Image: Maruti press kit
A safer, better-looking and more feature-rich Dzire that nails the brief for family and fleet buyers, even if enthusiasts will miss the old four-cylinder.
The fourth-generation Maruti Dzire is the most grown-up version of India's best-selling sedan yet, with a five-star Global NCAP rating, a sunroof, six airbags as standard and a 360-degree camera. The trade-off is a new 1.2-litre three-cylinder Z-series petrol that prioritises efficiency and emissions over outright performance. Priced between roughly Rs. 6.79 lakh and Rs. 10.14 lakh ex-showroom Delhi, it remains the default choice in the compact sedan space.
The fourth-generation Dzire is the first to wear a face entirely its own. A wide chrome grille, crystal-effect LED headlamps with integrated DRLs, LED fog lamps and a clean integrated bootlid spoiler give it the most upmarket stance in the compact sedan segment. At 4 metres long with 163 mm of ground clearance and 15-inch two-tone alloys, the proportions finally look resolved. Faisal Khan notes the front and rear no longer look like they were designed by different teams, a long-standing Dzire problem now fixed. A shark-fin antenna, electric folding mirrors with indicators and a request sensor on the driver's door round off the premium pitch. The flip side: the bootlid does not open from outside without the fob, and once opened reveals exposed wiring and a 14-inch steel spare. Visually this is comfortably the best Dzire yet.
Inside, the Dzire borrows the Swift's layout but adds its own multi-tone dashboard in beige, brown, silver and piano black. A 9-inch SmartPlay Pro+ touchscreen with wireless CarPlay and Android Auto, auto climate control with digital display, a 4.2-inch MID, leather-wrapped steering and a wireless charging pad lift perceived quality. Front seats are soft for short trips but lack lateral grip on longer hauls. Rear knee room is decent but headroom is tight above 5'10", under-thigh support is limited and the backrest feels over-reclined. Three-point belts for all, rear AC vents, two rear USB ports and a centre armrest with cupholders help. The omissions sting: no front armrest, no auto-dimming IRVM, no driver-side vanity mirror, non-height-adjustable front belts and a flimsy sunroof blind. Beige upholstery is airy but a maintenance headache, and seat-mounted side airbags rule out aftermarket leatherette covers.
The big mechanical change is the switch from the loved 1.2 K-series four-cylinder to the new Z12E 1.2-litre three-cylinder petrol making 81 BHP and 112 Nm, paired with a 5-speed manual or AMT. A factory CNG variant produces 69 BHP and 102 Nm. MotorBeam's 100 km Goa run returned 15 km/l on the AMT against an ARAI claim of just over 25 km/l. In daily driving the engine is smoother than feared and the clutch is light, but there is clear vibration through the doors at idle, reluctance to pull cleanly below 1,500 rpm, and the AMT takes a noticeable beat to kick down. Outright performance is about a second slower than the older car, and a six-speed manual is conspicuous by its absence in 2025. For family and fleet duty it is adequate; enthusiasts should look at the Swift.
Ride quality is where the Dzire feels most clearly engineered for India. The MacPherson front and torsion-beam rear, on 185/65 R15 tall-sidewall tyres, soaks up broken tarmac, expansion joints and rumble strips with little fuss. At highway speeds it settles into a composed, planted gait that flatters long-distance touring. There is body roll through corners, the steering is light and OE tyres are merely average, so this is no canyon-carver. Low-speed compliance is soft enough that some testers found it bouncy over closely spaced rumblers. Braking is reassuring with front discs and rear drums, and the car stops in a straight line under hard pedal. Combined with the 4.8 m turning radius and slim dimensions, the Dzire is genuinely easy to live with in dense Indian traffic.
The headline is safety. The Dzire is the first Maruti to score a five-star Global NCAP adult rating, with four stars for child occupants; Bharat NCAP confirms similar numbers. Six airbags, ESP, hill-hold, ISOFIX, TPMS, three-point seatbelts and a 360-degree camera are standard or near-standard. The Heartect platform has been reinforced with high-tensile steel and the shell stayed stable through the impact, a meaningful step up from older Maruti results. Fit and finish is improved: panel gaps are tighter and the dashboard feels more substantial. Cost-cutting is still visible: the roof liner and sunroof blind feel flimsy, rear drum brakes showed surface rust on test cars, halogen bulbs remain for rear indicators and reverse lights, the boot has exposed wiring, and switchgear carries over. TeamBHP also flags mediocre plastics and skinny 165 mm tyres on lower variants as genuine concerns.
Petrol variants run from Rs. 6.79 lakh to Rs. 10.14 lakh ex-showroom Delhi, CNG between Rs. 8.74 and Rs. 9.84 lakh; on-road Mumbai for the top manual lands around Rs. 11.63 lakh and the AMT crosses Rs. 12 lakh. That makes the Dzire roughly Rs. 53,000 dearer than an equivalent Swift and brings it uncomfortably close to the larger Baleno, which often sells with discounts and keeps the four-cylinder engine. Against the Honda Amaze and Tata Tigor, the Dzire counters with its sunroof, 360-degree camera, segment-leading safety rating and Maruti's service and resale value. The 2-year/40,000 km warranty looks light, and missing a front armrest, ventilated seats and ambient lighting at the top trim feels stingy. For private buyers chasing low running costs and for fleet operators, the maths still works in the Dzire's favour.
TeamBHP's review treats the new Dzire as the most complete compact sedan on sale, praising the sharp styling, five-star safety, slick manual gearbox and excellent drivability while flagging that the 81 BHP three-cylinder is down on power and refinement versus the older 89 BHP four-cylinder. The forum's reviewers also call out smaller boot space than the Amaze and Tigor, mediocre plastics, panel gap inconsistencies and dangerously skinny 165 mm tyres on lower variants, while still recommending it as well-priced for the package.
Read full forum review →"Well-judged family sedan; softer ride than expected at low speeds and pricing creeping into Baleno territory."
"Brief first-drive impression confirming the new Dzire's improved road presence."
"Walkaround across dimensions, variants and the new five-star GNCAP rating; no strong buy or skip call."
"100 km Goa run returned 15 km/l on the AMT; recommended for comfort, features, reliability and efficiency."
"Trades a great engine for features but will still top the sales charts on Maruti's network and image."
"King of fleet operations: smooth CNG, low running costs, segment-best resale value."