Maruti Swift Dzire DDiS (Old)

The one discernible difference between the Dzire and the Swift hatch is that the saloon feels marginally more refined in the back seat. Though sound insulation material is the same, the boot shields the passengers from underbody vibrations and road noise to some extent. The Dzire puts out 75bhp of power.

This engine and gearbox combo is the same as on the Swift, down to the number of teeth on the gear cogs. It is refined and smooth. At cruising speeds, you’d be hard-pressed to tell that it’s a diesel motor under that stubby hood. Straight-line performance is sprightly. It takes 14.3 seconds to get to 100kph. There is a bit of throttle lag but once you get past 2000rpm, there’s a strong tug as the fixed-geometry turbocharger spins up. The Dzire manages to return 13.5kpl in the city and 18.9kpl on the highway.