Opinion: Three areas where Maruti can do better with the Dzire

Fourth generation and five stars. Not a bad way to open a new chapter in India’s highest-selling sub-4-metre sedan’s life since 2008. Looking at how the new one looks, no one could ever imagine how the first generation looked, with its odd, bloated, disproportionate rear.

The Dzire is one of the Indian automobile industry’s most underrated and best-kept ‘secrets’. Forget the fact that it has sold more than 3 million units over the last 16 years, enough to make any automaker struggling to find a foothold in this market lose all hope. It has played a key role in keeping the sedan segment alive as well as feeding the huge surge in shared mobility and taxi fleets. It is the perfect demonstration of keeping things simple.

Till now, the Dzire has always been seen as the bigger sibling of the Swift family, in spite of dropping the prefix from its name in 2017. In the present form, it has cut that umbilical cord. It has a personality of its own, definitely inspired by other designs, but in a delectable package. There was a lot at stake for Maruti Suzuki in this project. The investment of Rs 1,000 crore had to show in form and function, including the five Global NCAP stars, to prove a point of an organisation having come of age.

Yet, as a marketer and product planner, I see three specific areas that need attention and action.

First, Maruti needs to ramp up exports. Not only to the present few markets in Latin America and Africa, but also to Europe, Australia and the rest of Asia. Sure, sub-4m sedans aren’t hot property in many markets, but this new-gen model is more rounded than before. It surely does the nation hugely proud for automotive engineering and design capabilities. Using it as a spearhead, MSIL can possibly reach its next million exports in half the time it got the last one.

Second, it needs to be offered as a fleet or taxi vehicle also. Why should the generation that believes in shared and public mobility be deprived of experiencing the new Dzire? Let’s not get short-sighted on this one.

Third, it needs none of the usual, totally undifferentiated advertising. It will dazzle by itself, on its own merit and not because of a ‘clever’ tagline. As U2 sang in its song Desire:“She’s the dollars She’s my protection Yeah, she’s a promise In the year of election Oh sister, I can’t let you go…”

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