Had a chance to check out the all-new DZire yesterday. The local dealership had a white VXi on display, which they had used as their launch vehicle on 18th May.
The first thing that strikes you is that this car is definitely wider than the older-gen DZire, which becomes apparent once you slide into the front passenger seat and the rear seat. Legroom, headroom and shoulder room is aplenty.
The rear seat is set a bit too low for my liking (like the Hyundai Verna), and shorter passengers will definitely feel claustrophobic. Adding to the ambience at the rear are those super-tall and wide front headrests, which cut off any front view for the rear passengers (except for the 5th one who would be sitting in the middle).
Floor hump obtrusion is minimal, and the rear AC vents have a nice range upwards/downwards for the rear passengers to adjust them according to their requirements. But the plastic used for the vents seemed a bit too flimsy and thin for my liking - families with naughty children, take note.
Rear seat feels a bit more laid back than before, which adds to the comfort levels on a standing car. How comfortable it would be on long journeys? Ownership reports will clarify soon, I bet.
Stepped into the front passenger seat and the spaciousness was apparent. The glove box didn't look too deep to be of any real use, and the outward tall design only fools one to believe there is a deep box behind the lid. Plastics are decent, although still far away from Hyundai-
esque levels. The wooden insert on the dashboard looks gaudy, and isn't to my taste. Maybe it has mass market appeal, hence Maruti has gone for this. Door panels are reminiscent of the old DZire.
Into the driver's seat, and the flat-bottomed steering is a delight to hold. The steering mounted buttons give adequate feedback and seem like they will last the distance (specially the ones for telephony which need to be pressed from behind).
The instrument binnacle is inspired from the Ignis, in the way the needles point directly at the bottom at the 0 kmph sign. The MID is clear and legible even under daylight. The whole layout of the dash + steering is very driver-friendly. All the controls, contours and storage spaces fall easily into hand. There is a small space below the handbrake for one to store his cellphone or a small diary.
From the outside, the side & rear profiles are definitely signature DZire, if I may say so. It's only when you pay attention to the tail lamp sections, the head lamp sections and the front (bulbous) grille, you realise that this is a new car. The front grille looks quite odd in person too. How I wish they would have gone for a 2/3 slat grille instead, and chopped off those edgy extensions on either side for a more rounded look. Could have made the grille a bit more Maserati-
ish.
The rear tail lamp section design is definitely inspired from the Honda Amaze. See them from close quarters and the resemblance is uncanny. The lighting layout inside them is different, though. The LED lights will do their bit to attract the customers.
The boot is fairly deep and can swallow a decent amount of luggage for weekend/long trips. Finally, the DZire gets an usable boot.
All in all, Maruti seems to have ticked all the right boxes to appeal to the mass market customers. This one is destined to be a huge hit in the days to come.
Sorry C1-segment competitors, you will have to be content with staying #2 and below for a long, long while.
"Bulbous" is the first word which comes to mind when you see the front grille for the first time.
Notice that the central portion of the outer chrome layer is thicker than the rest.
See the car from the side and the "DZire" profile is immediately evident.
Neat wheelcap design. Can easily pass off as an alloy from a distance.
No cutting corners here - even the VXi gets Bridgestones!
Door panel uses the same plastics as before.
Considering the competition, slightly better quality was required.
Buttons feel like they will last the distance.
You press the telephony control buttons from behind, not front.
The meters with the needles pointing directly below.
Reminiscent of some sports cars, and of course, the Ignis.
When the key is inserted and turned.
The 2-DIN Head Unit of the V_i variant, and the manual AC controls below.
Also notice the closely placed ABC pedals.
Useful cup holders ahead of the gear lever.
Flippy day/night IRVM.
Passenger-side sun visor gets a vanity mirror without lid.
Just a ticket-holder for the driver side one.
These ultra-tall front head rests don't make it any easier for the rear passenger's view of action at the front.
The rear AC vents have thin plastics. Use these carefully.
Fairly decent range, either way. There's space to park a cellphone up above them, too. Pairs well with the power outlet socket in front.
Quite deep and very usable boot. Finally!
Keys for the V_i variant are the same as the outgoing-gen car.
The demo cars have not reached the dealership yet, so they are denying any requests for a TD right now.
First batch is expected to land in the next 2-3 days. My car is in the first lot, according to them.