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-   -   Let's Dzire again, but this time ZDi. My Maruti Dzire. EDIT: Totalled (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test-drives-initial-ownership-reports/141777-lets-dzire-again-but-time-zdi-my-maruti-dzire-edit-totalled.html)

Finally I get time to write an initial ownership review. Buckle up guys as this one's going to be a long one. Here goes:

INTRODUCTION
We were having a dzire from 2011 and a newly acquired kizashi( March 2013). Everything was fine until my dad's CA arrived one day and bursted a bomb he said that the fuel expenses were going high and in fact so high that we were spending more on fuel per month in kizashi than on its emi. He went on to say that combining both the cars we had spent in total 5 lakh rupees on fuel in just 6 months:Shockked:.He suggested that we either remove the kizashi or the dzire and either keep only one car or purchase a diesel vehicle. This came as a rude shock, removing the kizashi was out of question since it was acquired just 6 months back, so it was obvious that the dzire had to go and keeping only one car was also out since it was very inconvenient.

THE CAR HUNT
Well we tested many cars from B to C segment. They were in this order:

FIAT PUNTO
We saw the car on display in a mall and after a chat with the SA there we got a quote and the address of the fiat dealer and left. Frankly we always loved the design of the punto but due to the tata alliance we were scared to go for a fiat. But since fiat had now separated from tata we thought that this is it. Come next day we went to Bhaskara fiat, being a sunday it was quiet deserted and only the SA that we were talking to was present.

We went in and admired the beauty of the punto but after that everything went downhill. I was interested in the 90hp and asked the SA is it a VGT or a FGT to my horror he replied that there is NO TURBO in the diesel :Shockked: and turbo is present only on the tjet. I fell out of shock and asked him to check with someone but he looked sure, then suddenly a service guy came and cleared all the confusion and confirmed that there is a turbo and that too a VGT. Then we went in for a TD, I was still recovering from the shock and here came another one the car(90hp) was not available for a TD so he made us drive the linea saying it had the same engine. The test drive was so slow and boring that I nearly fell asleep. Linea handled well but was grossly underpowered. After leaving the showroom I went to another dealer and got the TD of the 90hp and was disappointed yet again the car again didn't feel powerful and it took lot of accelaration in the 5th gear to actually touch 100. I got nearly 1 lakh off from both dealers but since I didn't like the performance the car was striked off the list.

VOLKSWAGEN POLO
I liked the polo because of its features and after the fully loaded offer came I was off to the showroom. After talking to the SA took a test drive and it devasted all my excitement. The three pot engine was no match to the others, even though the car handled well there was always the feeling of lack of power. It felt as though it didn't matter whether you pressed the accelarator or not the car would go at its own sweet pace. Also the offer was misleading since it stated that the emi was Rs.9999 but later we came to know that the loan amount was only 4 lakhs for 3 years and remaining down payment. The car was striked off the list since it didn't make sense with the low power and vague offer.

MARUTI SWIFT
I always liked the design of the new swift so immediately called up our regular showroom kiran motors. They promptly came for a TD, I drove the car but found it slightly slow to respond but I accepted it since I knew that diesel won't give pickup like petrol. Anyways the car was well balanced and reached triple digit speeds much faster than the punto. Took a Quoatation from the SA and asked the delivery time, 15 days he said. I was quiet happy with that.

HYUNDAI I20
I had always thought of the i20 to be a VFM product with the features and the 1.4L 90hp engine. I gave a ring to concept hyundai and the car arrived within 2 hours. I sat in it and immediately felt that I am in car that Is a segment above. It was absolutely loaded with features be it parking sensors, reverse camera, cooled glove box, etc. I took the car on the highway, everything felt fine until I crossed 60 after which it felt like a boat. The whole thing started jumping up and down. Also the steering felt quiet inconsistent in the city with sometimes being too light and sometimes being to heavy. There was no point in going for it since the drive was not as good as swift and nowhere as composed as punto. Features can never make up for the drive.

ENTER THE DZIRE
I was quiet happy with the swift zdi and had conveyed dad the same. But he didn't like the all black interior plus the boot space was way too less so he told me to consider the dzire. That left me disappointed since I HATED the shape of it after the update it looked as if the designer started designing the car with enthusiasm from the front and lost the will to live when he reached the back.

Next day I called up popular wheelers for a TD since kiran didn't have a car available. I just ignored the exterior and sat in. It was a completely different story on the inside the dash felt well laid out and the biege was giving it a sort of premium look. The drive also felt better than the swift and I felt that it absorbed bumps better. I came a happy man from the test drive. Even dad enjoyed it and the added practicality of a boot finalised the purchase.

WHICH DEALER?
This was a tough one since our last two cars were from kiran and because of the kizashi we knew or rather everone knew us in the showroom but in the end it came to the exchange price and final amount. Kiran was unable to give us a good amount and popular gave us a real good deal with nearly 60000 more for our old car and an additional 10000 exchange bonus. So we went ahead and paid the booking amount to popular wheelers.


INTAZAR KA PHAL MEETHA HOTA HAI
We were given a waiting period of 3 months due to our colour choice which was clear beige which was quiet disappointing. 15 days pass but there was good news to come, a person who had booked another beige zdi had cancelled his order and the car was lying without any takers I immediately told the SA to block that one. I went that evening to their godown and did a thorough pdi and gave them a go ahead to install the accessories. Here are some pics of the pdi.




2 DAYS TO GO FOR D-DAY
Just 2 days to go and it was time to bid adieu to our faithful dzire zxi. I learnt driving with her so it was quiet a difficult one to let her go. But as it is said everything that comes must go one day.





D-DAY
This day was a long awaited one. We reached the showroom at 1pm sharp one hour prior alloted time due to my excitement ( for which I got a good hearing from my parents). Found the car coming back from a good wash and undergoing polishing. We finished the paperwork and finally drove off at 3 from the showroom. Now let the pics do the talking.



Notice panel gap



This nearly gave me a shock



ACCESSORIES FITTED
1) led backlit door step
2) pedal lamps
3) bumper corner protectors
4) carpets
5) parking sensors
6) leather seat cover
7) leather steering cover
8) bluetooth

Total cost: 12500

The pedal lamps



The led backlight door step




FIRST DRIVE EXPERIENCE
Took the car for a nice long drive on the first day. First impressions, very different from a petrol motor the engine hesitates to rev beyond 3000 rpm and I didn't force it either as it is within the engine run in period. I always feel the need for a sixth gear since the car revs real high when at 80 in 5th gear and it tends to get a bit noisy when you start going faster.

One thing is for sure is that it is a mile muncher. It gobles up kilometers like anything and drinks very less. It is a very economic vehicle if avg. monthly running is more than 2000 kms. The suspension setup is much better than the previous dzire, the car feels much more composed on higher speeds compared to the old one. Even the headlights are much better than the useless stock one's provided in the old car.

PERFORMANCE
It is not a car to do 0-100 times but it is quick enough. In diesel vehicles the 1st gear is usually dry and lack torque. The actual fun starts only in the 2nd gear where you can push the car all tge way to 4000rpm and it builds up speed pretty well. One complaint that I have is that the gearbox feels slightly notchy and could have done with an additional sixth speed which would have helped with the mileage and performance. The engine feels quiet refined and is much silent compared to the competition. I love the turbo sound especially the sound it makes when I am changing gears. Plus the added advantage of double the range of my previous car is an icing on the cake. The car would have been magic if it had the vgt with 90ps like the sx4.

Brakes and handling
The car is much more stable compared to the older one. The car is rock solid even at 100km/h where the older one felt slightly wobly. The brakes also inspire much more confidence and the braking distance has greatly reduced. Sometimes I feel scared that someone might rear end me. The steering response is instantaneous and smooth. It is well weighted and inspires confidence to take corners though not as confidently as the punto or swift.

THE GOOD
1) great interiors
2) powerful A/c
3) refined engine
4) VFM proposition
5) it is a maruti
6) excellent ride quality
7) better headlights than previous gen

THE BAD
1) big panel gaps ( refer pics)
2) thinner windows than previous gen
3) boot could have been bigger
4) the looks from the rear
5) rear leg space could do with a bit more
6) The car could do with a 6th gear
7) feels narrower
8) steering is too low even in top most position making entry/exit difficult.

USAGE PATTERN
70% city
30% highway

AVG. FUEL ECONOMY
City: 16.4 km/l
Highway: 22 km/l

TOTAL FUEL EXPENSE TILL NOW
Amount:Rs.4000
Distance travelled: 1322kms
Fuel tank size:42 L
Fuel cost per liter: Rs.58-64/L

FINAL PRICE WITH DISCOUNTS
On-road price: 8,63,000
Exchange price: 4,15,000
Exchange bonus: 10, 000

Since my old car was in loan so the whole amount was paid to bank and exchange bonus was subtracted from on-road price. NO discounts since there is a huge waiting period.

CONCLUSION
Overall, a good VFM product which is an in between solution for people who are looking for a small car that is easy to drive in traffic but also want the practicality of a boot.


1000KMS UPDATE
Completed 1000 kms in just a week. Took the car to kiran motors on sarkhej sanand highway ahmedabad.

PROBLEMS REPORTED
1) 3rd parking sensor from left failed.
2) wiggling sound coming from left side behind the dashboard.
3) driver seat not locking properly in place.

TIME TAKEN
They took 4 hours to complete the service. All the issues that I had mentioned were sorted out and the parking sensor was changed under warranty. The car had started responding better after the service and felt as if I can push it harder. The dash was polished well and the car was given a good wash that it needed.


*New problem after service*
Just 3 days after the service I am having a strange problem. The oil warning light remains on during a cold start and remains on until the engine comes to temperature after which it disappers. This happens only on a cold start and disappears after the engine reaches temperature. I am totally confused, going to take to the service center as soon as possible.

HAD AN ACCIDENT
My dad had taken the car to a temple in BHADRA and while coming back a biker rear ended him and dented the bumper. This was taken care of in the service and they did something and pushed the dent out and applied hamree to remove the black stains of the bikers tyres.

Congrats @rockporiom

No doubt you have made a sensible change of vehicle & fuel, plus the new Swift/ Dzire interiors are n-times better than older ones. I am as confident as yourself that the car will serve you as well as any Maruti-Suzuki.

However, I have few questions:

1. How much had your petrol Dzire run before you sold it off?

2. Why did your family consider CNG-ing the old Dzire if it was in good shape? It couls have been done at dealer premises itself without losing any warranty (read peace of mind), also factoring & Gujarat has wonderful CNG stations network all over the state?

3. Did you consider used cars?

4. Were SX4/ Ertiga, Verna 1.4L diesel considered? Or you had restriction because of budget.

I hope you do not mind answering these question, even though I admit a couple of these could sound rude to you (my apologies for the same).

First of all I don't mind any of your questions. They make complete sense, here are your answers:

1) It had run 43000 kms when it was sold.

2) I have had a bad experience with cng in my old zen. So we had decided that we would not cng any of our cars ever.

3) No, because dad wanted a new car because of the lower interest rates and the added tax benefits he gets.

4)I was looking for a hatch since we already had a kizashi. But, as I said in the review the swift's boot was too small so we went for dzire.

I hope this answers all your questions:)

First congrats ! and welcome to the diesel club ! yes, driving petrol to diesel can be a strange experience, no action in first gear. I am still struggling to get the right balance in there. "could have done with an additional sixth speed" - asking for the same, not just for FE, but more for the driving fun it would deliver. Happy mile munching !

thanks a lot. I wanted to say exactly the same thing, the car revs high in 5th when it touches 100-120 Km\h. The engine is very efficient but could have done with an additional 6th speed.

Wow the Kizashi and now the more sensible purchase, Congratulations! Everytime I find myself in an airport taxi which is a Dzire, I think about how practical it is and appreciate how much less crass it is than the typical Logans. I must admit though that I for one, would never bring myself to buy it :P Definitely no qualms in recommending this car to anyone though. Kudos to you for being able to steer your head clear from distractions and make the "right" choice :thumbs up

Had a major accident. The car is totalled, the people in the other car did not survive:Frustrati

I saw the reports in the accident thread and had a hunch that this was the car that was involved in the accident. Thank god your father is safe without any major injuries, i hope he gets well soon. Was he driving alone?

May the souls in the other car RIP.

Yeah he was driving alone. He has multiple fractures in his ankle. Might never be able to get full movement in ankle again

Physiotherapy will help once the bones are set, ask your dad's doctor about this. I don't have full movement in my left leg especially at the ankle, but managing to drive okay.

Doctor has put rods in the ankle to set the bones. No driving for 2 months. Physiotherapy only after 2 weeks.

I somewhat agree with your dad's tentative decision to replace the Dzire with another one. This car was his saviour. If I were in his place, I'd probably do the same thing.

Wish your dad a speedy recovery.

Please drive safe. There are unknown dangers and pigs on the street, apparently quite literally.

Probably going to book today. Dark grey dzire zdi with the same number and accessories to make it feel like the same car as before. That car was real lucky for us.

Rockporiom, i wish your father a speedy recovery.

You mentioned the other car occupants did not survive. What was the other car? Can you tell how this accident happened if its OK with you?