The 2017 Maruti Suzuki Dzire has been launched in India. The car does away with its Swift moniker for the first time since being unveiled, and presents a thorough overhaul of its interiors, along with a fresh facelift. The car is being priced between Rs. 5,45,000 for the base petrol manual transmission (LXi) variant, and Rs. 9,41,000 for the top-of-the-line diesel automatic ZDi+ variant. The frankly vast price range will not only pit the car against compact sedans like the new Tata Tigor, but even bring it within range of the 2017 Honda City, and possibly even the upcoming Hyundai Verna. Here's taking a look at what makes the new Maruti Suzuki Dzire.
The interiors are now significantly more premium, with a sporty flat-bottomed steering wheel, faux veneer inserts across the steering and the front dash, beige fabric upholstery including seats and a new infotainment system that makes the Dzire way more premium than before.
The touchscreen infotainment system seems reflective, which can be a spot of bother when viewed under heavy sunlight. It seems reasonably responsive, and includes support for Android Auto, Apple CarPlay and MirrorLink, along with other wired and wireless connectivity options.
To the bottom of the central dash pillar you get two ports - a 12V power socket and a USB port with an adjacent aux port. There are neat plastic flaps that conceal the port, showing Maruti's evident emphasis on aesthetics with this compact sedan.
Continuing with the improvements, the rear seating bench now gets individual AC vents with air flow control, and the central pillar also has a 12V power socket for passengers to use a car adapter with.
The exterior gets a fresh look with a radically different design. The highlight of the new design is a bifurcated hexagonal grille with chrome outlining, recessed fog lamps, three distinct bulges on the front hood and new headlamps with LED daytime running lights.
The 2017 Maruti Suzuki Dzire gets new door-mounted speakers, the quality of which we are yet to test. Much of its new equipment package, however, will come on the top ZDi+ variant, which falls in the territory of more expensive mid-range sedans.
The new Maruti Suzuki Dzire gets an engine start/stop button, along with push-to-activate parking sensor switch. While we have seen the parking sensor switch in the all-new feature-centric Tata Tigor as well, the push start button is a differentiating feature in the compact sedan territory.
The front pillar also gets two cup holders and a recess to keep keys and cellphones. Alongside, the automatic air conditioner gets a digital display to show AC details. The overall upholstery gets a significant upgrade as well.
The instrument cluster is now sportier, with the central MID giving trip, time and other details, along with warning signs and alerts.
The interiors have been upgraded to feel more premium. Compact sedans are being increasingly redesigned, and removing the Swift badge from the Dzire lineup is a clear indication of Maruti's intent with its new compact sedan.
The front seats are slightly scooped out to increase knee room. There is storage space along the doors, and the dual-tone interior lining on the dash and along the windows are meant to prevent reflections under direct sunlight.
The rear still resembles the previous edition, but has been redesigned to make the boot look more seamless with the rest of the chassis.