The wait is over as Maruti Suzuki India Limited (MSIL), India’s biggest passenger vehicle company, launched its new product, the Swift DZire compact sedan on 1st February 2012. As per the statement given by the company officials, the new product may retain similar price tag as MSIL is planning to replace the existing sedan model. The existing DZire sedan carries a minimum price tag of Rs. 4.94 lacs that goes up to Rs. 7.29 lacs for the top end variant.
Speaking about the new sedan, Mayank Pareek, Managing Executive Officer of Marketing and Sales, MSIL commented, “We have invested a lot on the new DZire. It is on a brand new platform. There are at least 150 new features compared to the existing DZire and it is unlikely that the new one will be priced lesser."
The compact sedan measures less than 4 metres in length and that is what makes the model eligible for 10% excise duty instead of 22% that is levied on cars measuring more than 4 metres. Many believe that the excise duty benefits prompted the company to introduce the compact sedan in its portfolio. The first compact sedan by MSIL would pose tough competition to Mahindra Verito CS and Tata Manza CS that are expected to be launched soon.
As far as the engines are concerned, the new Swift DZire will be available in the domestic market with the K12M VVT petrol engine and the D13 DDiS diesel engine. The petrol variant will deliver maximum power of 85 hp at 6000 rpm and torque of 114 Nm at 4000 rpm. The diesel version is capable of delivering maximum power of 73 hp at 4000 rpm and peak torque of 190 Nm at 2000 rpm.
The petrol version can reach 100 kmph within 12.6 seconds whereas the diesel variant will obtain the same speed in 14.8 seconds. The performance oriented petrol engine has efficient fuel economy of 19.1 kmpl. As compared to petrol, diesel engine delivers excellent fuel efficiency of 23.4 kmpl. The vehicle is available in manual transmission for diesel multijet version and a 4-speed automatic transmission for petrol version.
The newly launched Swift DZire compact sedan is 3995 mm in length (less 165 mm), 1695 mm in width (up 5 mm) and 1530 mm in height (up 25 mm). It weighs around 1000 kg and has a wheelbase of 2430 mm that is similar to that of new Maruti Suzuki Swift.
Maruti Suzuki has introduced host of new features in the DZire compact sedan, such as the integrated audio system with six speakers, dual tone beige and black colour scheme for cabin and air conditioning with climate control. Organic-shaped tail lamp clusters, new egg crate-style grille and alloy wheels are new exterior features of the compact sedan. Detent pin tech and variable valve timing are other new additions to the company’s latest offering. With technologically advanced features and excise duty benefits, the Swift DZire compact sedan is expected to fare well. However, the real picture will be clear in the coming few weeks.
