Want a Dzire with a bigger boot? Old Dzire is back again

Those of you who wanted to book a Maruti Swift Dzire, but weren’t happy with the size of the boot, here’s an option for you. The older Swift Dzire, which was being sold only to fleet operators as the Dzire tour in base LDI diesel and LXI petrol variants, is now available to private buyers as well. The Dzire Tour is priced at Rs. 5.99 lakh for the diesel and Rs. 4.89 lakh ex-showroom Delhi.

When Maruti launched the new compact Dzire in February 2012, it pulled the older Dzire from the market and then reintroduced it as a barebones version for the taxi market a month later. It was renamed the Dzire Tour. The car was stripped of all its features and only had AC and power-steering. It had only one door mirror and black colored bumpers. Also see: Maruti launches Dzire Tour

The biggest advantage you get with the older Dzire is a bigger boot. The Dzire Tour has a 464-litre boot compared to a 316-litre boot in the new compact Dzire. If you opt for the diesel version, the Dzire Tour LDI, you get the same engine as the new Dzire diesel – a 1.3 litre multijet diesel that puts out 75 bhp of power and 190 Nm of torque with a five-speed gearbox. If you opt for the LXI petrol variant, you get the older 1.2 litre 84 bhp petrol engine that’s presently also in the Maruti Ritz. It’s not as fuel efficient as the newer 86 bhp 1.2-litre VVT petrol engine, but is a proven and reliable engine.

The disadvantage with the Dzire Tour is that you get no features. For about Rs. 15,000 you can get the front and rear bumpers painted to body color and for about Rs. 1500 you can add a left-side rear view mirror to make the car look more presentable. You don’t get power windows or central locking, tachometer or a music system. All these, you will have to add aftermarket if you want them. It does not have any safety features such as ABS and airbags either.

If you don’t mind the slight additional effort to make the car presentable, the Dzire Tour is a good value- for-money entry-level sedan. The Dzire Tour petrol and diesel are still about Rs. 30,000 cheaper than a Mahindra Verito petrol and Rs. 25,000 cheaper than the Verito diesel. The only downside – is that it looks old, and does not have the looks of the new compact Maruti Dzire.

Share your thoughts on the Dzire Tour now being available to private buyers.