Maruti Dzire

The Maruti Suzuki Dzire is a car that needs no introduction. The nameplate has been going strong for over 14 years, and the last time the current-generation Dzire got an update was nearly three years ago. But still, this car is giving a tough time and running the numbers against fresher competition. So in this road test, let’s take a look at some things that are still working for the compact sedan and a few things that are in need of an update now.

Let’s begin with the basics. Any car experience begins with you getting hold of the keys. In the Dzire, you get the usual square-shaped key that’s seen on the likes of the Fronx, Baleno and Brezza. But unlike those cars, the Dzire gets a dedicated button that pops open the boot completely when you click and hold it down for a couple of seconds. Kudos to Maruti for this.

Apart from that, the key has normal functionality, although you can set the unlock feature to open either just the driver’s door or all four doors. The setting can be chosen through the MID display. You also get request sensors on both driver and passenger doors, paired with auto-folding ORVMs.

Timeless Design

The Dzire’s styling has always been on the subtle side, and it’s evident that Maruti plays it safe here. But that approach works, so much so that even after nearly three years, this compact sedan doesn’t look outdated. In fact, this top-spec variant gets LED projector headlights with sleek LED DRLs, which work well together. You also get a bit of chrome around the single-piece grille and around the fog lamps too, which add class and character to its design.

The side profile follows a clean line with no cuts and creases of any sorts. The only thing worth a mention here are the sporty-looking 15-inch multi-spoke alloy wheels. The rear, too, follows a rather simple and sophisticated design. The tailights have a squarish and boxy shape, and sport an integrated LED light guide, which looks neat.

So overall, the design of the Dzire is still relevant even after three years of no tweaks. It’s just that we are used to seeing so many of these on the roads that its timeless design goes overlooked and underappreciated.

The first point of contact inside the cabin has to be the seats. And instantly, you find yourself in a comfortable space. The cushioning is nice and soft and you get good support from them as well. From there on, finding a comfortable driving position is rather easy, courtesy of the combination of tilt steering and height-adjustable driver seat. 

As for the feel and look of the cabin, it follows the traits of the exterior with a simple layout. It follows a dual-tone black and beige theme, complemented by faux wood accents that can be found on the dashboard, on the bottom half of the 3-spoke flat-bottom steering wheel, and on the side armrest of the door panels. 

You also get a leatherette wrap for the steering wheel along with a fabric for the front door armrest. The latter features relatively better quality plastic around it, but elsewhere, the overall plastic quality is hard and average only. 

Cabin practicality

One word - plenty. You get 1-litre bottle storage pockets on all doors, along with two cup holders in the central console and another two cupholders in the centre armrest at the rear seat. You also get a cubbyhole big enough to fit your wallet or store your phone, right in front of the gear lever. The driver sunshade also gets a strap to hold your bills and small envelopes.

The glove box isn’t huge, but has enough area for keeping stuff like a sunglasses case, perfume bottles, or a few documents. It isn’t cooled either.

Charging options

For keeping your devices juiced up on long journeys, you get two 12V sockets, one for the front passengers, and one for the rear, which can be found above the rear AC unit. There’s also a USB socket up front, but there’s no C-type charging port anywhere in the car.

Features

The sub-compact sedan segment has never been one to go above and beyond in terms of features, but the Dzire really got a big update with this facelift. And even though that was three years ago, the Dzire still isn’t too behind its competition as the top-spec variant comes packing a 7-inch infotainment system, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, push button start/stop, four speakers and two tweeters, automatic climate control, rear AC vents, cruise control, electric ORVMs, height-adjustable driver’s seat, and tilt steering. 

Admittedly, the 7-inch unit does show a bit of its age compared to its competition, but the display quality and the response it offers is still on par with modern day standards. The audio quality of the sound system won’t need you to upgrade to an aftermarket system and offers a good enough experience for the price.

For the driver’s display, you get the good old analog dials for the rev counter and speedometer, while there’s a small coloured MID display between the two, relaying crucial information about your fuel efficiency, trip details, distance to empty, and more.

But it has to be said, there are a few things that the Dzire does miss out on compared to newer competition. The list includes wireless phone charger, a bigger infotainment, footwell lighting, and a tyre pressure monitoring system.

Rear Seat Experience

The Dzire has enough space at the back to seat two occupants in full comfort with space to spare. Both head and knee room are plenty, and you also get space to stretch your legs underneath the front seats. Even seating three people here won’t be too much of a squeeze, but the middle passengers won’t be too pleased because of the absence of a dedicated headrest and three-point seatbelt. 

All’s good for people with a height of around the 5’8” mark. However, six-footers or taller passengers may find the headroom to be a bit short and even the underthigh support could feel inadequate for them. Also the view out front for the rear passengers, irrespective of the passenger height, is hindered by the tall headrests of the front passengers. 

The dedicated AC vents keep the rear occupants cooled and you also get a smartphone storage compartment behind it. Overall, the use of light colours for the theme gives a sense of airiness to the cabin, making it feel even more spacious than it actually is.

The Dzire’s safety kit covers all the basics with equipment like dual airbags, ABS with EBD, reverse parking sensors, ISOFIX mounts, and seat belts for all passengers all offered as standard. Climbing up the variants list further adds hill hold assist, a reverse parking camera, IRVM, rear defogger, and fog lamps to the safety features list. However, the rivals in the segment do offer up to six airbags, which is a miss here. 

But features aside, things don’t really look too bright for the Dzire. That’s because the HEARTEC platform on which the Dzire is based has performed poorly on previous occasions as Global NCAP found with the Swift, which only scored a one-star safety rating.

With an on-paper storage space of 378 litres, the Dzire doesn’t boast the best number in the segment. But Maruti has packaged the space available rather cleverly, so there’s enough stowage for full, medium, and small-sized luggage and you’ll still be left with space for a couple of laptop bags.

Getting behind the wheel of the Dzire is a fairly familiar affair if you’ve driven the likes of the Baleno and Swift, all of which get the 90PS/113Nm 1.2-litre petrol engine. In the Dzire, it can be had with either a 5-speed manual or AMT gearbox and we had the latter on test. 

The engine is refined right from when you start the car up. Even in city speeds, noise and vibrations are kept at bay rather diligently and it only gets vocal when you push the engine hard. 

The engine itself is responsive and offers enough performance for city commutes and even overtakes. Considering that it offers enough poke in the lower end of the rev range, you can also slot the gearbox in a higher gear and continue your journey without any hiccups. It’ll even happily cruise at speeds of 80kmph to 100kmph out on the highway, all day long.

As for the tuning of this specific AMT gearbox, kudos to Maruti, because they’ve managed to control that head nod that’s usually associated with AMTs rather well. You only feel a slight gap during gear changes, which is more than acceptable for a transmission of its kind.

Making the deal even sweeter is the fact that the AMT (22.61kmpl) returns a better claimed fuel efficiency than the manual (22.41kmpl), so it's a win-win situation for all!

The suspension setup of the Dzire complements its powertrain really well. Body roll is kept in check really well on small potholes and undulations, especially at slower speeds. Even sharper potholes and bumps are heard more and felt less inside the cabin. 

High-speed stability is also commendable as the car is planted at all times and doesn’t float or move around too much – a feeling which you get when there's a softer suspension setup. As a result, fatigue caused during long distance journeys is kept to the minimum. 

The weight of the steering wheel is light, so manoeuvring it in tight spaces or reversing isn’t at all difficult, and it weighs up well at higher speeds as well offering good confidence.

A design that’s still relevant? Check. A cabin that has enough storage for a family of four and their weekend luggage? Check. Features that actually serve a purpose and are usable – check. Safety? Eh. Responsive powertrain and planted ride quality? Check. 

So even after three years without an update, the Maruti Dzire still ticks (almost) all the boxes needed to be your family’s next compact sedan, and it’ll do so without breaking the bank. Yeah, it does miss out on a few features and its safety aspect isn’t the best, but looking beyond these parameters will offer you a well-rounded cabin and driving experience along with a composed ride. So if an all-rounded package is what matters the most to you, then you should definitely consider the Dzire.