IT'S DZIREABLE

A LOOK AT HOW MARUTI SUZUKI'S ALL-NEW DZIRE FARES IN TODAY'S MARKET SATURATED WITH SUVS

- LEKSHMI C PILLAI

NOWADAYS, in India, a car means an SUV. However, there remains a sizable population, whose cherished childhood dreams were knit around a toy sedan - the threebox car with a bonnet, cabin and boot.

Around 55 per cent of cars sold in the Indian market today are SUVs. Though by definition these are Sports Utility Vehicles, the majority of the so-called SUVs in Indian markets are raised hatchbacks, taking account of road conditions.

At the same time, there is a perception that the popularity of the traditional status symbol, the sedan, is fading. Roughly, just 10 per cent of the car market is held by sedans now. It's to this market that the all-new Dzire from Maruti Suzuki rolled in. When sedans are "on the way out", why is Maruti reintroducing another one? The answer is simple: Dzire has been selling more than many SUVS since its introduction in 2008.

Though this time, the hype is considerably less, there is a fan base for sedans, still in India. Last year, 1.57 lakh Dzires were sold; a figure many Compact SUVS couldn't match. And, this December, the new Honda Amaze is also coming to the compact sedan category.