The Maruti Dzire is continuing its dream run in the Indian market. November 2018 has seen the Maruti Dzire clock 21,037 units in sales, retaining its top perch. The next best seller was far, far behind. The Honda Amaze managed just 4,854 units, a steep fall from the 9,000 odd units it did a couple of months after launch. The back markers in the compact sedan category include the recently launched Ford Figo Aspire and the Volkswagen Ameo.
The Ameo clocked just 506 units while the Ford Figo Aspire managed 1,583 units. That’s pretty low for a car that is so well priced, and that just received a mid life makeover months ago. For those who want a fun car at a super affordable price tag, the Ford Figo Aspire still ticks all the right boxes.
The Tata Tigor, which also got a top-end variant recently, is doing just about average, with sales of 2,156 units, which is actually a big month-on-month fall of over 35 %. The Tata Tigor is simply getting overshadowed by other compact sedans, and also its sibling, the Tiago hatchback.
The Hyundai Xcent, which is reaching the end of its lifecycle, has clocked 2,495 units, with a chunk of sales coming from the cab segment. Another compact sedan, whose sales come primarily from the cab market is the Tata Zest, which did 1,208 units in November 2018. As the sales numbers indicate, the compact sedan market is totally dominated by the Maruti Dzire, which is also the country’s best selling sedan, by far.
The Maruti Dzire finds takers not just in the private buyer market but also among fleet operators. In fact, the car is one the most popular options in the app-based cab aggregator fleets. Big buying by app-based cab aggregators such as Uber and Ola means that the Dzire continues its good run, month after month. Private car buyers are also opting for the car due to multiple reasons.
Firstly, the Maruti Dzire is a tried and tested brand in India, and the third generation model is no different. It’s well priced, fuel efficient and offers a range of variants to suit a wide buying audience. Resale value is excellent and so is reliability and after sales service. The Dzire continues to be an affordable car to own and maintain, which is also a key reason why it’s so popular in the fleet market.
Coming to the engines on offer with the Dzire, there’s a 1.2 liter petrol motor with 82 Bhp-113 Nm on tap, and a 1.3 liter turbocharged diesel motor with 74 Bhp-190 Nm. Both engines get 5 speed manual and AMT options, and are among the most fuel efficient units in the segment. The Dzire now gets ABS and twin airbags as standard across the range. Prices start from Rs. 5.6 lakhs, ex-showroom Delhi, and there are discounts of upto Rs. 50,000 on select variants.
The Dzire has an ultra successful sibling in India, called the Swift. The Swift is virtually a Dzire minus the three box style. The Swift shares its engines and gearboxes, and most features. However, the interior colour scheme is different, and so are certain styling elements on the outside. The Swift is priced a few tens of thousands cheaper than the Dzire, and is now clocking sales of 20,000 units per month.
