We first broke the news about the sub-four-metre new Swift Dzire on our website on December 31, 2010. We also brought you the first pictures of the car on our website on April 26, 2011 and in our May 2011 issue. As you can tell, we have been tracking the evolution of this car very closely and that’s because a saloon car for potential hatchback money is not easy to ignore.

The second-generation Dzire is quite different from the car it replaces. For starters, it’s only 3995mm long so it is a whole 165mm shorter than its predecessor. To keep length under the crucial four-metre mark, the new Dzire sports an extremely short boot. As a result, the new Dzire looks more a notchback than a proper saloon.

The good thing is that the tail section is well integrated with the rest of the body and the whole look is more cohesive than the older car. Rear styling is neatly executed but the squarish profile of the bootlid links the new car with the older Dzire. Boot space, at 316 litres is a whole size down on the old car, but is large enough to hold a weekend’s luggage.

Maruti has tweaked styling to differentiate the Dzire from the new Swift on which it is based. The front gets a slatted grille while the bumper features a wider air dam and larger enclosures for the fog lights. It’s only aft of the B-pillar that the two cars really look different. The rear quarter glass has a more conventional fall to it and the rear door is marginally larger as well.

Cabin design is identical to the Swift’s though the use of beige plastics on the lower portion of the dashboard and door pads, and the light seat fabrics really enhance the ambience inside. The front seats, also from the Swift, are very comfortable, while existing Dzire owners will notice the increased space in the back courtesy the new Swift platform’s 40mm longer wheelbase. Rear-seat comfort is decent but the backrest is a tad too reclined. Adjustable headrests and a rear centre armrest do enhance comfort here.

As before, Maruti will sell the Dzire with two engine options – an 86bhp, 1.2-litre petrol and 74bhp, 1.3-litre diesel. Both engines are identical to those on the new Swift, as is the gearing. The K-Series petrol engine benefits from Variable Valve Timing and this has resulted in a 2bhp power bump compared to the older car. Driving the car at the media launch at the Buddh International Circuit, we were reacquainted with the engine’s good low-speed response, slight lack of mid-range punch and impressive top end.

Surprisingly, it was the diesel that was more enjoyable at the track. With the turbo on song past 1800rpm, the engine’s healthy mid-range performance allowed us to power out of the slowest corners with ease. In real-world conditions, that should translate to good driveability.

Gearshifts on the five-speed gearbox were smooth and light in operation too. This brings us to the big surprise – the new Dzire will also be sold with a four-speed automatic transmission on the petrol model. The gearbox complements the petrol engine quite well and shifts are smooth too. Moreover, it adapts well to changes in throttle inputs. It’s only when you floor the throttle that the build of power is slightly jerky. Maruti will offer the automatic in only the middle-level VXi trim so you don’t get many goodies like climate control, steering-mounted audio controls, rear defogger or essentials like a driver seat height adjust and seatbelt height adjuster. A fully loaded version would have simply priced the automatic out of contention.

The Dzire shares suspension hardware with the Swift, though the rear has been tuned for comfort. While it was not possible to pass judgement on ride quality given the smooth tarmac at the circuit, we expect the softened setup should rid the Dzire of some of the Swift’s low-speed firmness. The flipside is that the Dzire also tends to roll a fair bit more than the Swift. What we did like though was the feedback at the steering wheel and good body control even when driving the car at its very limit.

On the whole, the new Dzire makes a compelling case for itself. It is smart to look at, comes decently specced and is good fun to drive too. The engines are refined and also score on the fuel economy front with ARAI-tested figures of 19.1kpl for the manual petrol and 23.4kpl for the diesel. Automatic transmission only adds convenience to the package.

Whille Maruti will announce pricing on February 1 at the car’s launch, we hear the new Dzire will cost as much as the model it replaces which will continue to sell in taxi avatar.

If that’s the case, Maruti has yet another winner on its hands.

Also watch:

New Swift Dzire image gallery

New Swift Dzire video review