The Dzire is the fourth largest selling car in India, a sedan at that. Hence, it does lay to rest that sedans are not desired any more by Indian car buyers but the Dzire has always been  a strong seller but now Maruti Suzuki has done something completely different. The new Dzire looks unlike the Swift on which it is based on, gets more features and is also the first Maruti to get a 5-star crash test safety rating. Hence, while it continues to be efficient and having the usual Maruti strengths, the new Dzire also now backs it up with features and safety.

That said, the looks should be discussed first and I like the way the car has been designed with a clear intent to make it premium than before. The larger grille, slimmer headlamps, chrome at the rear plus those Y shaped elements all add well but crucially it looks like it was designed to be a sedan in the first place. The shape is more flowing and looks better proportioned yet it is still under 4m. Inside, similarly a lot of effort has been put in with the pattern elements in the dash as well as the door pads along with the pleasing white/black/silver colour scheme being used.

The 9-inch touchscreen is larger now and reasonably slick while the three spoke steering is nice to hold, The dials, similar to the Swift aren't digital but they are clear. The dashboard design is also clean and simple while storage is very good too. However, what's impressive is the feature list which now includes a sunroof and a 360 degree camera with a n HD display. The 360 degree camera features are something not found on larger sedans even! The feature list also includes standard 6 airbags, while the Arkamys audio system sounds reasonably good along with other equipment like climate control, connected car tech, wireless charging etc.

Space is the same but we think the seats are more comfier than the older Dzire while the rear seats offer better thigh support while due to the sunroof, headroom is only slightly affected. three can squeeze in at the back but there are two headrests only. Boot space has been increased to 382l though and the loading lip is also not high. The 3 cylinder Z series as we also experienced on the Swift is very refined and is smooth as well. As you amble along, the AMT 5-speed that we drobe acted nearly like a torque converter and it is showing how far AMTs have come. At low speeds, it responds to slight inputs well and it is easy to drive.

Only when pushed hard that the AMT lag is felt along with a pause but for sheer convenience, the AMT is the better option over the manual. The engine develops 82bhp and 112Nm but for mist highway cruising or city driving, it is more than enough. Sure, it is not as rev happy as the older ,otor, but this has better driveability now at low revs. Efficiency too is improved and the real world would be 15-16 with the AMT being more efficient. Compared to the older Dzire, the ride is much better now and the driving experience has more polish. The NVH is better and it feels like a larger sedan. The steering continues to be light and it is a compact car meant for tight surfaces. Even the 163mm ground clearance while being the same as the last gen model, continues to be sufficient and you win have any issues ver bad roads on full load even

At Rs 6.7 lakh starting and with the top-end AMT as tested here crossing 10 lakh, the new Dzire is a much more rounded proposition more safety, better looks, more features and a relaxing engine along with the efficiency that we expect from a Maruti. For the price, this is a tempting alternative to even a sub compact SUV! what we like- design, safety, features, space, efficiency, easy to drive What we do not- engine is not as powerful as last gen dzire


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