Maruti Suzuki said it sold 1 lakh units of the 2017 Dzire sedan in just five-and-a-half months after it was released, making it the first car ever to do so.
Dzire, built over the Swift platform, was initially targeted at those who wanted a roomy sedan with a dicky instead of the stylish hatchback that Swift was.
As such, the car always appealed to the more practical minded customers, even though it was hardly a good looking model.
However, the third generation Dzire, launched in May 2017, made the model as good looking as most sedans in the market, with the added benefits of being easy on the pocket — both to buy and to run.
The diesel variant of Dzire delivers 28.4 km to the liter under test conditions — the highest among all sedans, while the petrol variant delivers 22 kmpl, which can be compared with the fuel economy offered by smaller cars.
“Positioned as an authentic sedan offering plush and roomy interiors, loaded with new features and equipped with advanced safety features, the new Dzire became an instant hit,” said Maruti Suzuki.
“Committed to redefine the market, brand Dzire has not only expanded our share in the entry sedan segment but also expanded the industry size,” said R S Kalsi, Senior Executive Director (Marketing and Sales) at Maruti Suzuki India.
Maruti said its internal research showed that customers went for the Dzire for three reasons — sedan formfactor, Maruti Suzuki brand name and exciting new features such as Android Auto, Apple CarPlay and Mirror-link technology and the Auto Gear Shift. T
The car has indeed managed to cause a rethink among middle class customers, who almost always prefer a hatchback as their first car for practical and financial reasons.
“Interestingly, nearly half of the new Dzire customers have chosen the sedan as their first car purchase. This shows a paradigm shift of the Indian customers who is now opting for a sedan as their first car,” Maruti Suzuki said.
Nearly 17% of Dzire customers have opted for AGS variant during April-September 2017.
The AGS technology is now available on six options starting V trim up to Z and Z+ in Petrol and Diesel fuel variants, it said.