The 2025 Suzuki Dzire: small sedan, big value, no compromise.

Suzuki Auto South Africa has just dropped the 4th-generation Dzire (3rd in SA) onto the local scene, and while it’s aimed squarely at the budget-conscious end of the spectrum, it refuses to play by the usual budget-car rulebook. It’s compact in size but big on features, has pretty good styling, and a drive that proves that being affordable doesn’t have to mean being basic. The new Dzire has presence, the front end is dominated by a bold grille in line with the brand’s current design architecture. The grille is black on entry-level GA models and gloss piano black with a chrome accent on the higher-specced GL+. Narrow halogen projector headlamps sharpen the look, and down the sides, a raked windscreen, folding mirrors, shark-fin antenna and solid shoulder line give it a surprisingly upmarket visual. Around back, the new Dzire features T-shaped LED tail lights to cap off a clean, compact boot design. The GA rolls on 14-inch steel wheels, while GL+ models get a set of black 15-inch alloys for a sportier vibe. I like the black wheels, but I’d prefer to see 17-inch hoops over the 15s, and I’m sure the compact powerplant will easily cope with them. That’s just a taste thing, though, 90% of the intended market for this car won’t even notice, or care. There are seven paint options, all metallic, but our pick of the bunch is the Nutmeg Brown Pearl Metallic that you’ll see in the pics, followed by Suzuki’s signature Alluring Blue Pearl Metallic, which wasn’t at the launch, but I know it well.

Step inside and you’re greeted with a cabin layout lifted straight from the latest Swift - meaning it’s already a step ahead of what most entry-level sedans offer. There’s a wraparound dashboard, a driver-focused layout, and a fresh beige-and-black colour scheme that makes the space feel open and modern. These colours work with the Nutmeg Brown paint, but it is an odd colour choice overall. Oddly, the SA market seems to like this, and that’s what matters most. The GA and GL+ models both come standard with electric windows, digital aircon, rear vents, USB ports (front and rear), height-adjustable driver’s seat, and even rear parking sensors. The GL+ steps things up with cruise control, a multifunction steering wheel, a 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a reverse camera, and extra chrome accents to elevate the look and feel. You can fit four normal-sized mates inside with you, or three heftier types. The boot is properly sized too, with 378 litres of luggage space - or about three Chelsy Pintos, which is generous for the segment.

Under the clamshell bonnet is Suzuki’s new-gen Z12E 1.2-litre 3-cylinder engine, which generates 60 kW and 112 Nm. Those numbers may not raise the heart rate, but the lightweight body and punchy torque delivery make the Dzire feel zippy around town. We had no issues navigating Jo’burg’s busiest streets and highways. Cruising along at 120 km/h is easy. Frugal is a Suzuki thing, and the claims are an average of just 4.4 l/100 km, which I have no doing it can do. We were three-up and we started the cruise with half a tank of fuel, and even though we were weaving in and out of traffic and cog-swapping and revving high, the consumption remained at 5.0 l/100 km. This included typical Friday afternoon Jo’burg highway traffic and the packed roads leading from The Goodman Gallery in Rosebank to the amazing restaurant located at Constitution Hill called Food, I Love You in Braamfontein.

You can pair a Dzire with a nice and notchy 5-speed manual (which also includes stop/start tech) or a smooth CVT - the latter of which I never sampled. Like its Swift sibling, the Dzire rides on Suzuki’s HEARTECT platform. It’s rigid, lightweight, and tuned for decent ride comfort and stability. Recalibrated MacPherson strut and torsion beam suspension setups ensure it handles the bumps and bends with ease, a particular bonus on our ever-deteriorating roads, and thanks to a solid power-to-weight ratio, the Dzire delivers a more spirited drive than you’d expect from a car in this class and a 3-pot powerplant. Every Dzire comes with six airbags (front, side and curtain), ABS with EBD and brake assist, electronic stability control, ISOFIX mounts, seatbelt pretensioners, and rear parking sensors. All of that helped earn the new Dzire a five-star adult and four-star child safety rating in recent Global NCAP testing.

All Suzuki Dzire models come standard with a healthy 5-year/200,000 km warranty and a bundled-in 4-year/60,000 km service plan. As for pricing, the Dzire 1.2 GA 5MT lists at R224,900, the Dzire 1.2 GL+ 5MT at R246,900 and the Dzire 1.2 GL+ CVT at R266,900. You can get more info over at the Suzuki SA website.

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