The subcompact sedan segment is all set to see the arrival of the new-generation Maruti Suzuki Dzire next month. Slated to be launched on the 16th of May 2017, the third-generation Dzire sedan comes with all-new exterior styling and an extensively redesigned cabin, in addition to a host of new features. Now, even though the Dzire has been the top-seller of its segment, the car last received an update in early 2015. Since then the sub-4 metre sedan space has seen new entrants like Ford Aspire, Volkswagen Ameo, and Tata Tigor along with the launch of facelifted Hyundai Xcent and Honda Amaze as well. The car has come very far from the older model but, will the generation upgrade help the reign of the Maruti Suzuki Dzire to continue? Let's find out.
All the aforementioned models serve the same purpose of offering a sedan-like look and experience at the means and cost of a hatchback. In that sense, Ford's Aspire and the Volkswagen Ameo are the best-looking subcompacts sedans so far. But, the old Maruti Suzuki Dzire was always seen as a hatchback with a boot rather than a sedan and similar was the case with the Hyundai Xcent, both of which shared their design and styling with their hatchback counterparts - the Swift and Grand i10. Honda Amaze was the first subcompact sedan to break this cliché with it's facelifted model that was launched late last year. Next, it was the Hyundai Xcent that moved away from the styling of the Grand i10 facelift featuring a new face and some updated exterior features like a different grille and bumper among others.
In comparison, the new Dzire comes with the same face as the new-gen Swift hatchback, but the company has tweaked the design of the car to differentiate it from the latter. For instance, the new Maruti Dzire gets a slightly sloping A-pillar that gives it a more sedan-like appearance rather than a hatchback. Even the new rear portion and revised roofline make it one of prettiest subcompact in the space now.
Maruti has also updated the dimensions of the new Dzire as the wheelbase of the car is now extended by 20 mm to make it 2450 mm and the width has been increased by 40 mm to a total of 1735 mm. The Dzire is thus now the widest car in its segment and continues to be one of the longest in its segment at 3995 mm. In comparison, the Hyundai Xcent, Ford Aspire and Volkswagen Ameo also are 3995 mm in length.
The height of the Dzire has been reduced by 40 mm to 1515 mm courtesy of the revised roofline and thus it's no longer the tallest among the lot. That position now goes to the Tat Tigor which is currently 1537 mm in height. As for ground clearance, the new Dzire still offer 170 mm of clearance, same as the Tigor, which is only second to Ford Figo that comes with a ground clearance of 174 mm. Honda Amaze, Hyundai Xcent and Volkswagen Ameo offer a ground clearance of 165 mm.
| Dimensions | Tata Tigor | Maruti Suzuki Dzire | Honda Amaze | Hyundai Xcent | Ford Figo Aspire | Volkswagen Ameo |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Length | 3992 mm | 3995 mm | 3990 mm | 3995 mm | 3995 mm | 3995 mm |
| Width | 1677 mm | 1735 mm | 1680 mm | 1660 mm | 1695 mm | 1682 mm |
| Height | 1537 mm | 1515 mm | 1505 mm | 1520mm | 1525 mm | 1483 mm |
| Wheelbase | 2450 mm | 2450 mm | 2405 mm | 2425 mm | 2491 mm | 2470 mm |
| Ground Clearance | 170 mm | 170 mm | 165 mm | 165 mm | 174 mm | 165 mm |
Maruti Suzuki Dzire vs Hyundai Xcent (cabins)
The new Maruti Suzuki Dzire also comes with an extensively revised cabin that gets a new light beige and black dual tone treatment. The plastic quality looks much better and the dashboard layout is also new. The extended wheelbase translates into a roomier cabin and there are wooden inserts on the dashboard and the steering wheel that has been included to enhance the premiumness of the cabin. Feature list includes a flat bottom steering wheel, rear AC vents, climate control, and touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto among others. Dual airbags and ABS come as standard.
Amaze, Aspire, Ameo and Tigor Cabin
In comparison, the Hyundai Xcent also comes with a spacious and feature-rich cabin. It gets the same beige and black interior with a revised dashboard and touchscreen infotainment system that offers Apple CarPlay and Android auto with MirrorLink and voice recognition. There is a 3-spoke multifunctional steering wheel with and dual airbags are standard across variants. Comparatively, the Figo Aspire and the Tigor are loaded with features such as a multi-function display unit, infotainment system smartphone and app connectivity apart from the regular USB, Bluetooth and other media. The Aspire also gets beige and black cabin treatment while the Tigor gets a black and grey cabin. In terms of safety, the Aspire offers dual airbags as standard and six airbags on the top-of-the-line trim.
The Ameo, again, gets a lot of features such as a touchscreen infotainment system with smartphone and app connectivity along with reverse-parking camera and sensors. All cars here have steering mounted controls for audio and Bluetooth telephony. The Ameo is the only car which gets ABS with EBD and dual airbags as standard across all variants. The Honda Amaze also gets a piano black finish on the centre console, automatic AC and dual tone black-beige interior colour. When it comes to safety though the Honda Amaze facelift offers some basic features like ABS with EBD, rear defogger, WAVE key, and dual SRS airbags.
Maruti Suzuki Dzire gets AMT on both petrol and diesel models
The Maruti Suzuki Dzire is powered by the same 1.2-litre petrol and 1.3-litre diesel engine. Power output remains same at 83 bhp for the petrol and 74 bhp for the oil burner, with peak torque of 115 Nm and 190 Nm respectively. 5-speed manual gearbox is standard for both but now you do get the company AMT unit as an option on both petrol and diesel variants. The Hyundai Xcent also some mechanical changes with the addition of a new 1.2-litre diesel engine that makes 74 bhp and 190 Nm of peak torque along with a 1.2-litre petrol engine that makes 82 bhp and 114 Nm of peak torque. 5-speed manual gearbox is standard on both engines, but the petrol motor also comes with the option of a 4-speed auto box.
In terms of performance though it is the Honda Amaze and the Ford Figo Aspire that offers the best options, with both featuring a 1.2-litre petrol and a 1.5-litre diesel and both the engines make the same amount of power as well - 87 bhp and 99 bhp respectively, in both the cars. Torque is different though. The Amaze's 1.2-litre petrol develops 109 Nm of peak torque, while the oil burner makes 200 Nm. On the other hand, the Aspire's petrol motor makes 112 Nm of peak torque and the diesel engine develops 215 Nm of peak torque. Both the cars get 5-speed manual gearbox as standard with an optional CVT unit on the Amaze. The Aspire gets a 1.5-litre petrol engine as well that make 110 bhp and develops 136 Nm of peak torque, while mated to a 6-speed dual clutch transmission.
In comparison, the Volkswagen Ameo comes with a 74 bhp, 1.2-litre petrol engine and 108 bhp 1.5-litres TDI engine that come mated to a 5-speed manual gearbox as standard and a 7-speed DSG unit as an option for the diesel variant. The Tata Tigor, on the other hand, is powered by Tata's Revotron 1.2 litre engine that makes 84 bhp and develops 114 Nm of peak torque, while mated to a 5-speed manual gearbox. The diesel model gets Tata's Revotorq 1.05 litre engine that churns out 69 bhp and 140 Nm of peak torque and comes mated to the same 5-speed manual unit.
| Engine | Maruti Suzuki Dzire | Honda Amaze | Tata Tigor | Hyundai Xcent | Ford Aspire | Volkswagen Ameo | |
| Petrol | |||||||
| Engine | 1.2-litre | 1.2-litre | 1.2-litre | 1.2-litre | 1.2-litre | 1.5-litre | 1.2-litre |
| Max Power | 83 bhp | 87 bhp | 84 bhp | 82 bhp | 87 bhp | 110 bhp | 74 bhp |
| Max Torque | 115 Nm | 109 Nm | 114 Nm | 114 Nm | 112 Nm | 136 Nm | 110 Nm |
| Transmission | 5 MT / AMT | 5 MT / CVT | 5MT | 5 MT / 4 AT | 5MT | DCT | 5 MT |
| Diesel | |||||||
| Displacement | 1.3-litre | 1.5-litre | 1.05-litre | 1.2-litre | 1.5-litre | 1.5-litre | |
| Max Power | 74 bhp | 99 bhp | 69 bhp | 74 bhp | 99 bhp | 108 bhp | |
| Max Torque | 190 Nm | 200 Nm | 140 Nm | 190 Nm | 215 Nm | 250 Nm | |
| Transmission | 5 MT / AMT | 5 MT | 5 MT | 5MT | 5MT | 5 MT / DSG | |
| Model | Price (ex-showroom, Delhi) |
| Maruti Suzuki Dzire | Rs. 5.3 lakh to Rs. 8.6 lakh (expected) |
| Honda Amaze | Rs. 5.53 lakh to Rs. 8.43 lakh |
| Ford Aspire | Rs. 5.45 lakh to Rs. 8.28 lakh |
| Hyundai Xcent | Rs. 5.38 lakh to Rs. 8.41 lakh |
| Tata Tigor | Rs. 4.70 lakh to Rs. 7.09 lakh |
| Volkswagen Ameo | Rs. 5.45 lakh to Rs. 9.62 lakh |
Considering all these facts and figures we have to say that the Maruti Suzuki Dzire has come a long way compared to the outgoing model and in all sense will continue to be a threat to its rivals. The car has been offering decent performance and with the addition of all the new exterior and interior features, the 2017 Maruti Dzire has become more upmarket. So it all boils down to the question whether the Dzire will retain its lucrative pricing or will the addition of premium features demand a premium price tag as well? We'll have to wait till the car is launched.
