Suzuki’s Dzire – a sedan alternative in a hatch-orientated segment

By Stuart Johnston

While hatchbacks are the obvious choice in the sub-R200 000 level in the light-car segment, Suzuki and its Japanese rival Honda are targeting the small-sedan option. We review the Suzuki Dzire.

Suzuki Auto South Africa has been very keen to stress that the Dzire sedan, introduced here three months ago, is a stand-alone model and not merely a sedan-version of the Swift. That’s a new strategy that no doubt speaks of Suzuki’s ..errm…desire to plug the gap in the small B-segment of the market which has left by the withdrawal of the VW Polo, as the new VW’s in both Polo and Polo Vivo versions are now only offered as five-door hatchbacks.

And the small sedan segment just got more interesting

Honda made no bones about its plans to take advantage of this market gap earlier this past week when launching the new Amaze, a car that pretty much goes head-to-head with the DZire in terms of pricing, engine configuration, and of course, the fact that both these cars are offered in four-door sedan format with substantial boot space.

AutoTrader’s Dzire test took place just a few weeks ago

A few weeks before the Amaze launch, AutoTrader took delivery of a Suzuki Dzire test vehicle.  This report is not intended to be a shoot-out between the two (although not avoiding some direct comparisons between the two), as that would need hopping from one car to the other and testing them in similar conditions.

The Dzire’s stylists have done a pretty good job of producing a conventional-looking, sleek-nosed little sedan backed up by a high-level boot. They’ve also introduced lots of cabin space into the body shell, which is based on the hatchback Swift platform, and also takes advantage of the new chassis which  makes liberal use of high-tensile steel to provide rigidity without adding too much weight.

The Dzire’s strength lies in its ultra-light weight

Indeed, the Dzire is impressive in that it weighs in at only slightly more than the Swift hatch, and it’s kerb weight is listed at between 855 and 890  Kg, depending on equipment level.

Like the Swift, the Dzire is equipped with the familiar K12M four-cylinder engine, used in the previous well-received Swift, displacing just 1,2-litres, and offering up 61 kW in naturally-aspirated form, along with 113 Nm of torque.

Punchy little engine and well-chosen ratios

Retaining this hard-working little engine the previous Swift hatch and sedan models  is a good choice, as it offers an impressive amount of mid-range punch, and a fair sprinting capability too! In five-speed manual transmission form the Dzire accelerates to 100 km/h in a claimed 11,7 seconds (at sea level), while using the automatic clutch transmission also offered as a separate model, this sprint time slows to a more pedestrian 13,2 seconds.

Maximum speed is claimed at a shade over 170 km/h, which is more than adequate for a car designed to appeal to commuters, and less relevant with our heavily-policed out-of-town freeways these days, where the national speed limit is pegged at 120 km/h

We tested the five-speed manual Dzire

We were pleased to have a five-speed manual version on test (not being a huge fan of automatic clutch transmissions in general) , as we find that Suzuki is quite masterful at choosing the right gear ratios for its diminutive 1,2-litre engine, enabling good punch off the line and very good pulling power (torque) when commuting around town in the higher gears in order to save fuel.

The Dzire’s low overall weight of 855 to 890 kg (depending on model equipment) enables it to perform very well at Reef altitude, where often small engines suffer due to a high overall body-weight.

Luggage space excellent but no longer class-leading           

There is excellent leg, shoulder and head room in the back of this small car. And its luggage capacity (one of the major reasons for opting for the Dzire instead of the hatchback Swift) is excellent at 378 litres. However, it should be mentioned here that it is in fact out-gunned by the new Honda Amaze, which weighs in with an even more impressive figure of  around 420 litres!

Steering remains a tad on the light side

Suzuki have worked at getting more steering feel into its Dzire, thanks to new geometry. And while it is remains perhaps a little on the light side for around town use, it is very user-friendly, providing effortless steering-wheel-twirling in clogged city environs. On the highway the car has good directional stability, although again the steering feels just a tad light when cruising at the speed limit. However, the Dzire’s real forte is in ride-quietness and its ability to deal with large undulations  in exemplary fashion. Over rough roads it has exceptional bump absorption for such a small car.

Interior remains understated

Equipment-wise, the little Suzuki is typically understated The dash styling is conservative, and in fact in the base GA model a  rev-counter is not part of the instrument pack. We tested the GL model which has a rev-counter and white illumination for the dials. All models are equipped with air-con, front and rear electric windows, airbags for driver and passenger, a steering column that is tilt- adjustable but not reach-adjustable, and ISOFIX child seat mounting at the rear seat. The GL comes with a higher-grade of fabric seat covering, as well as an audio system, Bluetooth and USB connectivity and electrically-adjustable side mirrors.

Quality feel, if a tad lightweight

Overall feel of the car  is one of high quality, although in terms of day-to-day usage one sometimes wished for a slightly more substantial feel to the door and boot weighting. Along with that light steering, the car has just a tad of a “lightweight” feeling, although it never showed any signs of chassis rigidity problems or rattles, so the build quality is obviously well-up to scratch.

Overall, the Suzuki Dzire GL manual is an extremely able commuter, with a frill-free appearance  and easy driving operation. We particularly enjoyed the positive action in the five-speed manual gearbox,  and the fact that this car is lacking a sixth speed is in fact a plus, as the overall gearing, seems perfect for both urban and highway driving, given its modest 61 kW.

Excellent fuel consumption figures

The best part, actually, we’ve saved for last, and that is its frugal fuel consumption . We easily managed t return sub-6-litres/100 km fuel figures, and a best of 5,6 litres/100 km. This is well in line with Suzuki’s claim for this car of 4,9 litres/100 km in the combined, theoretical high-urban testing cycle. In our experience on the recent  Amaze launch, the impressive rival from Honda battled to return a figure of under 6,1 litres/100, despite a stint of extremely careful driving in the final portion of the launch.

Price-wise, the  Suzuki Dzire GL is competitive at R178 900 for the five-speed manual model. This price includes a two-year/200 000 km mechanical warranty and a two-year/30 000 km service plan.