Maruti Swift Dzire DDiS (Old)

There are many ways to consider the Dzire

Published on Aug 28, 2009 07:00:00 AM

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Like the Swift before it, the Dzire has a lot of firsts to its credit, like offering an integrated audio system with steering-mounted controls and a climate control system. There are lots of subtle changes to the interiors of the Dzire — the dials are chrome-ringed and the digits are white-backlit, which looks very cool and classy. It also scores an unexpected victory with dashboard plastics, the best in this group. The switchgear also feels the best to use. However, this has more to do with the competition being below par.

We’ve always complained about the claustrophobic feel of the Swift’s all-black interiors, so now the seats on the ZDi are beige and this brightens things up considerably. The front seats are very comfortable — there’s plenty of headroom and legroom and even six-footers won’t have a problem. The driver’s seat adjusts for height and the steering wheel adjusts for rake, making it easy to find a very comfortable driving position, whatever seat height you prefer.

However, there’s no real improvement in rear seat space. The wheelbase is the same as the Swift, so legroom and headroom remain the same, so do the small windows, unfortunately. The rear seat has different contours and the back rest is slightly more reclined for greater headroom, so comfort is slightly improved. Only shoulder support is lacking on a seat that otherwise impresses. The ZDi version comes with a centre armrest (another first in the segment) and full-size bottle-holders in the rear doorpads. Still the Dzire’s greatest weakness is its narrow rear seat, the least comfortable for seating three abreast.