Suzuki Dzire sedan a ‘grown-up' alternative to the playful Swift
Let's be honest, small sedans don't get anyone's heart racing. You will never have a poster of them on your wall (in 2025 this translates into a screen saver on your smartphone). You buy a small sedan because your budget dictates that you should.
But allow me to introduce you to the new Suzuki Dzire. It's a Suzuki Swift underneath. Same basics, same light-on-its-feet energy, different face. All that has happened is that the Suzuki Dzire swaps the playful hatchback vibe for a slightly more grown-up young family feel. Talking of which, there is a decent amount of interior space. Legroom is okay too, while headroom is a bit tight. It's a compact sedan after all. The space available is what it is.
Lots of space
But what is not up for debate is that the boot of the Suzuki Dzire is big. At 378 litres, it's got a square shape, low load lip, and more depth than expected. This in every day speak translates into about two suitcases, a week's worth of groceries, and space for an emergency cooler box. Your hatchback can't match this without folding down the seats.
ALSO READ: Suzuki DZire sedan moves out of its Swift hatch sibling's shadow
What I wasn't in love with was the beige/cream covered interior. As a family/people mover, this not going to age or wear well on the Suzuki Dzire. But I did like the simple approach to the infotainment set-up with a 7-inch screen and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. All of which can be controlled by the buttons on the leather-wrapped steering wheel.
Being the GL+ spec means you get kit like cruise control, electric windows all round, and remote central locking on your Suzuki Dzire. Safety is somewhat basic with only ABS, EBD, dual airbags, ISOFIX, and rear parking sensors on offer.
The GL+ rides on 15-inch alloy wheels. Picture: Supplied
Easy on the juice
Nothing flashy, but all the essentials are accounted for. What must always be kept in mind, this car retails for less than R250 000. You can't buy a high-end mountain bike for this money these days.
Under the bonnet, it's the familiar 1.2-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine we have come to know in the Suzuki Swift. It produces 60kW and 112Nm. Now, that doesn't sound like much, and it isn't. But the Suzuki Dzire weighs in at only 900kg. And it's paired to a five-speed manual transmission that's light and easy to use. The drive as a result feels perkier than it probably is. But who is measuring quarter mile times? Not me for a change.
ALSO READ: Swift booted as Suzuki finally prices all-new DZire
Where the Suzuki Dzire is a winner all over again is when it comes to fuel consumption. Suzuki claim a figure of 4.4 litres per 100km. You might get this if you take it very easy with a high percentage of open road driving. But this said, I managed 5.0 litres per 100km doing what I would call normal driving. You probably will too without too much effort.
The light interior is not the most practical. Picture: Supplied
Suzuki Dzire a sensible choice
The Suzuki Dzire GL+ MT doesn't try to be what it's not. It just shows up and keeps running costs low. You don't buy it to make a statement. And this is what I love about Suzuki products. And so do many South Africans. The Suzuki brand has entrenched itself at number two behind mighty Toyota and ahead of stalwarts Volkswagen in the country's sales race.
The Suzuki Dzire 1.2 GL+ 5MT retails for R246 900. It includes a five-year/200 000km warranty and four-year/60 000km service plan.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Citizen
7 days ago
- The Citizen
PODCAST: Why Suzuki Fronx stays ahead of Toyota Starlet Cross
This crossover has done the Suzuki badge proud by outselling its production sibling. The name Suzuki Fronx is derived from the words 'crossing' and new 'frontiers'. Little did the Japanese manufacturer know how poetic this meaning would become in the first two years since its local introduction. A collaboration between Suzuki and Toyota sees many of their cars shares platforms. These siblings are built alongside each other by Maruti Suzuki in India. This partnership has traditionally seen Toyota holding the upper hand in sales. Except for the seven-seater Ertiga and Rumion, which is likely because most of the former's sales lies in rental and commercial transport than in families buying it as passenger cars. When you look at the rest, Toyota have held the aces whether it's the Vitz vs Celerio, Starlet vs Baleno or Urban Cruiser vs Grand Vitara. But the Suzuki Fronx has manged to buck that trend against the Toyota Starlet Cross. Suzuki Fronx makes a Pitstop On this week's episode of our Pitstop podcast, we discuss the remarkable performance of the Fronx. The Citizen Motoring recently gave back the keys of a Suzuki Fronx GLX manual after spending six months in it. The manual Fronx is powered by the familiar 1.5-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine. It produces 77kW of power and 132Nm of torque which is sent to the front wheels via five-speed manual gearbox. ALSO READ: Success story Suzuki Fronx departs without having made a fuss Good looks, lots of tech One of the reasons for its success in our opinion is its good looks. Highlights include wheel arch cladding, silver door sills and imitation satin silver skidplates underneath the front and rear bumpers. It also features 16-inch alloys. Inside, it boasts a nine-inch infotainment system with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, multi-function steering wheel and push-button start, head-up display and a 360-degree surround-view camera system as its specification headlights.
TimesLIVE
11-07-2025
- TimesLIVE
Porsche 911 Carrera Coupé Reimagined by Singer sizzles at Goodwood Festival of Speed
The performance of the engine is enhanced with a sophisticated approach to suspension, brakes, wheels and tyres, enabling drivers to cover ground rapidly and with confidence. Suspension developed for Singer's turbocharged models provides the foundation for compliant and sporting handling, while four-way adjustable dampers with electronic damping control can be adjusted from the driver's seat and incorporate a nose lift system. Carbon ceramic brakes are available as an option and sit behind a set of 18-inch, Fuchs-style centre-lock wheels. The latter are shod with the latest breed of Michelin Pilot Sport tyres for maximum mechanical grip. Like the exterior, the interior of the Porsche 911 Carrera Coupé Reimagined by Singer is a work of art and offers customers an almost endless scope of personalisation through bespoke paint, leather and material finishes. Hand-built instrument gauges and Sports seats with corduroy centres are fitted as standard. Lightweight track seats are available as an option as is a raised gear shifter mechanism. For comfort and convenience, Singer has fitted air-conditioning, satellite navigation and Apple CarPlay connectivity. How much? Though pricing depends on the specification requested by each car's owner, it's safe to assume they will start in the region of $500,000 (R8.9m).
The Citizen
07-07-2025
- The Citizen
South Africa's top 20 best-sellers of mid-year 2025 revealed
Although largely dominated by imports, the 10 best-selling models were split evenly between imported vehicles and those locally assembled. Having so far failed to record a downturn since October last year, South Africa's new vehicles ended the first six months of 2025 on a total of 232 474 vehicles sold compared to the 287 167 sold 12 months ago. Positive outlook While down, despite having breached 40 000 units every month, the lowest being 42 401 in April, the industry still seems on track to overtake the projected 500 000 mark this year in what will be the third consecutive year since the global pandemic. 'The domestic outlook for 2025 is expected to improve, driven by a revival in business and consumer sentiment stemming from improvements in the country's key economic indicators,' the National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of South Africa (Naamsa) said in its projection report for 2025 at the end of last year. ALSO READ: New vehicle sales finish first half of 2025 on a noteworthy high 'The South African Reserve Bank stated that risks to the country's growth outlook are assessed to be balanced, but that growth could be higher from 2025 onwards, given ongoing reforms, especially in the network sectors, such as electricity and transport. 'With an improved GDP growth rate of around 1.5% projected for 2025, the new vehicle market would likely improve by single digits compared to the level of 2024,' the statement concluded. With half the year gone, The Citizen now takes a look at the top 20 best-selling vehicles between January and June thus far, as well as the 10 performing brands. Mid-year top 20 best-selling vehicles POS MODEL TOTAL BEST MONTH 1. Toyota Hilux 16 526 June – 3 035 2. Ford Ranger 12 398 June – 2 318 3. Suzuki Swift 11 948 January – 2 628 4. Volkswagen Polo Vivo 11 310 January – 2 549 5. Isuzu D-Max 9 846 April – 2 250 6. Toyota Corolla Cross 9 576 June – 2 318 7. Hyundai Grand i10 8 581 March – 1 504 8. Toyota Starlet 7 330 January – 2 180 9. Chery Tiggo 4 Pro 7 297 June – 1 538 10 Suzuki Fronx 6 466 May – 1 219 11. GWM Haval Jolion 6 385 June – 1 113 12. Toyota Starlet Cross 5 225 January – 1 050 13. Mahindra Pik Up 5 079 March – 1 215 14. Nissan Magnite 5 072 March – 1 443 15. Kia Sonet 4 955 February – 877 16. Volkswagen Polo 4 809 March – 932 17. Toyota Urban Cruiser 4 247 January – 890 18. Suzuki Ertiga 4 349 June – 840 19. Toyota Fortuner 4 242 June – 878 20. Toyota HiAce 3 758 February – 711 Mid-year top 10 best-performing marques Toyota – 67 938 Suzuki – 34 461 Volkswagen Group – 29 366 Hyundai – 18 100 Ford – 16 662 Isuzu – 12 221 Great Wall Motors (GWM) – 11 835 Chery – 11 687 Mahindra – 9 611 Kia – 8 234 ALSO READ: New vehicle sales extended winning streak for a fifth time in May
