Maruti Suzuki will be launching the all new Swift DZire on the 1st of February, 2012. The new DZire is a sub 4-meter compact sedan and is based on the new Swift. The next generation DZire has some key changes which will help Maruti Suzuki to maintain its position in the segment. The new Swift DZire won’t be priced any cheaper, even though it enjoys excise benefits. Expect prices to range between Rs. 5-7.3 lakhs (ex-showroom, Delhi) for the new DZire. Maruti Suzuki has invested close to Rs. 230 crore on the new Swift DZire, which they claim have 150 new features. The old Swift DZire will not be discontinued and will cater to the taxi segment. The boot space has decreased from 440-liters to 316-liters!
The 2012 Maruti Suzuki Swift DZire will be powered by the same engines which do duty on the all new Swift. The 1.2-liter K-series petrol engine uses VTT to produce 87 PS of peak power at 6000 RPM and 114 Nm of peak torque at 4000 RPM. The diesel engine remain unchanged and is the fantastic 1.3-liter DDiS (Fiat Multijet) motor which produces 75 PS of peak power at 4000 RPM and 190 Nm of peak torque at 2000 RPM. The diesel engine will be mated to a 5-speed manual gearbox, while the petrol will be mated to both a 5-speed manual and a 4-speed automatic transmission (VXi variant only, comes with ABS as standard). The ARAI certified mileage figure for the diesel variant is 23.4 kmpl, while the petrol version returns 19.1 kmpl.
Coming to the appearance of the Swift DZire, the new model looks far better and proportionate compared to the model it replaces. The exteriors are similar to the Swift hatchback but Maruti Suzuki has used a new front grille, slightly different front bumper, new wheel caps and alloy wheels. The interiors are the same as the Swift’s though but get beige treatment at the low half of the dashboard. We are yet to understand the compromise made between boot space and rear seat legroom as the new Swift DZire is shorter than the old one. With over 3.2 lakh units of the DZire sold till date, the next generation model will keep the momentum going for Maruti in the C-segment. The new Swift DZire will roll out from Maruti Suzuki’s manufacturing plant in Manesar and will compete with the Toyota Etios (or is it the other way around?).
The web has been buzzing with uncamouflaged pictures of the new DZire, with some shots coming from Buddh International Circuit where the media drive was conducted. We are posting pictures shot by Rajesh Dogra, which were carried by our good friends at IAB. These pictures were snapped at a dealer yard in Jammu.
Pictures Source – Megapowerbosch via IAB