With prices for the new Maruti Dzire having been revealed – they start at Rs 6.79 lakh and go up to Rs 10.14 lakh – it’s time to see exactly what the new model offers over its predecessor. The generation change brings more than a few design changes outside and inside, far more equipment, and an even more frugal engine. Let’s dive in.
Maruti Dzire new vs old design
| Maruti Dzire new vs old dimensions | ||
|---|---|---|
| New Dzire | Old Dzire | |
| Length (mm) | 3995 | 3995 |
| Width (mm) | 1735 | 1735 |
| Height (mm) | 1525 | 1515 |
| Wheelbase (mm) | 2450 | 2450 |
| Ground clearance (mm) | 163 | 163 |
| Wheels & tyres | 185/65 R15 | 185/65 R15 |
| Boot space (litres) | 382 | 378 |
| Kerb weight (kg) | 920-1025 | 880-995 |
While the overall silhouette is more or less the same, with the sloping roofline and almost typical three-box design, the new Dzire sports a much more mature-looking face. Unlike its predecessor, there’s almost nothing that links the new Dzire to its hatchback counterpart.
Slim, angular LED headlights have replaced the projector units (that came with LED DRLs) and the new black grille hexagonal grille is bigger than before and features six horizontal slats, with the highest one featuring a piano black and chrome finish, with a prominent Suzuki logo in the centre. There is a bit of space between the headlights and the fog lamps, which, on higher-spec variants, will be LED units.
New 15-inch alloy wheels, along with reshaped front and rear fenders help the Dzire look fresh, and at the rear, there are new squarish tail-lights with horizontal, tri-arrow-shaped LED light signatures. There’s an almost prominent boot spoiler, and the lower part of the rear bumper has a sporty-looking diffuser-like design.
Compared to the outgoing model, the new Dzire has nearly identical dimensions, though it does stand 10mm taller, at 1,525mm, and has a slightly larger boot and is also about 30-40kg heavier, dependiing on the variant. Additionally, the new Dzire is available in seven exterior finishes, of which, the Alluring Blue, Gallant Red and Nutmeg Brown colours were not available on the older car.
Maruti Dzire new vs old interior
While on the inside, the new Dzire shares quite a lot with the Swift, it’s quite a change compared to the outgoing compact sedan. The dashboard gets a more sophisticated, textured and layered look, with a floating touchscreen taking centre stage. The instrument cluster also gets new dials and a new MID, and there are vastly different controls for the auto AC, and new-design AC vents.
The biggest changes on the inside are to the Dzire’s features list, which is quite a bit longer than its predecessor. There’s the larger 9-inch touchscreen, a segment-first powered sunroof and a 360-degree camera, along with cruise control, a wireless charger and the Suzuki Connect in-car connectivity suite.
Coming to the safety on offer, the new Dzire has the distinction of being the first Maruti to get a 5-star Global NCAP crash test rating. Unlike its predecessor, all variants get 6 airbags as standard, though the other bits, like ABS, ESP, ISOFIX anchors, and hill-hold assist continue.
Maruti Dzire new vs old engine
| Maruti Dzire new vs old powertrain | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Dzire | Old Dzire | New Dzire CNG | Old Dzire CNG | ||
| Engine type | 3-cyl, NA, petrol | 4-cyl, NA, petrol | 3-cyl, NA, CNG | 4-cyl, NA, CNG | |
| Displacement (cc) | 1197 | 1197 | 1197 | 1197 | |
| Power (hp) | 82 | 90 | 69.75 | 77.5 | |
| Torque (Nm) | 112 | 113 | 101.8 | 98.5 | |
| Gearbox | 5MT/5AMT | 5MT/5AMT | 5MT | 5MT | |
| Fuel efficiency^ | 24.79/25.71kpl | 22.41/22.61kpl | 33.73km/kg | 31.12km/kg | |
^ARAI rated fuel efficiency figure
Under the bonnet of the new Dzire is the new Z12E petrol engine that made its debut in the Swift. The older model had the K-Series DualJet engine, which was a four-cylinder 1.2-litre unit producing 90hp and 113Nm of torque. When seen in the light of the new engine’s outputs – 82hp and 112Nm – the older model was more powerful. 5-speed manual and 5-speed AMT gearbox options are still on offer.
On the other hand, the new three-cylinder 1.2-litre Z Series engine is far more frugal than its predecessor. The new Dzire is rated at 24.79kpl in manual form and 25.71kpl in AMT guise, which is an increase of 2.38kpl and 3.1kpl over the outgoing model.
As is usually the case with Maruti’s line-up, the new Dzire also gets CNG-powered variants. The same 1.2-litre engine makes 69.75hp and 101.8Nm on CNG, and delivers 33.73km/kg, which is an increase of 2.61km/kg over the third-gen Dzire.
Maruti Dzire new vs old price
| Maruti Dzire new vs old prices (in Rs, lakh) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| New Dzire* | Old Dzire | ||
| Petrol-MT | 6.79-9.69 | 6.57-8.89 | |
| Petrol-AMT | 8.24-10.14 | 7.99-9.39 | |
| CNG-MT | 8.74-9.84 | 8.44-9.12 | |
*Introductory prices valid until December 31
Considering the number of changes, the Rs 22,000 you pay for the new entry-level Dzire over its predecessor seems to be justified. In addition, the Rs 75,000 that one would pay for the top-spec version also seems to make sense, considering the number of premium features that are now available on the compact sedan. Do note that the new Dzire's prices are introductory and will increase from January 2025 onwards.
All prices, ex-showroom, India
Also see:
2024 Maruti Suzuki Dzire review: India's favourite sedan massively updated