Maruti Dzire 6000 Km Review: Proved Its Worth

After 4 months and many road trips, the Dzire has finally gone back, and it has left a good mark

There are so many cars in the Indian market, and a lot of them lie in the affordable mass market space, which try to offer the most for their price. But, I believe no car does it better than the Maruti Dzire, and I got proven right in the last 4 months, when I used it as my daily commuter and covered over 6000 km.

This car proved to be a nearly perfect commuter, and while it does have a few flaws, they’re easily overshadowed by the positives. Living with the Dzire meant living with a car that’s simple, and let me tell you, it's not a bad thing.

Its simplicity is what mattered the most to me. It looks good, has a premium design, but at the same time, it does not attract too much attention. It makes it stand in a sober way and once you spend some time with it, you realise that this is a design done right.

Even the cabin takes a very simple approach, and the design elements are not in your face. But what I appreciated the most was this cabin’s accessibility and its practical nature. Each and every button is in the right place, you can use them without even looking, and the quality also feels nice and solid.

Yes, the cabin’s quality is just above average, but the fit and finish is on point, and in my 4 months of usage, there was no rattling, and nothing ever felt loose. Also, while it may look like a small car, it can easily seat 4 passengers, as it did for me on multiple occasions, and even 5 passengers can sit here for short journeys.

In the past 4 months, I also realised that I don’t need many of the flashy features you get in the segment above, and what the Dzire offers is enough. The 9-inch touchscreen is responsive, supports wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, and the size is just perfect – not too big, not too small.

The sunroof is a nice addition to the list, but what I liked the most was the 360-degree camera. Getting out of tough spots became very easy, and even though there is no dedicated 3D mode, what you get is helpful enough.

But what about the performance? Or ride comfort? Both of these things were tested in my usage, and most of the time, I had no issues. The Dzire felt like a beast in the city as it gave me more than enough power for quick overtakes and effortless driving. This new engine made city drives easier and also enjoyable.

Also, a perk that I realised later was its fuel efficiency. It consistently gave me 15-16 kmpl in the city, and went over 21 kmpl on the highways. My fuel expenses in the last 4 months were barely anything compared to any other ICE car that I've driven.

And on top of that, the Dzire managed to keep me and my loved ones comfortable everywhere and every time. There were no sudden movements, no constant body roll, and no irritating noise from the suspension. The ride comfort is as good as it gets.

But is that what the Dzire is? All good and no bad? No. It has a flaw, something that you can live with, but something that’s very evident, and you’ll see it once you hit the highway. While city drives are easy and effortless, highway drives are dull and effort-filled.

It reaches the speed of 80 kmph easily, but beyond that, it becomes slow and requires more effort. To get to 100 kmph quicker, you have to downshift to get the needed power and acceleration, and even then, overtakes require planning.

It's not like you can get an exciting drive experience in this segment, but since the city drives are so good, I had similar expectations from my highway commutes, which were not met. Even on elevations, you have to continuously downshift to maintain the required moment, and this takes away some of the fun of driving in hilly areas.

Other than this, it only has small issues which you'll have to deal with like it's white fabric seats which easily get dirty, a missing front armrest which should have been present, a wireless phone charger which heats your phone too quickly, and a TPMS issue which gives you alerts even if the pressure is right.

The Dzire is many things, but it's not perfect. Nonetheless, I loved the time I spent with this sedan, and giving it back was not easy. I kept thinking if I can get it extended, and drive it some more.

I've driven many cars in my still-new career, but no car is as easily recommendable as the Maruti Dzire. It might have a few flaws, but it takes care of you, and gets every job done.

Positives: A fuel-efficient, comfortable, and surprisingly fun-to-drive sedan that's perfectly suited for both city commutes and relaxed highway runs.

Negatives: Dull highway drives, white fabric interiors, missing front armrest, and needs better execution of wireless phone charger and tyre pressure monitoring system.

Date When Received: 16th December, 2024

Kilometres When Received: 723 km

Kilometres Till Date: 6971 km