Power Wheels Magazine A Notch Above
It was a sunny Wednesday morning, April 30th, the end of the month. My wife Shawie and I drove up in the all-new 2025 Suzuki Dzire Hybrid GLX CVT to the lookout point inside the La Jolla Beach Resort in Balanga, Bataan to take a few beauty shots of our Alluring Blue Pearl Metallic media test drive unit before the long drive to San Fernando, Pampanga for lunch at Souq Restaurant. We were part of the All-New Suzuki Dzire Hybrid Media Test Drive to Bataan, dubbed as “Driven by Dzire”, which is one of the activities organized by Suzuki Philippines, Incorporated (SPH) to commemorate their 50th Anniversary in the country.
Blue skies above us, blue seas behind us, and a blue Dzire Hybrid GLX CVT as our ride. Oh, yeah… we’re wearing matching blue shirts! No need to feel blue…
The day before, Shawie and I had a lot of fun. We mindfully drove our assigned blue Dzire Hybrid, which was marked as Car #14, from Suzuki Cars Taguig to Pilar, Bataan pussyfooting the accelerator and playing with the cruise control for a distance of 188 kilometers. At the Caltex Diwa-Pilar gas station, our car was refueled with 7.11 liters of Caltex Silver 91-octane gasoline, for an average fuel economy (AFE) of 26.44 kilometers per liter (km/L). In the evening, SPH threw a fun beach party at La Jolla, complete with raffles and games. Shawie and I had a great time participating in the activities, won several prizes, and then capped our fun day by being awarded as the Fuel Efficiency Winners!
Shawie and I pose for posterity with SPH Director and General Manager of Suzuki Automobile Division Norihide Takei for winning the Fuel Efficiency Challenge.
Elegantly Sharp, Progressive & Desirable
While taking photos at the La Jolla lookout point, I stepped back to view the Dzire Hybrid’s side profile. Even though the trunk is still short, the overall design now looks more balanced and progressive. The 4-meter-long, 1.5-meter-tall body now looks like a proper 4-door sedan, unlike the first generation Dzire which looked like a Swift with a trunk grafted to its backside. The multi-lens LED headlights, chrome molding on the belt line, rear LED taillights, and sporty 15-inch 16-spoke two-tone polished alloy wheels work together to provide the simple elegance that this compact Suzuki needed.
The front profile shows a touch of modernity and simple elegance…
… while the rear side profile shows the refinement and balance of the all-new exterior.
The black front grill that extends onto the body-colored bumper adds modernity to the façade of the Dzire Hybrid while the singular chrome strip with the chrome Suzuki “S” in the middle adds sophistication. The short trunk, which can hold two golf bags, has a built-in sporty rear spoiler that visually extends the truck lid’s length. The shark fin antenna looks odd and sort of spoils the look of the roofline but it provides great AM/FM radio reception. Overall, the exterior design of the all-new Suzuki Dzire Hybrid can now be described in one word as “desirable” and that’s saying a lot! Time to drive it.
Ha! I found a way to get the front and back of the Dzire Hybrid in just one shot. Perfecto!
However, I have to emphasize the nifty rear spoiler that makes the short trunk lid look longer. It’s a great design trick.
Eco Run & Photos Done, It’s Time for a Real Test Drive
While zigzagging through the mountain roads from Balanga to Pilar, I began to appreciate the handling and fun-to-drive character of our Dzire Hybrid GLX CVT. Its independent suspension system comprised of front MacPherson struts with coil springs and rear torsion beam with coil springs provide a supple yet controlled ride. In today’s modern era of large wheels and fat tires, the footprint of the 185/65R15 CEAT SecuraDrive tires may not be as meaty but they provide adequate grip and stability, while the front ventilated disc brakes and rear drum brakes provide the needed retardation, especially when we’re going a bit too fast towards the bends.
“Let’s go for a long, long drive”, she said. And boy, did we!
We ripped out the independent suspension system to show you the front MacPherson struts with coil springs along with the rack & pinion steering mechanism and front ventilated disc brakes…
… as well as the torsion beam rear suspension with coil springs (the tall upright things are shock absorbers) and the rear drum brakes.
At speed, the EPAS electric power-assisted rack & pinion steering makes our Suzuki compact car handle like a go-kart. Around the city, the EPAS makes short work of maneuvering through traffic thanks to the Dzire Hybrid’s 1.7-meter width combined with its 4.8-meter turning radius. Its 2.5-meter wheelbase transmits the expected frequency of the road undulations passing between the front and rear wheels but the independent suspension, its rigid Heartect platform, and its improved NVH (noise, vibration and harshness) insolation system work together to provide a smooth, quiet and relaxing drive.
It’s a beautiful and gorgeous day for a long drive down scenic mountain roads.
At the center of our confidence in driving the Dzire Hybrid is Suzuki’s proprietary Heartect platform.
Spacious, Quiet & Comfortable Cocoon
Of course, none of that technology and engineering underneath will matter if a car’s interior is insufferable. Thankfully, the Suzuki engineers and designer did their homework and endowed the Dzire Hybrid with a spacious, quiet and comfortable cocoon where Shawie and I happily whiled away the time and the distance. The front bucket seats are adequately bolstered to support me and the wife during our fast drives around curves while cushy enough to sit in comfortably for hours. We didn’t spend any time in the backseat (wink, wink…) but we’re certain that it will comfortably accommodate our two grown-up kids.
Front passengers sit on bolstered bucket seats that are supportive and comfortable for long drives…
… while rear passengers can enjoy the bench seat with 3 headrests, a folding center armrest, USB ports, and a rear vent for the cold aircon.
Automatic climate control system keeps the occupants cool even on toasty days. I can’t see the digital display when I put my ambermatic sunglasses on. Must be my eyes…
As the designated driver, I found the cockpit comfortable and ergonomic, with all the controls within my reach. The instrument cluster is readily legible even under harsh sunlight while the 9-inch touchscreen infotainment system is easy to operate and extremely helpful. The automatic climate control kept us cool all throughout the two days we drove around in it. All-around vision is excellent while a rear parking sensor with camera helps when backing into a tight spot. I like having just a couple of control buttons on the steering wheel and I particularly like the position of the cruise control toggle, which allowed me to easily adjust the speed on the highways without stepping on the accelerator. The auto engine shut off/restart during idling in traffic is unobtrusive while EPAS keeps the steering wheel assisted and light during shutdown.
For me, the best seat in the house is the driver’s seat with the ergonomic cockpit.
The instrument cluster is immediately legible with its 8000-rpm tachometer, 200-km/h speedometer, engine temperature gauge, fuel gauge, and LCD pictograph showing hybrid operation and battery charge.
9-inch touchscreen infotainment system offers a lot of information at an instant.
Small Engine + Electric Motor = Highway Flyer
Modern technology and high-tech production processes has allowed carmakers to produce small high-output but fuel-efficient engines. The Dzire Hybrid’s Z12E engine may have a small 1.2-liter displacement from just three cylinders but it comes with multipoint electronic fuel injection, double overhead camshafts (DOHC), 4 valves per cylinder (12-valve), and variable valve timing (VVT) that allows it to unleash 80 horses pulling just 1,400 kilograms of gross vehicle weight. Besides easily revving past its redline, the 3-pot gasoline engine churns out useful torque at 111 Newton-meters making our Suzuki accelerate like a Hayabusa.
Under the hood is the Suzuki Z12E 3-cylinder engine with an ISG electric motor that makes it a proper hybrid.
Like we did the suspension, we ripped out the Z12E DOHC 12-valve VVT 3-cylinder engine with ISG electric motor to show you what it looks like. (No, we didn’t. Really.)
Perhaps we’re exaggerating a little, but that’s how it felt when the 2.19-kilowatt electric motor ISG (integrated starter generator) kicks in to assist the engine, especially when the 0.072 kilowatt-hour (kWh) lithium-ion battery is fully charged. The combined power of the gas engine and the electric motor is sent to the CVT (continuously variable transmission) that seems to seamlessly match gear ratios to the thrust of my right foot on the accelerator. Like she did the previous day, Shawie was watching the Instantaneous Fuel Economy graph on the 9-inch touchscreen display and would remind me to mind the accelerator. But even at 100 km/h on SCTEX, the graph is still mostly blue, making this Suzuki a fuel-efficient highway flyer!
During the Fuel Efficiency Challenge, I kept the Instantaneous Fuel Economy graph an all-blue semi-circle by keeping the speed between 80 to 85 km/l and the revs below 1,500 rpm. Or else I get a slap on the nape from the WIFE – Warning Inefficient Fuel Economy. (Hahaha)
Shawie’s stern look is reflected on the 9-inch touchscreen when the Instantaneous Fuel Economy graph dipped below the 20 km/L line as we accelerated to 100 km/h at a little over 2,000 rpm.
Compact, Fuel-Efficient & Reliable
For his closing remarks after lunch at Souq, Norihide Takei, Director and General Manager of the Automobile Division of Suzuki Philippines Incorporated (SPH), emphasized the three important qualities of vehicles made by Suzuki. “First and foremost, Suzuki cars are compact, which makes them maneuverable, fun and easy to drive, especially around the Philippines. Second, Suzuki vehicles are designed to be fuel-efficient as most of you have proven on this trip. And third, because a lot of people now depend on their cars for mobility, Suzuki cars are reliable.”
A fun drive in a fuel-efficient Dzire Hybrid to a scenic beach resort. What more can you ask for?
As the owners of a 2016 Suzuki Ciaz 1.4 GLX that averages around 16 km/L in city traffic and 23 km/L on the tollways and has never let us down in the 9 years that we’ve been driving it, Shawie and I can attest to the fuel-efficiency and reliability of compact Suzuki automobiles. After spending two days and almost 400 kilometers with this blue 2025 Suzuki Dzire Hybrid GLX CVT, I can honestly say that it is everything how Takei-san said a Suzuki should be – maneuverable, fun, easy to drive, fuel-efficient, and reliable. Add comfortable, safe and good-looking, and the all-new Dzire Hybrid becomes the quintessential Suzuki.
Shawie playfully looks back at our blue Dzire Hybrid parked in front of our little house on top of the hill. (We wish!)
SPECIFICATIONS
Vehicle Type: Front engine, FWD, 4-door hybrid sedan
Price: P999,000
Engine: Z12E 12-valve DOHC Dual VVT inline 3-cylinder
Displacement: 1197cc
Maximum power: 80.5 hp (60 kW) @ 5700 rpm
Maximum torque: 111.7 Nm @ 4300 rpm
Hybrid system: 12-volt Hybrid with EASS
Battery capacity: Lithium-ion 0.072 kWh
Electric motor output: 2.9 hp (2.19 kW)
Transmissions: CVT
Fuel tank capacity: 37 liters
Wheelbase: 2450 mm
Length: 3995 mm
Width: 1735 mm
Height: 1525 mm
Trunk space: 378 L
Minimum ground clearance: 145 mm
Minimum turning radius: 4.8 m
Gross vehicle weight: 1400 kg
Front suspension: Independent, MacPherson struts with coil springs
Rear suspension: Independent, torsion beam with coil springs
Front brakes: Ventilated discs
Rear brakes: Drums, leading & trailing
Steering system: Rack & pinion with electric power assist (EPAS)
Wheels: 15-inch 16-spoke 4-lug two-tone aluminum alloy
Tires: 185/65R15
Fuel economy: 25.81 km/L (AAP Certification), 26.44 km/L (Fuel Efficiency Contest Results)
