2017 Maruti Dzire revealed ahead of May 16 launch

Maruti has unveiled the third-gen Dzire which will be launched in India on May 16. It is no secret that Maruti had already finished working on the third-gen Dzire compact sedan for India a while back. This is despite the fact that volumes in the compact sedan segment aren’t really growing. And then, there’s the small matter of the compact sub-four-metre segment and the resulting tax break being scrapped altogether. Nevertheless, Maruti is still going hammer and tongs at the sub-four Dzire as it is among its bestsellers and, importantly, one of its biggest grossers. 

What sets the new Dzire apart from the earlier car is the fact that it isn’t half as compromised a design. Targeted more at the owner drivers rather than fleet operators, it is a car that is much nicer to look at. The profile, to begin with, is several times more attractive and well balanced. There’s a nice flow to the bonnet and fenders, the windscreens and the roof blend into a uniform arch and the strong shoulder line and the compact boot give it plenty of definition.

Up front, the new Dzire borrows its headlights and grille enclosures from the all-new Swift hatchback, and the bonnet, front fenders and headlamps appear to be shared as well. It will get LED projector headlamps and daytime running lamps on the higher spec variants. The chin, however, is completely different. It looks much more upmarket. Maruti designers have added tonnes and tonnes of chrome (around the grille, inside the headlights and it even gets chromed whiskers) and on the Dzire the sporty floating grille has been converted into a more traditional air dam. Even the rear is better integrated and looks less chopped. The sedan gets a 376-litre boot which is slightly larger than the outgoing model.