My one DZire

MANILA, Philippines - There is not a single car drive that I do not enjoy. Traffic notwithstanding, every car drive for me is an experience I truly savor.

The Suzuki DZire with its 1.3 DOHC 16V with VVT, which packs a punch under its engine, was another enjoyable driving experience. One of the cutest-looking cars I have driven in a while, I liked the way the DZire did its job of getting me from here to there — in a cute fashion.

I took the DZire for a drive to the favorite park in Pampanga of my little Bichon Frise, Vodka. Now, let me share with you that one of my all-time favorite things to do next to driving cars is to take Vodka with me for a spin.

Vodka patiently sat in the seat beside me and dozed off, which is what she usually does, while I did my driving and kept my eye on the road. This trip to Pampanga was no different — except that in the DZire, Vodka and I felt like the cutest human and doggie duo ever.

The Suzuki DZire is the sedan version of the Swift hatchback. It was launched in 2008 and the car was a grand success. The Swift DZire is loaded with many features, striking looks, luxurious interiors and many safety components.

The suspension system of the Swift DZire consists of McPherson strut with coil spring in the front and Torsion-beam with coil spring in the rear, which imparts higher mounting rigidity and confident stability. The Swift DZire has ventilated disc brakes at the front and drum brakes at the rear.

The Swift DZire has a perfect blend of style and substance with its bold design and magnificent body dynamics. It has a body-colored bumper, high mounted stop lamp, front fog lamp, rear fog lamp, and green tinted glass that imparts a sumptuous look. The ORVM with integrated turn indicators and the design of the front grille and headlamps give a sophisticated look to the automobile. The boot space meets the rear fluently and gives a classy finish to the car.

I really like the looks of the DZire. It is really such a cutie. Every little detail of the DZire made me want to take several pictures of the car from all angles because it truly is my kind of car. 

The looks did not stop on the outside. The interiors of the DZire are pretty cool, too. It is loaded with center armrest, seat height adjuster, air conditioner, sun visor, remote back door opener, audio antenna, front head restraint, cup-holder and remote fuel lid opener. The instrument panel and console includes speedometer, seatbelt reminder, light-on reminder buzzer, key-on reminder buzzer, door-closure warning lamp and a multi-functional display depicting the fuel consumption, trip/odometer and digital clock.

With all these features, driving the DZire was comfy and all the important knobs were within easy reach. This made driving Vodka truly comfortable for me — and since I watched as she dozed off so comfortably in her seat beside me, I knew that she, too, was enjoying the ride.

SAFETY COMES FIRST

The Swift DZire is equipped with many safety features, which include ABS (Anti-lock Braking System) with BA (Brake Assist) and EDC (Engine Drag Control) that prevents skidding and helps in ensuring a minimum stopping distance on slippery surfaces. The rigid body of the car provides superior handling and a comfortable ride.

The design of the DZire made me appreciate how the Suzuki designers worked hard to integrate seamlessly its overall styling.  The car’s front end is similar to the Swift Hatch, but differences include a stylish new bumper, revised front grille and the lower air dam, which in this car is more angular and wider.

In general the cabin is very well laid out and ergonomics are great, and so are essential kits such as the steering wheel, center console, auto climate control and integrated audio system with six speakers.

Front seats are wide, supportive with soft cushioning and come with height adjustment. Front head, shoulder and legroom are quite good. Since the DZire’s roofline slopes down at the rear, we were expecting some compromise in the rear for occupants. However, Suzuki designers have cleverly addressed this issue by changing the angle of the seat back to give occupants better head and legroom.

The front suspension is of McPherson strut with coil spring and rear suspension is of torsion beam with coil spring, same as the Swift hatchback. Suzuki says that a few modifications in the rear suspension have been done to offset the effects of the additional weight on the rear axle and also improve the ride quality. 

We all know that out-of-town driving is so different from city driving. But leave it to the DZire to make driving in either of these places comfortable.

Suzuki seems to have worked very hard on delivering a complete value package, which includes contemporary engineering, quality interiors and overall kit. And, it has succeeded on all levels.

It was another great weekend drive — that lasted all too short.

I had only one more desire that weekend — that the car ride and the weekend drive with Vodka lasted longer. 

I always wish for all I Dzire.