News of the arrival of the next-gen Maruti Swift has been doing rounds for some time. The car is expected to be launched by mid-2017, and will inevitably be followed by an all-new version of its ‘Dzire’ compact sedan sibling. Maruti has begun road-testing the next-gen compact sedan and the all-new 2017 Dzire will be based on the next-gen Swift. The latter has been seen on tests abroad but is yet to be spied here.
The new Swift will feature a sportier exterior, and is expected to be even lighter than the Baleno. Since the Dzire shares its underpinnings and design language with the Swift, we can expect the styling to be quite similar ahead of the B-pillar. The heavily covered test-mule does not reveal more details about the car but the boot looks more neatly integrated into the body compared to the current car. The new set of spy photos also suggest that the new Dzire will be wider than its predecessor.
Under the hood though, you’re likely to find the current car’s 1.2-litre K-Series petrol and the 1.3-litre diesel from Fiat. That said, the lower weight is sure to make the car more frugal and sprightlier too.
On the equipment side, expect projector headlamps, LED daytime running lights, updated infotainment system with Apple CarPlay capability. An early sighting of the new Dzire could mean that Maruti may buck the trend and bring in the compact sedan ahead of the new Swift. Already the best-seller in its segment, expect the new car to give rivals like the Honda Amaze, the VW Ameo and the Ford Figo Aspire a tougher run for their money.
Suraj Viswanathan
Dipan Sur
Lenny D'sa
Viraaj Bhatnagar
Rivan RS 
Ameya Dandekar
