reduced frictional losses.
The new Dzire, as a result, returns a claimed fuel efficiency of 26.59kmpl for diesel, up by around 13 per cent over the outgoing model. Meanwhile, the petrol-powered model comes with a fuel efficiency of 20.85kmpl, marking an improvement of over 9 per cent.
Competition
The new Dzire competes with other sub-four metre sedans in its segment including the Honda Amaze, Hyundai Xcent, Tata Zest. Besides these, it will also go up against the upcoming Ford Figo sedan.
