SA Road Tests

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This is the home of automobile road tests in South Africa. I drive South African cars, SUVs and LCVs under real-world South African conditions. Most, but not all, the vehicles driven are world cars as well, so what you read here possibly applies to the models you get where you live.

My most recent drive is on the home page. Archived reviews and opinion pieces are in the active menu down the left side. Hover your cursor over a heading or manufacturer's name and follow the drop-down.


Street car: 2018 Suzuki DZire 1.2 GL manual

Plain and simple

Posted: 10 August 2018

The numbers
Price: R177 900
Engine: 1197 cc, DOHC 16-valve, four-cylinder with VVT
Power: 61 kW at 6000 rpm
Torque: 113 Nm at 4200 rpm
Zero to 100 km/h: 11.7 seconds
Maximum speed: 175 km/h
Real life fuel consumption: About 5.3 l/100 km
Tank: 37 litres
Luggage: 378 litres
Warranty: 5 years / 200 000 km with 3 years’ roadside assistance
Service plan: 2 years / 30 000 km

We subconsciously think of Suzuki’s DZire as a booted Swift, although the company has decided to market them as separate product lines. The sedan will be more family-oriented.

Similarities include the HEARTECT build platform, 1197 cc engine, five-speed manual and automated manual (AMT) gearboxes and basic spec’ levels. But there are differences that make DZire somewhat more than just a Swift-with-caboose.

It’s 155 mm longer, for example, but still measures just short of four metres so it can catch an Indian government tax break based on size. And although New DZire’s overall length is what it was in the previous version, its wheelbase grew by 20 millimetres to 2450. That, and design tweaks, increased most internal measurements noticeably, with knee room the biggest winner. The only factor still causing discomfort for tall backseat riders is headroom; our 6’1” tester had to slouch, or bend his neck uncomfortably.

Luggage space grew too; from 300 litres to 378 although part of that is because the spare wheel shrank, from full size in the previous edition, to spacesaver. On the other hand an improvement since then is that the boot now opens with a modern squeeze pad rather than by key. The lid is still untrimmed, unfortunately, so you might want to avoid using the pull-down slots provided.

Other changes include a fold-down armrest, with cup holders, in the rear seatback, a central courtesy light so you can see more clearly when securing the heirs into their seats and air vent repeaters in the central console. As for appearances, Swift and DZire have dissimilar front “faces” and the central vents on top of their dashboards are different.

Something users probably won’t notice is that, while all other gearing factors are the same, DZire’s fourth and fifth ratios are slightly longer than those in Swift. DZire turns over at about 3000 rpm for 120 km/h in top gear vs. around 3100 rpm for the hatchback. This translates, according to the spec sheets, into a quicker 0-100 km/h time of 11.7 seconds rather than 12.0 and 5 km/h more at the top end – 175 km/h vs. 170.

There are three offerings. Entry-level GA provides the basics; steel wheels with centre caps, halogen headlights, two airbags, ABS brakes with EBD and EBA, two ISOFix mountings with top tethers, fabric covered seats with integrated head restraints, air conditioning, manual mirrors and windows, remote central locking, child proof locks, onboard computer and “radio preparation.” That means no music centre but speakers and aerial are provided.
 
Choose GL specification for full caps on the wheels; electric windows front and rear; rev. counter; powered mirrors with indicator repeaters; fog lamps in front; entertainment system with Bluetooth, USB and auxiliary; satellite controls on the tilt-adjustable steering wheel; separated head restraints; a storage pocket behind the left front chair and classier upholstery fabric. GL with AMT adds an outside temperature indicator and a proper rest for the left foot, although there is easily accessible space for it in manual versions too.

We said nothing about height adjustment for the driver’s seat because it’s fixed. Our 6’1” tester had a full fist-width of space between head and hood lining, so he was perfectly comfortable, although you might want to try it for yourself. The minimalist theme continues with no cameras, ESP or parking alarms.

The 1200 cc, K12M engine has an almost indecently wide torque band that kicks in and keeps pulling from around 1500 rpm all the way up to its peak at 4200. Payoff lies in unexpected grunt that keeps revs down and economy up.

You don’t need to stretch for the gear lever. It’s about midway between knee and hip, even when snicking smoothly into first, third or fifth. Suzuki says the shifting action was improved recently by optimising spring rates in the selector mechanisms to help gears “pop” into place more easily. Let’s say it’s as smooth as your toast knife swishing through soft margarine. Steering is great too; turning the car easily in 9.6 metres while the suspension is moderately firm but soaks up bumps well.

DZire is a plain and simple, no-nonsense, family sedan that gives users what they really need without unnecessary gadgetry. It handles well, pulls strongly, can be driven raucously when the whim arises and manages it all with rather impressive real-life fuel economy. Perhaps it’s more than simply a Swift with a boot.

Test unit from Suzuki Auto SA press fleet

We drove the previous edition in 2014. Read about it here

What We Do

This is a one-man show, which means that every car reviewed is given my personal evaluation and receives my own seat of the pants judgement - no second hand input here.

Every test car goes through real world driving; on city streets littered with potholes, speed bumps and rumble strips, on freeways and if its profile demands, dirt roads as well.

I do my best to include relevant information like real life fuel economy or a close mathematical calculation, boot size or luggage space, whether the space is both usable and accessible, whether life-sized people can use the back seat (where that applies), basic specs of the vehicle and performance figures if they are published. In the case of clearly identified launch reports, fuel figures are of necessity the laboratory numbers provided with the release material.

If ever I place an article that doesn't cover most things, it's probably because I have dealt with a very similar vehicle already, so you will be able to find what you want in another report under the same manufacturer's heading in the menu on the left.

Hope you like what you see, because there are no commercial interests at work here. There are no advertisers and no “editorial policy” rules. I add bylines to acknowledge sponsored launch functions and the manufacturers or dealerships that provide the test vehicles.  And, as quite a few readers have found, I answer every serious enquiry from my home email address, with my phone numbers attached, so you can see I do actually exist.

Comments or questions?
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