There are three ways to look at the Maruti Suzuki Dzire I feel. One can either look at it as a hyper boosted Esteem or a toned down version of the SX4, but I guess most people would like to look at it as a Maruti Swift with a boot.  The designers at Maruti Suzuki went to the drawing boards as soon as the Swift was launched in 2005, with an intention of designing a Swift platform based saloon which would eventually take over from the Maruti Esteem. After much brainstorming and sleepless nights spent hunched over the blue print nursing cold cups of coffee, the Dzire was born. The question that everyone seems to be asking now is whether the Dzire can carry the Maruti torch in the entry-level sedan segment with the dignity the Esteem had. I do think so, what do you think???
Design
The Maruti Dzire was designed in-house by Indian designers from Maruti, one of whom was Pankaj Dhamane, a diehard Chris Bangle fan. It’s amazing how alike the Swift hatchback and the Dzire looks right upto the B pillar. The only difference up till here is the new two pronounced chrome strip radiator grille, rear doors which have been increased in size to go with the saloon, and newly designed five spoke alloys.
From the B pillar onwards the design is rather gauche; it looks as if the designers decided to add a boot just minutes before the car went into production. The boot of the Dzire is a bit like that of the SX4 with a chrome strip running over the registration slot and stop lamp as well as reflectors embedded in the bumper. The peeled back tail lamp in the Dzire is another import from the hatchback and plays saviour to an otherwise plump boot which looks quite out of sync with the A pillar. If viewed from the side, the Dzire looks quite undesirable with no coordination between the 3 boxes. And to make matters worse, the Dzire sits on the same 14inch tubeless tyres present in the hatchback, thus making the car look rather obnoxious. Add to that the very prominent rear door and boot shut lines and what you have is a sheer designing catastrophe. Even though the Dzire has been stretched to 4160mm the wheelbase sits unchanged at 2390mm which is quite disappointing and bound to take a toll on the legroom and knee room. Maruti Suzuki seemed to have missed a crucial trick with the Dzire, had they restricted it to a length of 4 meters they would have received a 12% excise exemption which would have brought the price of the car further down. Looks like Maruti weren’t paying much attention to what was happening at the Tata Motors camp, yes I am referring to the Indigo CS.
The interior of the Dzire is ditto like that of the Swift with a smooth and well laid out dashboard, where in case of the top-end ZXI and ZDI lies the integrated audio system along with the automatic climate control. The instrument cluster of the Dzire is identical to that of the Swift hatchback albeit the white chrome that surrounds it. The Dzire beats the Swift when it comes to equipment level. The multi-functional steering wheel with audio controls has been borrowed from the SX4 and is quite neat. The features that the Dzire carries are a first for a car in this segment and Maruti is banking on it to catch people’s attention. The front seats on the Dzire have been given a size increment and provide good underthigh support, thus making it highly comfortable. The rear seats though have been brought over from the Swift without any alterations except for an inclined back.  The idea was to create more headroom but all it managed to do was make the rear quite uncomfortable as one has to slump back instead of sit upright. The rear of the Dzire is quite cramped with minimal legroom and kneeroom even though Maruti claims that the rear seat width has been increased as a result of the new doors. The new doors however are to be thanked for the increased shoulder room which ensures that the passengers can sit freely and relax. Another positive factor of the Dzire is the generous boot space of 440 litres which can even facilitate tall bags.
Comfort
The suspension system in the Dzire is the same one that is found in the Swift hatchback. The only discernible difference is that the rear spring and damping rates have been made stiffer to take in the additional 25kg of weight and also to enhance ride quality. The ride quality of the Dzire has definitely been improved as a result of the more balanced weight distribution, but it still has a long way to go before it catches up with its nearest rivals, the Fiesta and the Logan in this regard. But unlike the Fiesta and the Logan, the Dzire does not feel front heavy when driven. I am quite skeptical about the Dzire when it comes to comfort and ride quality. It does not have that big car feel to it which is clearly quite disappointing. Due to the shorter wheelbase the car feels fussy when driven and also lacks a bit of stability. Come to think of it, there is not much difference between the Dzire and the Swift hatchback in terms of comfort and ride quality. The only discernible difference being the slightly improved ride quality and the refined feel that it gives to the passengers seated at the back. But, it is worth mentioning the surprising absence of underbody vibration and road noise in the Dzire, thanks largely to the boot that shields the passengers. When it comes to comfort enhancing features, the Dzire is quite rich for a low-level saloon. It comes with power steering, air con, adjustable steering column; the top end also has an automatic climate control as well as front and rear power windows.
Engine, Transmission and Performance
The Dzire is mechanically identical to the Swift hatchback. It carries the same 1.3litre 87bhp petrol and 1.3litre 75bhp common rail injection diesel engine. The diesel Dzire is likely to fancy people more due to its incredible reliability and refinement but it is the petrol Dzire with a maximum torque of 11.5kgm that is going to be a better drive. The ECU in the petrol unit has been given a serious dose of tuning and hence the 1.3litre petrol is quite polished. As soon as you turn on the engine you can actually feel the eagerness of the car. Inspite of the Dzire having a turbo lag under 2000rpm it is quite a versatile car and makes for a good drive in both city and on the highway. Being a Maruti, it is needless to say that both the 1.3 litre petrol and 1.3 litre diesel is going to be fuel efficient. With a decent maximum speed one can really push pedal to metal but the rate of acceleration is bound to be less than the hatchback due to the increased weight. Around corners, the Dzire is well behaved when driven at modest speeds. Try to attempt a hard cornering and you will notice that the rear tends to move around a tad more than liking, thus calling in for corrective steering measures. It is quite pleasing to see that the diesel variant carries a minimal diesel clatter, but then again being a Swift engine that is not all surprising. On the drive quality front, the Dzire is not much different from its hatchback sisters, and that is a good thing since the Swift hatchback is known to be a pleasurable car to drive. The power steering and the 5 speed manual gearshift are spot on and quite responsive to the driver’s inputs.
Safety
The thing I like most about the Dzire has to do with safety. This is perhaps the safest saloon in the low-level sedan segment. ABS comes standard in all 6 variants of the Dzire, no I am not kidding. In addition, they also carry front and side impact beams, as well as child safety locks and power locks. And if you are still not impressed, what till you read this. The range topping ZXI and ZDI comes kitted with driver and passenger airbags besides the standard ABS. This is a whole lot of safety features in a car that doesn’t cost much at all, looks like Maruti Suzuki means business. Some may feel that the name ‘Dzire’ is very inappropriate for the Maruti Dzire considering the fact that it looks like a pregnant duckling. Didn’t someone say that one shouldn’t judge a thing from only its look’s? Priced in between Rupees 449000 Lakhs (ex showroom Delhi) for the entry level LXI and Rupees 670000 Lakhs (ex showroom Delhi) for the top end ZDI, the Dzire is surely a bargain and a very good one at that. So, what does this constitute for the Dzire? In my books it means only one thing, a winner.