2017 Maruti Dzire vs rivals: Specifications comparison

The new third-generation Dzire is now bigger, lighter and more fuel efficient that the previous car. The new Dzire, which is built on the same platform as the Baleno and the new Swift, is considerably lighter than the car it replaces – by up to 85kg and 95kg for the petrol and diesel variants, respectively. The wheelbase is longer than before and rear occupants can expect more space at the back as well. Engines continue to remain the same, the 1.2-litre K-series petrol and the 1.3-litre DDiS (diesel) soldiering on. The new-gen compact sedan also gets a name change with Maruti having dropped the Swift prefix and just calling the car the Dzire.

There are also new variants on offer with the LXi/LDi, VXi/VDi and ZXi/ZDi now being joined by a new range-topping ZXi+/ZDi+ trim which features additional goodies such as LED projector headlamps, SmartPlay infotainment system and all-new design alloy wheels.

So, how does it stand against its rivals? We compare it with the rest of the compact sedan segment on paper to find out.

The 2017 Dzire has grown a bit in size and, while the length hasn’t changed due to the four-metre cap, it is wider than before. In fact, the new Dzire is now the widest car in its segment. Also, its wheelbase has increased by 20mm to 2,450mm, making it longer than the Amaze and the Xcent, still shorter than the Ameo’s and the Aspire’s 2,470mm and 2,491mm, respectively. Its height, however, has been reduced by 40mm and now stands at 1,515mm. More importantly, the Dzire’s boot is 378 litres, which is 60 litres more than before. Compared to cars like the Tigor (419 litre), the Xcent (407 litre) and the Amaze (400 litre), the Dzire’s boot is still small, but is bigger than the Ameo’s (330 litre) and the Aspire’s (359 litre).

Maruti is sticking to the same 1.3-litre MultiJet diesel engine and the 1.2-litre petrol for the Dzire. The 1.3-litre diesel motor makes 75hp and 190Nm, while the petrol engine makes 83hp and 113Nm of torque. Apart from the five-speed manual gearboxes on both the engines, with the new-gen Dzire, both engines get the AMT gearbox option (unlike the previous generation where only the diesel engine had AMT).

In comparison, the Hyundai Xcent has a 1.2-litre, three-cylinder diesel motor that makes 75hp and 190Nm of torque. The power and torque output is similar to the Dzire’s, and even the 1.2-litre petrol motor makes quite similar power and torque outputs – 83hp and 114Nm. Hyundai offers a four-speed torque converter autobox with the Xcent petrol but the diesel is only available with a five-speed manual gearbox.