For the first time, Maruti launches Dzire before Swift

Unlike the previous two generations, where the Swift sedan followed the launch of the hatchback, this time round it's the sedan making a debut. The new-generation Swift hatch has been on sale internationally for a while now but the company has chosen to introduce the sedan in India first more for marketing reasons than production or engineering. The compact sedan segment, once the star of the automobile market, has been dwindling rapidly. Sales have dropped 15 percent year on year to 1,99,878 units in April-March 2017. Most owners and prospects feel the sedans look odd and are quite compromised, many have thus moved onto increasing models of compact SUVs. With the advent of GST, the financial benefits to the compact segment are also under question.

Thus, as can be seen this time round, Maruti has taken pains to give the new Dzire a larger 376-litre boot and a more balanced 'sedan' design. By launching it before the Swift hatch, Maruti wants to present it as a 'true' and independent sedan in its own right. To further drive home this message, for the first time, the Dzire carries no Swift branding as the company feels that the 'Dzire' brand has its own brand value now and does not need to rely on the Swift badge.

Speaking to Autocar India at the Dzire preview, C V Raman, executive director - research & development, Maruti Suzuki India, said, "Certainly the Dzire is its own car and a brand in itself, that's why we are confident of this."

Whether or not the new Dzire will help review the falling sales remains to be seen, but Maruti will be counting on it to hold on to the position of the largest selling compact sedan.

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