The all-new Maruti Dzire promises to be the benchmark. Again!

By Lijo Mathai Maruti Suzuki has launched the **all-new 2017 Dzire** at prices ranging between Rs 5.45 lakh - Rs 9.41 lakh, ex-Delhi. From the two petrol and diesel variants, there are 14 trims that can ordered. The Swift moniker too has been removed because Maruti says that the Dzire doesn’t have any similarity to the hatchback now. The Dzire is all-new and is based on the same lightweight platform as the Baleno – Heartect. In fact, trim by trim, the new Dzire is nearly 105kg lighter than the outgoing car. Suzuki says that this hasn’t affected the rigidity of the chassis and the car has been crash tested for side as well as offset compliance. Maruti also says that the car is compliant with pedestrian protection wherein the front bumper will absorb most of the dissipated energy in the event of a collision with a living being. In the same vein, ABS, dual airbags as well as ISOFIX seat anchorages are standard. Maruti have changed the entire look of the Dzire and it is hard to distinguish the previous and new models. In that sense, Maruti have done a great job with the design. The grille is reminiscent of the ones we have seen on premium cars like Audi. The bonnet too is new and cuts an athletic shape. Like the Ignis, Maruti have opted for LED projector headlamps and daytime running lamps for the top-spec trims. While 14-inch wheels are standard, 15-inch diamond-cut alloys are available again with ZXi/ZDi trims. From the side, you also notice that unlike the previous Dzire, the new one doesn’t take after the Swift by taking a sloping rear roof design language. It in fact is proportionate to how a sedan usually should look like. The rear too sees the use of LED lights. [caption id=“attachment_371557” align=“aligncenter” width=“640”]  Image: CarToq[/caption] From the images it may seem that the new Dzire is longer than the outgoing car, it isn’t. Maruti have retained the sub-4m 3995mm length for the new Dzire. However, the width has gone up by 40mm, the height has reduced by 40mm and the new Dzire also sits lower to the ground by 7mm. Maruti claims that the front and rear shoulder room has gone up by 20mm and 30mm respectively. Boot space too has been increased by 62 litres to now 378 litres. Inside, the new-gen Dzire gets a more premium cabin that is more appealing than the previous model. This can be seen with the quality of plastics and the upholstery. The Dzire finally gets the 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system from other Maruti offerings. However, here the system is compatible with Android Auto, Mirrorlink in addition to Apple CarPlay. There is also a rear AC vent now. Maruti continues to use the same 75PS/190Nm and 93PS/115Nm diesel and petrol engines from its existing portfolio. These engines are mated to 5-speed manual transmissions as standard while a 5-speed AMT is optional for both. Maruti claims to have worked on enhancing the driveability as well as fuel efficiency of both the engines. While we will come to the former in a bit, the claimed efficiency for the diesel sets a new record in the passenger vehicle segment  - 28.40kmpl. The petrol in the meanwhile claims a segment-best 22kmpl. Maruti also said that they aren’t considering the Baleno RS’ engine turbo petrol engine for use in the Dzire. We got to drive the petrol AMT Dzire for a few kilometres.  First impressions say that overall cabin sound insulation is much better than before. The refinement of the 1.2-litre K-Series engine has been upped further with the new tuning. The AMT unit too has been improved with the intermittent time between the shifts being reduced significantly, making the transmission smoother as well as more responsive than before. The transmission has its benefits while driving in the city as well on highways. We assume the same to be the case with the diesel AMT as well considering that Maruti Suzuki is believed to have updated the AMT software for their new-age offerings. Overall, the new Maruti Suzuki Dzire feels more premium, the engine and the AMT units has been refined further, and the NVH levels have been significantly improved. The all-new Maruti Suzuki Dzire will be sold through the company’s regular dealerships but not through the more premium Nexa distribution network. While the Dzire has been one of the best selling sedans in its category, with the new car, it looks like it may even beat Maruti’s cash cow, the Alto, at its own game.