Maruti Dzire Comes Down As The Second Best-Selling Car In India — Honda Amaze To Blame?

From the latest car sales report of August 2018, the Maruti Dzire has attained the second position on the list of top-selling cars in India; first being the Maruti Alto. However, the Dzire was previously at the very top, four months in a row.

The Maruti Dzire is sold in both passenger and cab (Dzire Tour) formats; the former being the higher seller. Though still the best-selling compact sedan in the country, the new Maruti Dzire has hit an all-time low in sales figures and many claim that its primary is to be blamed — the Honda Amaze.

The new Honda Amaze offers a lot of updates and additionscompared to the previous model and was the fastest-selling car in India at a point. Even the interior space has been improved while still being under four metres in length.

The second-generation Honda Amaze is offered in a 1.2-litre petrol or a 1.5-litre diesel engine format; both good performers. The Amaze petrol makes 89bhp and 110Nm of torque while the diesel version is good for 99bhp and 200Nm. The engines are mated to either a 5-speed manual or a 7-step CVT. Apparently, the Honda Amaze is the only car in India to have a diesel-CVT combination.

On the contrary, the Maruti Dzire comes with a 1.2-litre petrol engine which makes 82bhp and 113Nm of torque and a 1.3-litre diesel unit capable of churning out 73bhp and 189Nm. Transmission options include a 5-speed manual or its AMT alternative, as mentioned before.

Clearly, the Honda Amaze is the better choice if performance is a priority. However, this gives the Dzire an advantage over the Amaze in terms of average mileage. The Maruti Dzire's diesel variant is one of the most fuel-efficient cars on the market.

When it comes to features too, the Honda Amaze outperforms the Maruti Dzire which was launched before it. However, Honda Car India cannot match the wide sales and service network which Maruti Suzuki offers across the country and in the remotest localities possible. Also, the market presence of Maruti Suzuki is higher and better than that of Honda. The Indian brand has been around for almost 30 years.

Coming to the pricing, the Maruti Dzire is available from a starting price of Rs 5.45 lakh ex-showroom (Delhi). As for the Honda Amaze, the prices start at Rs 5.60 lakh ex-showroom (Delhi).

For all the above-mentioned reasons, the choice between the two cars is best to be left solely to the buyer rather than a critic. To be honest, the Maruti Dzire and Honda Amaze are both really good options.

The compact-sedan market is an exclusive category to the Indian automotive market. The primary reason for the higher demand for compact-sedans is the practicality they offer at a lesser premium. Compact-sedans are also an accessible choice for those looking forward to buying a hatchback but can settle for a smaller sedan.

Thoughts On Maruti Dzire Coming Down As The Second Best-Selling Car In India

In India, the compact-sedan segment is dominated by the Maruti Dzire and Honda Amaze; both good cars with their own ups and downs. This also means that the cars showcase stiff competition on each other's sales. Hence, the Honda Amaze can indeed be considered as a reason why the Maruti Dzire has stepped down from its top rank in the monthly sales chart.