The Maruti Suzuki Dzire has been the darling of Indian compact sedan market since its inception and it isn’t hard to see why. Whilst the auto versions are what the majority of people are talking about, the manual also deserves credit for its strong real world performance once you take into consideration the efficiency, drivability and value equation.
Table of Contents
Engine and Powertrain
The Dzire manual is powered by the familiar 1.2-litre K12N DualJet petrol engine from Maruti and it outputs 90 PS and 113 Nm. This comes mated to the same proven 5-speed manual unit, popular for its reliability among the Maruti vehicles. The powertrain pairing might not look like much on paper, but it’s in-action that its excellence becomes apparent.
City Driving Performance
On tight city roads, the Dzire manual is a delight to use, thanks to the light clutch and a well sorted gear-set. And the peppy engine makes it easy to dart through heavy traffic without feeling swamped. The first three ratios are perfect for stop-and-start traffic, with plenty of torque on tap for firm traffic-light-to-traffic-light passing power.
The manual’s creamy gearshift action makes spending time in stop-start traffic almost pleasant. Unlike some competitors that have heavier clutches, the Dzire’s one can be used for hours without tiring your leg, something that’s very important for the stop-go traffic that’s a mainstay in Indian cities.
Highway Cruising
Out on the highway the Dzire manual is notably good at high speed stability as well. The 5th is fairly tall and for the engine to be relaxed at 100-120 km/h and when tanked up with 5 inside and luggage.
Peak power is modest but it’s a smooth car on the highway. Wind noise is kept in check, and despite tuned for comfort, the suspension setup feels composed at higher speeds. You will need to work at overtaking: you’ll have to change down to 4th or possibly 3rd for a decisive move.
Fuel Efficiency
An immediately highlight of the Dzire manual is the tremendous fuel mileage. In the day to day, the car continues to give me the stable figure 20-22 km per liter on mixed driving. It gives about 18-19kmpl of mileage in city-only driving and more than 25kmpl on the highways.
The stop-start engine (Idle Start-Stop System) also helps achieve greater fuel efficiency, particularly in urban traffic. I know some drivers think it’s wrong and intrusive, but in the end it’s no more intrusive that the cars were 4 years ago.
Transmission Feel and Quality
The 5-speed manual transmission is one of the high points in the ownership of Dzire. Gears are snicky precise, with clearly defined gates that make rowing through the gears a very intuitive experience. It is also a favorite among car devotees for its responsive and quick, bolt-action-esque motion.
The “shift action” whether at speed, feels engaged while the syncho is smooth. There’s also a system that locks you out from engaging reverse by mistake, which you may have to get used to if you’re a first-time Maruti owner.
Driving Dynamics
For a car with cushy suspension, the Dzire manual is an unexpectedly fun car to drive. The steering is light for city driving, yet weights up nicely at speed to provide decent feel.
The car is easy to position on narrow roads and well sighted. It’s got an amazingly tight turning radius, making this wonder ideal for overloaded parking lots and cramped urban streets.
Body roll is well-managed for a vehicle in this class, and the suspension does a good job of absorbing road imperfections. But the rear suspension can feel a little jittery over larger bumps when the car is lightly loaded.
Real Life Ownwership Experiences
High network of service is always going to be advantageous for the Dzire manual owners of Maruti. Running costs are one of the lowest in the class, with cheap parts and mechanics easy to find.
The simplicity of manual transmission means there are less things to go wrong, and overall maintenance costs are lower than those with automatics. Regular oil changes and routine maintenance too come well under the ₹4,000-5,000 per service cost.
The quality of construction of the car isn’t class leading but can be accepted considering the Indian environment. The plastic’s hard, but sturdy enough, and the fit-and-finish isn’t premium, but it’s uniform from one unit to the next.
Performance Across Conditions
The manual Dzire performs differently in hilly terrain depending on how much you’re carrying. Hills are handled quite well with two people, but when they are steep you will be doing a lot of downshifting. The motor is such that you can crawl in first even fully loaded and the ability to pull from low revs helps with hill starts too.
On monsoons, the car is confidence-inspiring thanks to its friendly power delivery and predictable handling. The ABS and EBD (available on top variants) provide decent stopping power in panic situations.
Practicality and Convenience
The manual gearbox might enhance the car’s quotient of practicality. 1.3 Dzire manual is highly unlikely to present overly expensive journey ending auto gearbox problems and complications. This dependability element is key for customers that want to keep their vehicles for a long time.
Hatch models, for the family, have the same feeling of front space and huge boot with the manual rather than the auto box at less cost. Rear seat comfort is especially impressive with generous legroom and support for long drives.
Value Proposition
Despite being about ₹70,000-100,000 cheaper than its automatic counterpart, the Dzire manual provides big savings. The cost difference is more than recouped in a year or less for buyers seeking fuel economy and lower operating costs.
ARun-the resale value of manual Dzires are holding well, esp in tier-2 and tier-3 cities where AT ownership trend is still maturing This is a good fit for people who swap vehicles every 5-7 years.
Areas for Improvement
The Dzire manual is fabulous for the most part, though there are areas of opportunity. The absence of cruise control (even on the top model) does begin to make itself felt on long highway stints. And the lack of paddle shifters or other racy attributes will let some enthusiasts down.
The engine is pretty good, but extra mid-range torque would help make it more highway friendly. A 6 speed transmission would also aid both in better highway cruising speeds, and with keeping the engine RPMs down.
Looking Ahead
A hard to fault package in both efficiency, practicality as well as being reliable is the Maruti Dzire manual. Its on-road manners really defy your expectations, especially in city traffic where its light controls and agile handling come to the fore.
Manual process A great option for those who like to be involved when driving, and don’t mind the lower cost of running it. Its everything from the superlative reliability and great fuel economy to the ease of driving which puts it right up there.
Though not setting any new performance standards, the Dzire manual’s consistently good real-world fuel economy across various driving conditions comes across as rather sensible option for most car buyers. One of the greatest things about it (but not the easy get that it is) is how well it does its job dishing out transportation that is reliable and unremarkable, which is why it continues to lead sales figures nationwide.
If you are a new car buyer or aiming to transition from a bigger machine, simply the real world performance of the Dzire manual is tempting enough to be pondered upon. It may not set your pulse racing as your foot rolls on to the accelerator, but it is everything most Indian car buyers want – a dependable, no-nonsense and practical compact sedan, that delivers day in and day out as promised out on the road.
