Old Maruti Dzire Production To Stop Soon: New Dzire To Take Over Taxi Duties
The production of the old (3rd generation) Maruti Suzuki Dzire compact sedan will come to an end by the end of this year. Currently, the old Dzire is sold in the taxi segment, and is known as the Tour S model. The new Dzire, which was launched last week, has taken over the old Dzire’s space in the passenger car market. Soon, the new Dzire will be deployed in the taxi segment as well given the fact that the old Dzire’s production will cease by the end of 2024.
Why are we saying this?
Well, it’s pretty clear that the old Dzire is on its way out from the Indian market. Maruti Suzuki didn’t say this in as many words but Global NCAP did, in the crash test report of the old Dzire. In that report, Global NCAP clearly states that production of the old Dzire will cease by the end of this year, highlighting the fact that the Dzire brand (thanks to the 5 star rated new model) will then be a benchmark for safety in the compact sedan class.
A dominant force in the taxi market
The Dzire (Called the Tour S) is a brand by itself in the taxi cab market, and it dominates the segment with both petrol and CNG options. Ever since Toyota discontinued the Etios sedan, the Maruti Dzire has taken over that space and is now the de-facto champion in the affordable sedan taxi space. In fact, most times you hail a Uber or Ola cab, chances are that it would be a Dzire. Such has been the dominance of the 3rd generation Dzire in the taxi segment.
Pulling the Dzire off the market completely is something that Maruti Suzuki simply can’t afford to do given 1. the car’s dominant position, and 2. the risk of losing sales and market share to competition. So, it’s just a matter of time before the new Dzire seamlessly steps into the taxi segment, albeit in a stripped down form meant to keep costs in check.
As and when that happens, we’re likely to get India’s first popular taxi with 6 airbags as standard – a prospect that will make travelling much safer. It’ll also be a five star rated cab. Finally, safety will be democratized in a big way, across both the passenger and taxi markets – something that’s never happened before.
What makes the new Dzire a good fit in the taxi segment?
Fuel efficiency
The new Dzire uses the Z12, triple cylinder petrol engine that made its debut in the 4th generation Swift hatchback. This engine’s tuned mainly for fuel efficiency, and is also designed with the future in mind. In fact, when Maruti Suzuki does bring in strong hybrids across most of its sub-4 meter cars, the Z12 petrol engine will be the lynchpin of its the hybrid powertrain.
ARAI claimed mileage stands at 24.79 Kmpl for the manual trim, and 25.71 Kmpl for the AMT equipped trim. The CNG variant, which was also launched alongside the petrol manual and automatic trims, has a claimed fuel efficiency number of 33.73 Kms/Kg, and this is the figure that the cab market would be most interested in. These numbers make the new Dzire about 10 % more fuel efficient than the older model, across petrol and CNG trims.
CNG trim already available
Generally, car makers don’t launch the CNG versions of their cars simultaneously with the petrol/diesel trims. However, Maruti Suzuki decided to buck the trend with the new Dzire, launching both the petrol and CNG trims simultaneously. From get-go, the new Dzire seems be ready to be deployed into taxi fleets across the country, and why not, given the exceptional fuel efficiency it manages.
Best selling mass market cars in India make for great taxis too
The Dzire’s story has been similar, across generations. Many factors that make the Dzire a fantastic buy for private car buyers also work for taxi operators. For instance, the Dzire has always been a keenly priced car, making it affordable for a wide range of buyers. The new Dzire’s base model starts from Rs. 6.79 lakh, ex-showroom, making it only Rs. 30,000 pricier than the Swift hatchback. The Tour S variant of the car – likely to be based on the LXi trim – is expected to have a cracker of a price tag, too.
Moreover, high fuel efficiency – one of Maruti’s enduring brand values – is a given on the Dzire, across multiple generations. In fact, when Maruti used to sell the Dzire with the diesel engine, it was a top pick for cab operators given its real world fuel efficiency easily nudging past the 20 Kmpl mark on highways, and 16 Kmpl inside city limits.
Then there’s the matter of bomb proof reliability, low maintenance cost and industry-best after sales service. These are important for all car buyers but critical for cab operators who do ten times as much mileage as private car buyers.
Apart from the Toyota Innova, which has been a staple in the cab market across generations, the Dzire is the only other car that has seen so much success in the taxi segment, generation after generation. Clearly, this is a position that Maruti Suzuki will not want to cede in a hurry. So, the new Dzire hitting the taxi circuit is not a question of if but when. Very soon, is our reading.
Finally, the ‘taxi image’
Car buyers aren’t likely to dump the new Dzire just because it’s hit the taxi circuit. It hasn’t happened across 3 generations, and there’s no reason why it’ll happen now. Moreover, in Tour S trim, the new Dzire will have sufficient differentiation in terms of features and exterior looks to clearly delineate itself from the regular version. Let’s face it, the new Dzire, just like its previous generation models, is a budget sedan meant to appeal to a wide cross section of buyers. Taxi operators happen to be one of the buyer segments.