Maruti Swift Dzire review

Maruti's Suzuki Swift Dzire is evidently the most popular in its class. This exclusive, made-for-India-only saloon has hit a sweet spot with buyers and is by far the best-seller in its class. The Dzire is splendidly priced, has high standards of fit and finish and has Suzuki's brilliant 1.2-litre K-series engine.

DESIGN AND STYLE

The Dzire isn't exactly the best-looking car. You can clearly see that the boot is a cut and paste job on a Swift and this in-house exercise within Maruti can be put down to a learning curve in the styling department. The stumpy boot with the raised lid looks quite awkward and doesn't gel with the front of the car, which is like the Swift hatch.

CABIN

Maruti's Dzire has a small cabin and very little amount of passenger space. However, that's not saying the car is uncomfortable. The front seats are quite generous with superb thigh support and padding all round. However, the Dzire's rear feels claustrophobic. The rear windows are small and the separate scarcity of legroom and limited width can be a bit of a squeeze for large people. Luggage space is also in short supply and clearly the Dzire has its limitations if you are looking for a large family saloon.

But for absolute interior quality, the Dzire is really praiseworthy. The grain used for the dashboard plastics feels the best, the switchgear, buttons and door latches are the nicest to operate and though it's not as well loaded as the Manza, the Dzire has its fair share of goodies to offer like climate control (on the ZXi) and twin cabin lights.

ENGINE

The 1.2-litre K-series engine in the Dzire is amazingly smooth and eager to rev up. Developing its peak 84bhp at a high 6000rpm, the best way to drive this car is to wind up the motor and shift close to the redline.

Performance isn't bad, particularly considering the capacity shortcoming of the engine. The Dzire takes a brisk 13.2sec to go from 0-100kph and power delivery in the mid-range is decent too with good poke from 3000rpm onwards. However, the bottom end of the motor isn't very responsive and the Dzire can get bogged down at low revs.

As a result, numerous downshifts need to be executed via the stout gear lever and you need a bit of endurance to get a move on from low speeds. Maruti has given the Dzire a soft suspension set-up, mainly at the rear, in the interest of ride comfort. In the city, the comfortable spring and damper settings soak up bumpy sections and the car feels quite comfortable at low speeds. However, at high speed, this set-up doesn't work and the Dzire pitches quite a bit, especially at the rear, and you don't get the sensation of solidity that its bigger rivals offer.

FUEL EFFICIENCY

The smaller-capacity
1.2-litre motor in the Dzire eventually ended up sipping similar amounts of fuel with figures of 11.8kpl and 16.7kpl on the same back-to-back cycles.

It's not hard to comprehend why the Dzire has ruled the segment. It's well-organized, smooth, well made and easy on the pocket. And, priced modestly, it is still the cheapest car in its class. As a family car it does the job without bother and, like most Marutis, gives huge peace of mind.

FACT FILE  Engine 4 cyls in-line 1197cc, petrol Power 84bhp at 6000rpm Torque 11.5kgm at 4500rpm Kerb weight 1035kg Wheelbase 2390mm Tyres 185/70 R14 Brakes F/R Ventilated discs/ drums