In 2007, everyone had an inkling that Maruti Suzuki India Limited would definitely launch a booted variant of its ever so successful Swift model. But it was only in 2008 that Maruti launched the booted variant of the Swift and named it as the Swift Dzire. Was it Dzirable or not is something which its sales figures would only point out at. If long waiting periods are anything to go by, then this Dzire is a sure shot hit. The diesel engined Dzire claims about a 3 months long waiting period. However, when the car was launched, Maruti had to face many a flaks for the add-on boot system and hence negative remarks from the auto journo clads. But then the sales figures made everyone eat back their words. The Esteem replacement was going great guns and even greater than what its predecessor had set. In this time, when a new Maruti Dzire is out of bounds (purely for manufacturing reasons), then a used Maruti Swift Dzire falls into place. Not that many are in the used car market but the news of a new Maruti Swift Dzire coming soon is proof enough that Dzires from the 2008-2010 would soon find themselves in the used car market. Here are some of the buying tips for a second hand Maruti Swift Dzire.
The Dzire looks exactly like the Swift from the front to the B-pillar. The major change is towards the rear of the car. The rear doors are different than those in the Swift and the boot is the main differentiating factor between the two. It is shocking to know that the wheelbase of this car is the same as the Swift and hence there is not much more legroom than in the Swift. However, due to the reclining seatback in this car, the Dzire has a better headroom quotient going for it than the Swift. Interiors of this car are also shared with the Swift. Steering mounted controls have found their way inside this car as well. Everything seems well put together but then expecting Skoda kind of quality from this car, wouldn’t do justice to it. Rattling noises are a part of both the Swift and Dzire. Often changing the door beadings would work wonders and the rattling noise goes away for sometime. Boot joints are known to rust and it would be more prominent in cars which were closer to the coastal regions. However, the boot is big standing at 440 liters, though the driver would have a hard time reversing due to the low visibility at stake.
Being a Maruti means overall, the cost of spare parts is less. Take for example the price of the front bumper. It will cost only Rs 2,200 whereas the rear one goes for a slightly higher price at Rs 3,200. However, both the things can be obtained at a higher price from an independent source at no greater than Rs 4,300. The head lamps however are a costlier thing at Rs 5,200, however if you were to source it from a non Maruti authorized service station, then it would cost you only half the price. Also, tail lamps are available for as low as Rs 1,200. The front and rear dampers set would cost only Rs 4k collectively. The dampers need replacement at approximately 50k kms. It would be advisable to check this for the car that you may be eyeing. Going through the service records of the car would be of great help. Uneven wear and tear on the tyres is a sure sign that the dampers have gone kaput and would need a replacement soon. The high profile tyres of the car definitely help in the ride quality stakes, however, this mean that they need a replacement at along the 30k mark. Brakes of the Swift Dzire were known to be of the skittish kinds and non ABS equipped versions didn’t have a firm grip on the road. Do checkout if it’s a non equipped ABS version that you are thinking of buying. Brake pads need a replacement as early as 15k kms mark. Do inquire if the replacement has been done or not. If not, then insist about getting it done before the car is handed over to you. The electronic power steering is the same one as in the Swift and though it delivers enough feedback, there is not much of fun to be derived out of this unit. In totality, the Swift is a better driver’s car package. Suspension issues in Dzire cars would be revealed by the state of their tyres.
Checkout for irregular paint work on the body of the car since it would reveal if the car has been in an accident or not. Stay away from vehicles which have been in an accident as they may have chassis problem which would further lead to stability issues. As far as the clutch of both the petrol and diesel versions go, 60k kms is the frag limit when they actually give way and if the model you are keen to buy has crossed this mileage, then it is advisable to enquire if the clutch change has been done or not. If not, then it would be expensive at around Rs 8k. The gear shifting mechanism is a quick and smooth shifting one. Since the time of its launch the body of the Swift Dzire has seen three engines course through it. The first one is the G series Esteem engine which displaced 1.3 liters and had a peak output of 85 Bhp. Chances are that cars with this engine would actually come to the used car market. This engine used to return about 12 kmpl in city and 16 kmpl on the highway. Then there is the marvelous diesel engine. It is a 1.2 liter unit having a peak output of 75 Bhp but an enormous torque of 190 Nm. Finding a well maintained example is like searching for a needle in a haystack. It used to return an overall fuel efficiency of about 16 kmpl. Then a new K series engine was introduced in the Swift and this was a 1.2 liter petrol engine. This petrol engine had a output of 84 Bhp and is more fuel efficient than the 1.3 liter unit. All the three engines are proven and very reliable units. Cars which have clocked in 1 lakh kms would need an engine overhaul and it is advisable to ensure that this is done before the car is handed over to you.
Servicing is to be done in every 6 months or 6k kms, whichever is earlier. Routine servicing costs only Rs 1.5k. This is as reasonable as it gets and hence contributes to the overall ownership experience of the Dzire. The Dzire is a Maruti with the most resale value and overall best resale value in its class. The used Maruti Swift Dzire price would be Rs 4.25 lakhs for a 2008 petrol model while the diesel from the same year would cost Rs 4.85 lakhs. A recent 2010 example would cost Rs 5.15 lakhs for a petrol variant while the diesel would fetch Rs 6.4 lakhs. Insurance cost per year for the petrol would work out to be Rs 11.4k while for the diesel, it would be Rs 13k.
The peace of ownership of a Maruti is something which pulls many used car buyers to a Maruti product. But then finding a Dzire is well almost next to impossible in a used car market.
