In India, Suzuki has over 50 percent of the market share. You might have heard this factoid on Wednesday's podcast, you might have read it during our coverage of the NYC auto show. I've said it for a third time because it really is quite amazing. Part of their sales success is down to Suzuki's extremely well developed small car lineup, anchored by the Swift, which is not on sale in America because Suzuki hates freedom. And import costs, currency fluctuations and low profit margins. (We do have a Swift-related car however, the fun-to-drive SX4 crossover). Back to India, where Maruti Suzuki is taking names and kicking behinds. They've just unveiled a sedan version of the normally attractive Swift hatchback, and it might just be the most awkward car of the year. There are other uglies out there like the Mercedes ML and the MINI Cooper Clubman John Cooper Works. But this might just take the cake for bizarre mass market car [outside of China]. Oh, and as if it wasn't weird enough, they're calling it the "Dzire" and marketing it as "The Heart Car." In sum, ew.
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Ummm, that style is more popular over there than the hatch… when people have money for just one car, it just makes sense to have a sedan rather than a 5 door.
Ugly and all…
You must also check:
4th and 5th gen Fiesta Sedan… sold in Brazil, Mexico and other markets…
Previous generation Clio with trunk, still sold as Symbol
Peugeot 206 SD
Chevrolet Corsa 4 door
Fiat Siena
etc…
And so on…
All the experiments have different results
Ugly or not, the Swift and Swift sedan would have a ready market here in the US (and Canada), especially if Maruti manufactured it specifically for export (with the slightly larger 1.5 litre engine, available automatic, etc).
Small cars are increasingly “in” and Suzuki is a specialist in these. Combine that with the low cost (and NOT Chinese) Indian production, and Suzuki might be on to a winning combination.
It’s not like having a small car in the line-up automatically makes a manufacturer the “low-cheap” marque any more.
Even high priced cars have clear family ties to BMW has the 1 and the Mini, Mercedes has the Smart and the A-Class (though not in the US).
When my area had a Suzuki dealer, I drove an Aerio sedan and the trunk on that little car seemed as large as my wife’s current full sized Sonata. It was very outsized for such a compact car.
The all wheel drive SX4 seems to be very popular in rural PA.
Bangle butt + prior-gen Elantra tail lights – a horrid combination.
I like the maruti gypsy. That is a cool little jeep.
I didn’t like it the first time, back when it was known as the Nissan Versa Sedan.
Doesn’t look any uglier than a Yaris or Hyundai Accent
Or a 5-Series…
Give it a nose job and that could be the next BMW small car. If BMW can get away with selling ugly-butt cars for premium prices then I guess Suzuki is onto something.
BTW, I think it is cool that their website animation shows the car on cobblestones in the rain.
http://www.marutidzire.com/
At least from the rear, that thing is not ugly. In fact, I’d say it looks pretty good. Looks much better than the Fit. Much better than any Subaru, or Toyota. Better than some of the Germans. Better than most Volvos. Maybe the front is awful.
The Swift is still available in Canada, as a hatchback only. It’s sold as the “Swift+”, and is based on the Daewoo Kalos, so it’s the same car as the Chevy Aveo/Pontiac Wave. Gotta love the badge engineering gone wild.
Compared to the hatchback Swift that thing is pretty hideous.
I was wondering why that derrière looked familiar, when I saw it reported on Autoblog. Then it struck me this morning, while in traffic behind a new Nissan Sentra and beside a Nissan Versa.
DZire? You’ve got to be kidding me. What next, the Suzuki Kar?
The Swift hatchback on the other hand is a really nice looking car:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:SuzukiSwiftSport.JPG
Too bad we don’t get it over here.
It looks like the love child of a Hyundai and a Saab.
Nemphre :
That’s the car we really need. Small cars as sedans are a lot less functional than hatchbacks.
The SX4 is on a bigger platform than the Swift. And the Canadian “Swift” is an Aveo, and has no actual relationship to the real Swift, except in name.
You beat me to it, Paul. The SX4 is a shared platform with Fiat (done when GM owned more of Suzuki than the pittance 3% and when GM had promised to buy Fiat – then backed out).
You’re right. The Canadian Swift + is NOT a real Suzuki. It’s a rebadged GMDaewoo, as is the Aveo.
Slapping a boot to a perfectly good looking hatchback does not a sedan make!
Mini + boot anyone?
No wonder this is one hell of an ugly car.
I took another look at the picture up top. It’s no classic American car, and I take it back–it’s not superior to most volvos or most German cars, but it’s not offending me.
Nah, I don’t see this as particularly bad.
Ford Focus, Subaru Tribeca, a late 90’s Taurus or Suzuki Aerio and the new Scion Xb are are truly horrid designs. This is really just a different shade of bland with a pretty nice design for the dashboard and steering wheel.