It is often said, “SUVs dominate the Indian market and have eaten into sales of sedans that will continue to see a drop in market share. Many sedans have disappeared, and soon the others will become fringe players too.  Maruti Suzuki vehicles made and sold in India don’t have safety ratings that are as good as some of their competitors, and thus their products are not as safe”. All old news.

Maruti Suzuki has just launched their new Dzire and it looks all set to change the scene. For starters it has scored a five star result for adult, and four stars for child, occupant safety. Fitted with six airbags, electronic stability control (ESC) and pedestrian protection as standard, the new Dzire is the first Maruti Suzuki product to achieve a five star Global NCAP rating. So out goes all that talk about not meeting safety norms, and not being as safe as others.

SUVs have undoubtedly ruled the roost, with the compact sub-4 metre SUVs in particular, making a substantial dent in the popularity of sub-4 metre sedans. But now they have a serious new rival, and their total dominance of the Indian car market, may be about to see a change. While its predecessors did compete with the compact SUVs, there is no denying that in recent times the Dzire was losing ground.  However, now the new one is here, and this Dzire is a completely different animal that wears all the right body armour and carries the appropriate weapons to vanquish not just its sub-4 metre sedan competitors, but also successfully take on the compact SUVs.

As mentioned, the 5-star GNCAP safety rating is part of the new Dzire’s armoury, and another has to be its body styling and design. All previous generation Dzire’s could never conceal the fact that they were Swift hatchbacks, turned into sedans by transplanting or fixing a boot onto them. And though this new one is also based on the new Swift that was launched a few months back, it has its own identity and clearly looks like it was “born to be a sedan”.

The new Dzire has well balanced proportions and a seamlessly integrated boot, due to which it has smoothly flowing lines and a sleek side profile. The entire body is nicely shaped and styled and this Dzire has to be the smartest looking sub-4 metre sedan yet. I say yet, because with perfectly planned timing, Honda has just revealed sketches of it upcoming Amaze, and it too promises to be a good looking compact sedan. But how much it lives up to its promise in actual flesh, or steel, remains to be seen.

The new Dzire is also equipped with couple of other extremely important munitions. The ARAI certified fuel efficiency of the 1197 cc, petrol powered Dzire is 25.71 kpl for the AMT version and 24.79 kpl, for the manual transmission one. And according to Maruti, this makes it “India’s Most Fuel Efficient Sedan”. And don’t we all know how important the mileage is for Indian consumers- so this undoubtedly has to be one of the Dzire’s most potent guns.

And the firepower doesn’t end there. The new Dzire is packed with features like automatic sunroof, wireless charger, 360-view HD camera, automatic climate control, TPMS (tyre pressure monitoring system), ESP with Hill Hold, cruise control and so on. All these features are spread across four different trim levels and therefore the ex-showroom price range extends from Rs 6.79 lakh, going all the way up to Rs 10.14 lakh for the top-most variant.

The new Maruti Suzuki Dzire does not disappoint on the road either. It’s powered by the same Z12E engine that does duty in the Swift. This naturally aspirated 3-cylinder engine churns out 82 bhp, and 112Nm of torque and is mated with a smooth shifting 5-speed manual with precise throws, or a somewhat slow shifting AMT. If you enjoy being in command, the manual will please you. But if you do a lot of driving in heavy traffic, then it may be better to opt for the AMT, as it could be less stressful and tiring.

The engine of course is set up for maximum fuel efficiency, so you might find it running out of revs and vigour earlier than you want. And in case you are a spirited driver, every time you push down hard on the pedal, you will certainly feel that the engine could do with a little more liberal supply of fuel. But this frugality pays off at the pump, so it’s a beneficial tradeoff for those looking to save on fuel costs.

Like the new Swift, (which let me remind you it’s based on), the new Dzire also rides and handles well and feels sharper and more agile than its predecessor. It also deals with potholes and undulations in the road in a more composed manner and the overall performance is quite pleasing to say the least.

But I must reiterate that for me the styling and design, are the highlights and what I also love is the attention to detail. In my view, it is this one factor that has made the biggest difference and which will go a long way in the success of this Dzire. Let me cite one example. Just look at the location of the twin horns, which are placed right up front in the grille. This strategic positioning not only enhances the efficiency and effectiveness of the horn, but also ensures that when you blow it, less sound will travel and intrude into the passenger compartment.

Given all this, I have no doubt that the new Dzire will be a winner and shall soon be racing up the sales charts, while also winning the appreciation of many customers. On a personal front, I wish I could again meet the senior Volkswagen executive who soon after the German car maker launched the Ameo in India, told me that our sub-4 metre rule was an impractical one and it was near impossible to design a good looking compact sedan, given the restriction of overall length.

He had also admitted that it was only because there was a demand for such compact sedans in India, that they had reluctantly slapped a boot onto the Polo and introduced the Ameo, as its sub 4-metre sedan version. Of course as it was possibly done without any conviction or inspiration, the Ameo failed, and disappeared from the scene. But I really have this desire (pun intended) to show all those who were associated with the VW Ameo, the new Dzire. And if I had the opportunity, I would tell them, “Look here is a sub-4 metre sedan that is proportionate and good looking and does not look like a hatchback with a boot pasted onto it”. Maybe then they will appreciate Indian ingenuity, and the ability to adapt and deliver.

All Photos Bob Rupani