[PrasannaDhana]

Hi everyone,

Welcome the ownership review of 2025 Maruti Dzire 1.2L ZXI MT.




The Need - A safe Maruti car

A few years ago, this statement would have been a paradox, but not in 2025.

This car is replacing my 2021 Maruti Celerio which was bought for my dad's usage. The car was trouble free for the whole 3 years and 25,000 km of ownership.

Why Maruti?

Maruti is synonymous to the following qualities -
Reliability
Value for Money
Efficiency
Cheap to maintain
Good resale

It has been our sentiment to always have atleast one Maruti car in the family. This car is the 9th Maruti car in the last 3 decades in my family. I have had Zero issues, absolutely zero issues with any of my past 8 Marutis. Such is my relationship with Maruti Suzuki.

Why Safe car?

We drive 4000 - 5000 km a month cumulatively. Of which 70% is on highways.

I had an unfortunate accident in end of 2023 when a bus rear-ended my Safari Storme in a signal stop. The safari proved to be absolutely safe without causing even minor injuries to me. I decided that time that I will have to replace unsafe cars in my garage. The day Global NCAP released the Crash results of New Maruti Dzire, I decided to add it to my garage.

Now, I am glad that all my cars are 5 star Global NCAP rated.

Variant -

Ofcourse the most VFM as well as loaded variant - ZXI

ZXI gets everything necessary (except cruise control). It gets 15 inch black alloys (my favourite) with 185/65 tyres, 6 speaker music system with a 8 inch touch screen, steering mounted controls, Auto AC, Auto Wipers and headlamps, LED headlamps, wireless Android Auto and Apple carplay, wireless charger, Suzuki Connect - Connected car tech, 6 airbags etc.

Transmission : Manual Transmission

Colour choice - Bluish Black ,- which didn't happen as Maruti royally messed up.

OTR Price - INR 10,80,000

Inclusive of LED foglamps (6k), accessories (seat covers, floor mat, window tint, scuff plates, boot mat) and fancy number.


Booking and Delivery :

My Celerio was exchanged for Dzire. Truevalue did an excellent job as always. I made the booking for Bluish Black Dzire ZXI MT in my home when the truevalue manager Mr. Harikrishnan and sales team lead Mr. Gopinath came to take my Celerio. The above two executives have delivered me my last 4 marutis. We were all well accustomed to each other. The promised delivery time was 8 weeks.

I have never waited over 20 days for any of my cars to get delivered. But Maruti definitely made it hard for both ABT Maruti dealership as well as to me regarding the status of booking.

Firstly Bluish Black remained elusive and none of the shipments made had that color in it. I waited for 45 days and lost patience when no one could tell me when the car would arrive. I escalated the issue with ABT headquarters and with Trichy Branch Head. Meanwhile Maruti kept sending emails requesting me to agree to price rise in January, upto Rs. 57,000. I lost patience & finally agreed to get white ZXI as it was the one that was arriving in the next lot. So, that is how I ended up with a white ZXI.



Maruti is not transparent even to its dealers about the despatches of ETA of despatch of new Dzire. I wonder why. This hasn't been the case in my past purchases in Maruti or in any other brand for that matter.

Car arrived on 13th January. I did the PDI the same day. The car passed the PDI with flying colors except for a small soiled area of the driver seat which I told them and they got it cleaned before delivery. The car was December 2024 manufactured. It came with Ceat tires which I am not a fan of.

The odo read 18 km during PDI.

The PDI -



Finally I took delivery on 20th January, after 2 months of waiting.





Odo read 37 km during delivery.



Right after delivery, I drove the car straight to the Church, a ritual I have been following for decades now.



The way Dzire looks from the front, I should admit, I love it

[PrasannaDhana]

The Ownership Report

As of now, it has been exactly 2 months since I took delivery of the Dzire. I have clocked 3000 km in it. Here are my observations:

Likes

1. Safety - Being the first Maruti car to score a full 5 stars in Global NCAP, equipped with 6 airbags, ESP, isofix, TPMS & three point seat belts for all passengers

2. Excellent gearbox - The 5 speed manual transmission gets a very light clutch coupled with a very precisely slotting short throw gearbox, a combination that makes it an absolute joy to use

3. Looks - The Dzire looks cool. It may be subjective but the car gets VAGish clean lines and a proportionate design despite being sub 4m compact sedan

4. Space management - The Dzire is a spacious car for its segment. It can easily accomodate 4 six footers and a kid. The boot is also decent. The beige upholstery, large glass area, neatly laid out dashboard and abundant space makes the Dzire cabin a very pleasant place to be in.

5. Driveability and Ease of use - The 3 cylinder 1.2L has very good low end driveability as well as a very linear power delivery across the power band. That along with a very light clutch, a superb MT gearbox, very light EPS steering, and a small footprint with a short 4.8 meter turning radius makes the Dzire a very easy car to drive.

6. AC - The AC is a chiller. It cools the cabin within minutes. Dzire also gets rear AC vents. I have never had to go beyond level 2 blower setting so far, despite the Trichy heat

7. Front seats & overall ergonomics - Front seats are wide and supportive with decent side bolstering. One can get their ideal driving position very easily. I do have a couple of gripes though, the dead pedal is too small and too close to the clutch and the steering is a bit thin to my liking

8. Refinement - Despite being a 3 cylinder, the Dzire engine is very refined. You feel the vibration during the start up and idling. On the move the engine is extremely refined. I would call it segment best (among 3 pots). The overall NVH is impressive too. On my regular 90-110 kmph highway cruising, the engine is almost inaudible. Even the road noise and wind noise are well controlled. Even when driving spiritedly the engine doesn't sound coarse. It does sound good when driven enthusiastically

9. Value for Money - For 10.8 lakhs, the ZXI is loaded with features - 6 speaker ICE with 7 inch touchscreen, Wireless Android Auto & Apple carplay, automatic LED headlamps, Automatic Climate Control, Wireless charger, TPMS, 15 inch alloy wheels with 185/65 section tires, Suzuki Connect - connected car app, 6 airbags etc

10. Fuel Efficiency - Maruti claims 24 kmpl ARAI fuel efficiency for the Dzire MT. In my 3000 km of experience, I have achieved that claim twice, actual FE from tankful to tankful calculation. I have been able to get 27+ kmpl on individual highway drives when driving the car between 70-90 kmph. Dzire is an absolute terrific performee when it comes to fuel efficiency. My overall data shows 19 kmpl, which is amazing, given the fact I drive with a very very heavy right foot. Lowest FE has been 16 kmpl, when it was driven to its limits. Dzire has the segment best fuel efficiency

11. Low speed Ride comfort - The Dzire gets a soft suspension that is very impressive in low speeds over bad roads (<15 kmph). The undulations aren't passed on to the cabin. The suspension works silently too.

12. Suzuki Connect - Connected Car Tech - It is a very useful app. You can monitor car health, trip stats, valet control and so on. It's exactly the same as Tata's IRA. If you have a chauffeur, I am sure this app will be all the more useful

13. LED headlamps - Dzire LED headlamps have very sufficient intensity as well as spread/throw. I had found LED lamps to be a little ineffective in my Harrier, but in Dzire, it's perfect.

Dislikes

1. Performance on the highway - The Z series 1.2L three cylinder engine has good driveability, decent power and a great gearbox that makes it a good car to drive within the city. Once on the highways, the performance is just adequate . The official review puts it excellently - performance of the Dzire is brisk, but not exciting. It can't be said in better terms. The Dzire can be brisk, make good progress, but it isn't exciting at all. For enthusiasts who are used to turbo petrols and turbo diesels, Dzire might not be the car. Don't get me wrong, it isn't slow by any means. I have driven it to its limits and it gets to very impressive speeds. But the way it gets there is absolutely unimpressive.

Performance until 110 kmph is decent. Beyond that the car isn't lively at all. Overtakes at above 100-110 kmph will need to be planned. With 4 on board and luggage, the car feels even boring. So if you are planning to have Dzire as your only car, please keep this in mind. It is a decent performer, and not an exciting one by any means. It definitely isn't slow (like the punch) either.
Many attribute the lack of top end performance for the reduction of 1 cylinder, but honestly, having driven the K12 four cylinder extensively, I will definitely say there isn't a tangible reduction in performance between both the iterations of the 1.2L. Let's be honest, all 1.2L NA petrols are lukewarm.

Dzire would be more than sufficient to 95% of the population who wouldn't exceed 100 kmph and will be driving in the 70-90 kmph on highways for the most part

2. High Speed Driving Dynamics - Dzire gets a typical maruti steering. It has poor feel as well as feedback. It is light at slow speeds and weighs up with speeds but not as much as we would like.The typical maruti vagueness is felt.

At triple digit speeds, the suspension seems busy all the time. Even when the car is being driven straight, the suspension feels busy and it doesn't feel confidence inspiring to take curves over 110 kmph. The bodyroll is there but it doesn't contribute to the experience as much as the suspension and the steering do. The car feels like it's afloat at higher triple digit speeds

3. Build & Plastic quality - One would expect a drastic change in build quality of body panels, given the 5 star crash ratings the Dzire has achieved. But you will be disappointed to realise the Dzire is a typical maruti when it comes to build. The doors still feel as flimsy as the older generation Dzire and the build quality isn't as solid as Tata/VAG. The build isnon par with Hyundai/Honda.

But tangible build and sheetmetal thickness aren't everything when it comes to dynamic safety. Maruti has made improvements in the structure and it shows in the NCAP.

Interior quality is also typical maruti. Hard plastics all over. The fit and finish is good though.
Absolutely ugly fascia for the 7 inch touchscreen in ZXI variants with large bezels & cheap plastic. ZXI+ gets a much better 8 inch screen with piano Black surround.

4. Ground Clearance - Dzire has among the lowest GC in its segment - 163 mm. I have owned and used cars with 165 mm GC. But I have never had any instances of scraping in the other cars. Dzire though, has scrapped atleast a couple of times so far. Speed breakers and even small potholes need to be tackled carefully, or else you will hear a painful scrape to the underbody. I am just sharing the instances when I was driving solo. Add 3 more passengers and luggage, things will definitely get worse

5. Important misses - This age, certain features are mandatory even from the lower variants. Dzire misses such features like - auto dimming IRVM, driver armrest, cruise control (available only on the top most ZXi+), regular size spare wheel

6. Rear seats and Ride Quality at medium pace on bad roads - The rear seats have below average underthigh support. All seats are a tad too soft, which isn't great during long journeys. The suspension, though compliant at very slow speeds over bad roads, transfers movement into the cabin over regular speed driving (40-50 kmph) over roads with slight undulations. I took my family on a long journey in the first month of ownership, with my dad in front and ladies in the back. Both the ladies complained of the ride quality at the end of the journey. The route was rural SH which isn't smooth. Surprisingly the front passengers didn't feel so as the seats are better. My missus felt my stiff altroz felt much better over the same patch of roads. Altroz would ride flat over bad roads at same speeds, which the Dzire doesn't.

[PrasannaDhana]

Let the Pictures Talk

Exterior

The New Dzire is a good looking car. Being in a Sub 4m C-sedan segment and being a good looking car is rare.








I love the white body and black wheels combo



From the front and front three quarters, there isn't any resemblance to the outgoing Dzire. But once you get to the rear, the resemblance is strong, almost identical





LED lamps in action











Shark fin antenna



Boot gets a small boot lip spoiler. I had wrapped it in gloss black







Front fascia with big vents in the grill



LED headlamps. Notice the inconsistent panel gap at the point where bonnet joins with the headlamps



185/65 R15 Ceat Securadrive tyres



163 mm ground clearance is a concern.



ZXI doesn't get fog lamps. I have added them from MGA accessories



Boot has a 380L capacity. Not the biggest in segment, but I have no complaints





Except for the eyesore that these exposed bits cause



Bonnet gets insulation. NVH is impressive to me, specially as a guy who's uses 1.5, 2.0, 2.2L turbo diesels regularly

[PrasannaDhana]

Interiors

Interiors are bright and airy. The beige dominates the interiors, be it the upholstery or seats or the dashboard.



I find the multiple (5) layers of the dashboard a bit too much. But nevertheless, it looks neat.



Different colors and textures & the satin finish faux wood insert which actually looks cool



The layers aren't completely vertical either, there is space enough to stick your favourite idols or in this case, a wallet to show the width available





A good looking flat bottom 3 spoke steering wheel. It has nice contours and is good to hold. I just wish it was thicker. ZXI loses out on cruise control. Hence only the left side of the steering wheel has controls for music and the right side is oddly empty





The start stop button



The 7 inch touchscreen with ugly large bezels of cheap plastic



Wireless Android auto and apple carplay are seamless. Sound quality is also good(not as good as Harman Kardon in my Tatas though)



Navigation shows up in the touchscreen. The clarity and touch responsiveness are good. No lag.



Tweeter in the A pillar



AC vents can be closed completely. Glovebox is decent sized. My other cars have much bigger gloveboxes though.





ACC switchgear look classy and are nice to use



There are certain things that Maruti should give up

One, the age old ugly stalks jutting out from the console. All other brands have the toggle switches on the steering wheel



And second, even older power window switchgear from the 2000s



Driver side switch alone gets one touch UP and DOWN. it is too sensitive.

Sun visor for the passenger gets a vanity mirror while the driver's visor gets a ticket holder.





Dzire gets two reading lamps. One in the front and the other in the center





No auto dimming IRVM



Storage area under the center console. It gets a 12V socket, an USB port, two cup holders and a wireless charging pad



ZXI variant onwards, Dzire gets rear AC vents. Front armrest is sorely missed.

Also notice the Type A and Type C fast charging ports on the top

[PrasannaDhana]

Interiors - Continued

Front seats are supportive and comfortable. Good width and decent amount of side bolstering



Driver seat is height adjustable



Everything is beige and bright. Can get soiled very easily. Again shabby work with seat cover installation.



The rear bench. Though recline angle is good, the underthigh support is poor.



It gets a rear armrest with cupholders



The central hump is large. Notice the shabby work by dealer in installing the full floor mat. The hump is crucial for structural strength. So it's a small price to pay for the comfort of the middle passenger. I would say, it's not a proper 5 seater but 4+1 seater. 4 adults and a kid



But the middle passenger gets a 3 point seat belt and not a lap belt



Max and minimum leg room



I am 6'2 tall and this is the space left for me in the rear seat after setting the driver seat to my driving position. I would say, it's impressive.



The doorpad - front. Nice touch to not have frequent touch points in beige. The elbow pad gets fabric insert that's very comfortable. Only one 1 liter bottle can be accommodated in each door pad.






Doorpad - rear



Driver footwell - well spaced ABC pedals. Dead pedal is useless though. Should have been wider and a little taller. It is too close to the clutch





Very classy and minimalistic Odo console. Love the analog tachometer in this age where every car gets digital meters. All meters are clear and easily readable.



Bonnet open and fuel lid lever



Rear camera is below average. Doesn't get adaptive guidelines either



Scuff plates - Maruti removed Swift from the Dzire nomenclature but the dealer accessories people still love the swift brand I guess



Rear scuff plates - couldn't have been smaller lol



Both front and back passengers get grab handles with spring loaded soft return action



Maruti recommends a rather conservative 29 psi



6 airbags from base model is a great thing

[PrasannaDhana]

Engine

The new Z12E produces 81 BHP and 112 Nm. 80 kmph comes at 2000 rpm, 100 kmph at 2500 and 120 kmph at 3000 rpm in 5th. The Dzire can comfortably cruise at 120 kmph all day without any strain.

The TPMS shows data in KPa instead of PSI. Just divide the number by 7 and you get the PSI measurement



A fancy Odo reading - 2222 km



Very simple key fob





Absolutely terrific Fuel efficiency, as good as my diesel Altroz



This week's fuel efficiency data, all tankful to tankful




Overall Fuel efficiency for 3000 km



Best individual trip FE from Suzuki Connect app - 27.2 kmpl



Some photos

















Dzire everywhere





With my fav LTD sticker



With garage mates

The Godfather of the garage - Safari Storme Varicor 400



Fellow 1.2 NA petrol - Punch



The Work horse - Altroz 1.5 diesel



With yours truly



Conclusion :

The New Dzire is a great car if you want a reliable, comfortable, spacious, good looking, efficient and a refined safe car. It is absolutely value for money and performs well.

I might have specified about handling in dislikes. But the gearbox and the responsive engine makes up for it. To make it clear, my punch has a much better suspension and steering than the Dzire. But between the two, it's the Dzire that is more fun to drive car. The enjoyable gearbox and the Z12E makes the Dzire a better car to drive. Though it doesn't feel as planted as the punch in triple digit speeds nor does it feel as solidly built, the Dzire key will be the one I would pick.

If you are someone who drives sedately, not exceeding 100 kmph on highways, you will be rewarded with unbelievable fuel efficiency. Even in city, it's easy to get 16 kmpl from the car.

At a 10.5 lakh budget, Dzire is almost an all-rounder and wins over punch very easily. More space, better driving experience and absolutely better fuel efficiency. I am not even going to Tata vs Maruti difference in after sales which is significant in most parts of the country.

Dzire does have its flaws, but in my opinion, it's strengths outweigh the flaws by a large margin.

Dzire should be sold to cab market, making cab users accessible to a 5 star safety car. Maruti definitely is messing up with the delivery timelines of Dzire. Hope that changes.

In my case, I bought Dzire as a celerio replacement for dad. But I started liking it much that Punch has been assigned to dad and I have started using Dzire as a secondary car. For reference, I have driven my primary car, the altroz diesel 4000 km since January, while clocking 3000 km in Dzire. There are days I had to drive over 250 km just for work and Dzire fared well. I like how peaceful it is to drive that car at 100 kmph on the highways as well at 30-50 kmph in rural roads. In my altroz, I invariably floor it to its limits , Dzire keeps me much gentle and sane. I like the balance that the Dzire brings to my daily trips.



Thank you for reading my ownership review. I will be updating the thread periodically.


Regards
Prasanna

[KarthikK]

Thread moved out from the Assembly Line. Thanks for sharing!

[Dippy]

Congratulations Prasanna. The white Dzire actually looks awesome. The black alloys add a lot of character to the car. This is easily one of the nicest looking Marutis in a while now.

Any particular reason for choosing an MT?

Drive safe and wish you many happy miles with your new possession

[100Kmphormore]

Congratulations on the new Maruti! Looks like The Transporters Audi A8L from the front and the 3rd gen City from the back. Looks dope with the black rims, especially in sunlight.

[Rahulkool]

Congratulations on the Audi . Fantastic looking car with those black wheels, only missing link in Dzire was the safety and Maruti has addressed it now. The FE nos i have seen for new Dzire can leave even dieselheads flabbergasted. You do pay with a dull engine past 100kmph but Maruti knows its customers and done a great job, others cars in compact sedan segment will have a tough time.

[Utopian]

Awesomely penned down review. I felt as if I am reading an official Team-BHP review. With the Tour variant of the new Dzire available, the Maruti management has fulfilled your wish already. The FE nos. are fantastic, I am wondering how this would translate to CNG variants.

[shimoo]

Wow, your Dzire looks so good. Love the photo of your car's shadow in your first post. I can't help but wonder how it will look with the Ciaz's gunmetal grey 16 inch wheels.

[yedukrishnan199]

Great choice and love the car, as you mentioned the black alloys on the white car look great! The Dzire has been the only saving grace in the sedan segment where sales are dwindling and with the new Dzire, Maruti sure has a winner on its hands!

Now with fleet operators having access to the New Dzire, it is sure to be a success owing to the great mileage it offers.

Truly a great option for the mileage and safety conscious.

[saket77]

So here it is! Congratulations Prasanna.
Sure this one looks pretty nice in white and silver shades. Very clean lines. Reliability is given being a Maruti and the 5 star safety is the cherry on top. Great purchase overall.

How is the road noise inside the cabin is something I am tempted to ask.

Wish you amazing miles with this one.

Regards.

[TheHelix0202]

Congratulations, Prasanna sir! That’s a beautiful shade on an already elegant looking car. This is genuinely the only Maruti on sale that looks aesthetically pleasing (to me). In fact, I mistook a Q3 on the highway the other day for a Dzire!

Happy motoring!