Back in 1947 streetcars were trams usually running on rails. Tennessee Williams gave his play A streetcar named Desire, the name based on the tram route in New Orleans which served the French Quarter until 1948.
Today we do not have trams or streetcars in South Africa, but we do have town cars made to shine in hectic city traffic. One such car is the
Suzuki Dzire. A brilliant smaller car with a big heart, and a big boot.
The Suzuki Dzire can be thought of as a Swift with a boot. So why add a boot you may ask? Well security and that little bit more boot space (378 L) one sometimes needs, are two good reasons. If you are looking for practicality, economy and easy town driving look no further.
This budget sedan offers compact dimensions, fair performance, a pleasant cabin, good outward visibility and a small turning circle. Combine this with good fuel economy, space, even in the rear and a pleasant road manner and you get a Dzire(able) car.
One snag is that the rear seat does not fold down. On the other hand that improves security. The upholstery is light, which makes for an airy bright cabin but may show dirt much quicker. Fortunately loose and fitted seat covers are available.
There are three models to choose from. The base or GA 5 MT ,manual only, and the two fancier Gl+ models the manual and the CVT. The GL+ trim grade is well equipped: a 7-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, USB outlet in front, cruise control, rear parking sensors (and -camera), multifunction steering, and a full suite of safety kit, including 6 airbags, ABS with EBD, stability control, and ISOfix mounting points.
Interestingly all three models come with rear park-distance control (in conjunction with a reverse-view camera). The 3 pot motor of 1.2 L produces 60 kW and 112 Nm of torque. Not much on paper, but does wonders with the light body, averaging around 5.1 L/100 km for the week I drove the car, mainly in town. You should be able to bring it down even more, on average around 4.5 L/100 km. Driving between towns the consumption could drop to around 4 L/100 km depending on the load and your speed.
The Suzuki Dzire is very keenly priced and a really practical size for small families, reps and perhaps older couples. It is both easy to drive and easy to use the infotainment system and other controls. Like all Suzukis it is well set up especially for city driving with brakes, steering, accelerator and gears well calibrated. The ideal budget sedan.
The Dzire is slightly wider and taller than its main direct rival, the Honda Amaze (R294 900). The Hyundai Grand i10, KIA Pegus and possibly Renault Kwid can also be thought of as competition. Priced from R224 900 to R266 900 the Dzire is an excellent value proposition. Personally I think the CVT model is the one to get. It is just so much easier in city traffic.
• The 5-year/200 000 km warranty and 4-year/60 000 km service plan is very fair.
