Suzuki Dzire is
e-hailing achiever

A few weeks ago, I was zipping around Cape Town in the Suzuki Dzire GL+ MT and was deeply impressed by the experience.  It may not wear a luxury badge, but when it came to practicality, economy, and reliability, the Dzire was ready to clock up kilometres and smiles in equal measure.

At first glance, it looks like a typical compact sedan, neat, tidy, and unassuming. But beneath the modest exterior lies a good package, particularly well-suited for drivers who spend long hours on the road. Suzuki clearly designed the Dzire with real-world motoring in mind rather than flashy showroom theatrics.

E-hailing drivers will like the tech. The GL+ comes with a 7-inch touchscreen featuring Android Auto. Phone connection is with a cable, but is connects instantly to maps, messages, calls, and music, all neatly displayed on a responsive interface with buttons big enough to hit without taking eyes off the road for too long. There are actual physical buttons for volume and quick functions, which is a small blessing when passenger’s playlist requests start coming in faster than surge pricing.

Bluetooth pairing is quick, audio quality is decent, and there are USB, auxiliary, and 12V ports for charging and gadget needs. The infotainment setup alone makes the Dzire feel like a little control centre on wheels, practical, fuss-free, and refreshingly intuitive.

The multi-information display behind the steering wheel gives useful data such as fuel economy, trip range, and gear reminders. The fuel consumption readout became a personal competition of “How low can I go?” as I cruised from the Waterfront to the Winelands.

Rear parking sensors come standard, which means one can reverse confidently into the tightest of city spots without auditioning for a comedy of errors. Cape Town’s narrow streets and creative parkers have met their match.

Safety-wise, Suzuki has included ABS (Anti-lock Braking System) with electronic brake-force distribution, dual airbags, and ISOFIX mounts. Nothing over the top, but everything that matters.

For e-hailing drivers, the Suzuki Dzire ticks all the right boxes: affordable, efficient, tech-savvy, and simple to live with. It is the kind of car that gets the job done with minimum fuss and maximum practicality, like a reliable partner who never complains and always finds the quickest route home.

*Pricing for the Suzuki Dzire starts from R246,900.

* Sheryl Goldstuck is general manager of World Wide Worx and editor of GadgetWheels. Follow her on Bluesky on @crazycatbuzz.bsky.social.