Maruti Swift Dzire (Final report)

Another aspect of the Dzire I was particularly happy with was its maintenance costs. Barring an incident during the monsoons when a tree branch fell straight through the rear windscreen, the Dzire’s cost of ownership has been nearly negligible. As an example, we shelled out a paltry amount of Rs 2,142 for our first paid service, which included an engine oil top-up, air filter replacement and labour charges. It’s details like these that have made the Dzire such an easy car to live with. Its well-weighted steering that makes it feel at home in the city and on the highway, and its well-balanced ride and handling characteristics only serve to drive home this point. If I were to nitpick, however, I’d say that the brakes could be better. They’re perfectly fine in normal conditions, but up the pace and things get a little disconcerting when you need to stop in a hurry. The brakes just lack that bite when you hit the pedal really hard and need to come to a halt quickly. But that’s hardly a deal-breaker and I’d even go as far as saying that the Dzire does the compact saloon act really well.

Further lending credibility to my claim is the car’s cabin, where Maruti has done quite a good job once again. The front seats have cushioning that is spot on, visibility out front is good, the audio and aircon controls are within reach and there are ample cubbyholes for everything from stray pens to litre-sized bottles. The rear seat is comfortable too, if a little tight for occupants with a wider frame. And as far as the boot goes, the 316-litre capacity was more than ample for my limited luggage-carrying needs, but it might come up short for a family of four.So when the day finally came to return the Dzire, we knew that we were parting ways with a truly versatile car, one with many plusses and a few, negligible minuses. The slightly oddball rear styling apart, there’s a lot to like about this car, which was plainly evident by the fact that the keys were scarcely ever left alone in our key box. Part of the reason for this was the delightful diesel engine, which returned a none-too-shabby 16.5kpl overall. Having spent a fair bit of time in the car then, it’s not hard to see why Maruti called it the Dzire, as it plays the role of a desirable car rather well.

Raunak Ajinkya

Maruti Swift Dzire

Odometer: 20,000km 
Price: Rs 8.99 lakh (on-road, Mumbai) 
Test economy: 16.5kpl (overall) 
Maintenance costs: 4th service - Rs 2,142 (Engine oil and filter + labour) 
Faults: None