New Delhi, March 18: Maruti Suzuki India today previewed its next sedan, the DZire. The car, to be launched on March 26, will be available in both the petrol and diesel variants.

Built on the Swift compact platform, the DZire will sport a 1.3-litre engine and will be priced lower than the SX4. The DZire is seen as a replacement for the Esteem, which the company had phased out earlier this year.

Company sources said the petrol variant was expected to be priced between Rs 4.75 lakh and Rs 5 lakh, while the diesel model would be available for above Rs 5.5 lakh.

“The image of a hatchback and styling of the Swift is carried forward to the sedan. The main challenge for our engineers was to integrate the boot into the overall personality of the Swift, while imparting the elegance of a sedan,” said Mayank Pareek, executive officer (marketing and sales) of Maruti Suzuki India.

“With the launch of this sedan, the company is set to further increase its lead over the competition this fiscal,” Pareek said.

The entry-level DZire will have features such as dual front air bags, a fully integrated stereo, a remote boot opener, a driver seat height adjuster, temperature display and an anti-theft alarm.

The foray into big cars is in line with the global plans of Maruti’s parent company, Suzuki Motor Corp, which wants an image makeover.