2024 Maruti Suzuki Dzire review, first drive - 5-star sedan

The Maruti Suzuki Dzire sells over 1.5 times more than its closest rival, having executed the 'Swift with a boot' brief to the tee. But as you can see, this new fourth-generation model seems to have moved away from this thought. Is the formula still as effective?

2024 Maruti Suzuki Dzire  Styling, boot space

Dimensionally, the 2024 Dzire has hardly changed. It's still 3,995mm long and 1,735mm wide. The height has grown by 10 mm to 1,525mm. But the effect is a massive departure. The new look makes for a more upmarket sense for sure, giving the car more presence and a greater sense of scale. The wide well-detailed headlamps and the gloss black band that connects them help with this. The full-face grille is well-executed too. There's a German sedan sense to the look that doesn't feel forced, Maruti Suzuki has also done well to resist the urge to douse this in chrome.

The bodywork doesn't share anything with the new Swift so you have a less extroverted sense from the simple body panels and quite typical sedan glasshouse. The slight haunches and subtle kink to the rear window are a good foil to this.

The rear has been well-executed too. It looks most recognisable as a Dzire from here but has managed to not feel truncated as many sub-four-metre cars can, being always conceived as a sedan. We think the clear-lens lighting could have been more subtle, but again it is well-detailed. You have more touches that amp up the premium sense with the spoiler and gloss black panel connecting the lighting.

The boot has grown by 4 litres to 382 litres. It should be enough for a family's road trip luggage with a wide, large opening although there is a bit of a high lip. It's also quite deep but is simply laid out which maximises space. But we think a cladding for the boot lid is now in order, what with the exposed lines.

2024 Maruti Suzuki Dzire Interiors, space, practicality

As much as the Dzire has departed from the Swift on the outside, it's much more familiar inside, which is largely a good thing with the modern layered design that this brings. All of it is hard, scratchy plastic, but the few textures and finishes uplift the space. The beige and wood theme works with this, creating a better sense of quality than the single-tone interiors of the hatch.

There has also been a general sense of improvement in terms of the fitments. The panel gaps seem more consistent and the plastics seem to flex a touch less, although that functional feel that you get from a Maruti continues. You have some well-placed soft elements like on the door handles and with the switchgear. But we think a front centre armrest would have been a good addition. The climate controls are a straightforward bank of physical switches with toggles as they should be.

The new 9-inch touchscreen dominates the dash, and like in the Swift, it can intrude on visibility for drivers of certain heights. But as it is elsewhere this is an effective infotainment set-up. It's not the slickest in its responses or graphics but presents all the information you might need with easy access. The wireless Android Auto/Apple Carplay works seamlessly which makes life easy. The instrument cluster is the traditional clear analogue dials which may not be the most modern but is easy to read at a quick glance.

There could have been better practicality. You get just the one USB charge port in the front, with the one for the rear also in easy reach just in case, and the door pockets could have been larger too. They can hold one medium-sized bottle and smaller knickknacks but no more.

The Dzire continues with the same 2,450mm wheelbase as before but feels more spacious in the back seat. Maruti Suzuki has reworked the seat contours, which combined with the light interiors, more open windows and the big new addition of a sunroof, seem to help with this sense. The three-box design also helps free up more space than in the current Swift.

The seats themselves too are fairly comfortable. The flat bench means three abreast will be easier to fit, although this space is best for two. Thigh support is alright and the seatback is reclined to a reasonable angle as well. The headlining has a small scoop to it but those closer to six feet will find it a bit tight, although legroom is fairly generous for a sub-4m vehicle. A thoughtful touch is that the seatback extends right to the doors, as in some luxury cars.

Further helping with comfort is the addition of a centre armrest. You get rear AC vents as well as the aforementioned chargers, although again the door cards have small storage space. However, this has grown slightly over the new Swift.

Features, Safety

The biggest talking point with the new Dzire is that it is the first Maruti Suzuki to score a five-star GNCAP rating. The structure has been strengthened and you do get a more substantial sense from the car. There are six airbags as standard, three-point seatbelts for all passengers, ESP, hill-hold, TPMS and a 360-degree camera with a clearer feed than cars like the Baleno and Grand Vitara.

You get LED lighting, auto headlamps, climate control, driver seat height adjustment, the 9-inch touchscreen, wireless charging climate control and the sunroof.

Driving impressions, mileage

As with most Maruti Suzuki cars, the Dzire is easy to get used to driving. The driving position feels natural, all the controls are placed intuitively and the steering wheel feels good in your hands. The compact dimensions also help make it easy to manoeuvre in tight spaces, especially with the new 360-degree camera that has been added and the 4.8m turning radius.

The new three-cylinder 1.2-litre Z-series engine makes its way here too, with its 82PS and 112 Nm, pairing with a five-speed manual and AMT. But a noticeable improvement over the Swift has been with the refinement. The engine is quieter now and there much less in the way of vibrations seeping into the cabin, although the older four-cylinder unit still had an edge.

But you should be able to live with this given the impressive mileage figures. The Dzire returns 25.71 kmpl with the AMT and 24.79 kmpl with the MT. This is similar to the Swift despite the 30 kg weight gain helped by a 6 per cent gain in aero efficiency over the last Dzire.

To drive, this motor continues with that easygoing attitude. It's no slower than the previous engine but feels different. So while you don't have the sharp responses of the K-series engine, there is better driveability at lower speeds. The Dzire is quite happy to pull you along just over idle and doesn't feel out of sorts when you ask for performance at these low revs. In the manual, you find that you can drag it along in the city without having to change gears too often, which the AMT uses to hold onto a gear for longer. That being said, you do lose out on strong top-end performance. It's a bit more difficult to gain speeds on a highway cruise.

With manual, the clutch is light enough to not become painful and slotting into gears is without drama. The clutch and gear lever have a light, progressive sense that helps with this. Maruti Suzuki also seems to have worked on the AMT's responses over the Swift. Yes, it still has some noticeable head nods with the downshifts and is heavily focused on efficiency but it has become an overall smoother experience. This makes it a good choice for the average city commuter.

Also more mature is the ride and handling character. The stronger structure does translate into a generally more solid and secure feeling in the cabin on the move. The Dzire feels better tied down and quite plush. There's a soft edge to ride over rough surfaces and you aren't thrown around over broken patches. High-speed stability has improved too, even more with the new Swift. The twitchiness is better controlled and it handles undulations confidently enough.

This hasn't taken away from the light and energetic feel that these Maruti cars usually have. The steering is light enough for use in most situations and also recentres much more naturally. You still find that the Dzire is fairly eager around corners at most speeds. It feels predictable and stable and the roll feels natural too. Braking is without any surprises too.

Price, Verdict

The new Maruti Suzuki Dzire sticks to its formula of being a sensible family car, helped by it being priced between Rs 6.79 lakh to Rs 10.14 lakh. Yes, it could do with a bit more of a special feeling in the cabin but the smart new styling, the great efficiency that hasn't come at the cost of its fun, easy-going driving demeanour, spacious cabin and an improved features list means that it will have the competition covered. Especially now that the debate over the safety of Maruti Suzuki cars has been strongly addressed.