NEW DELHI: Earlier this week, India’s largest carmaker
Maruti Suzuki launched the much awaited 2018 version of its sedan Ciaz at a starting price of Rs 8.19 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi). An update on what is one of the most popular and among the best-selling sedans in India was, in fact, very much due.
As competition heated up with rivals like
Honda
and Hyundai both having launched updated versions of their sedans, City and Verna, Maruti Suzuki had to make its move. With
Toyota
also having debuted its Yaaris earlier this year, things were starting to get intense.
And thus, the
new Ciaz
was conceived and born. It was given a new face, a somewhat new posture, and a new heart -- well, at least the petrol variants got a new one.
More Power, More TorqueThe new 1.5-litre hybrid petrol engine, ‘K15’ replaces the earlier 1.4-litre powertrain. TOI was the first to report what will lie at the heart of the Ciaz back in March.
Read more: New 2018 Maruti Suzuki Ciaz to launch in August: Details here Maruti Suzuki claims the new engine has 13 per cent more power (at 103 brake horsepower) and 6 per cent more torque (at 138 Newton metre) compared to the earlier generation.
When we drove the new Ciaz earlier this week on the outskirts of India’s IT capital Bengaluru, the added thump was evident, and the engine did indeed feel more vibrant.
Maruti Suzuki has clearly been paying heed to customer feedback as the decision to move to a more powerful engine comes on the back of a common complaint that the earlier powertrain felt a bit underwhelming.
To put things in perspective, Ciaz’s competitors such as the Hyundai Verna (1.6-litre petrol) and the Honda City (1.5-litre petrol), have had more powerful petrol engines.
The new hybrid technology which comes as standard across all petrol variants has a Lithium-ion battery. Maruti Suzuki claims that the new Lithium-ion battery is compact, designed for longer service life and contributes to improved fuel efficiency.
The new Ciaz promises to deliver a fuel efficiency of 21.56 km/litre in manual petrol variants and 28.09 km/litre in diesel.
What some may find disappointing is the fact that there’s been no upgrade on the diesel engine. Maruti Suzuki decided to continue with its tried and tested Fiat-sourced 1.3 litre engine from the earlier version, also reported about by TOI first, back in May.
Read more: New 2018 Maruti Suzuki Ciaz launch in August first week: All the details hereHowever, the company does plan to roll out a more powerful 1.5 litre diesel powertrain later, is what we have learnt from our sources. In fact, Maruti Suzuki had initially planned to launch an in-house Suzuki developed 1.5 litre diesel engine, but seem to have decided against it.
Read more: New 2018 Maruti Suzuki Ciaz launch delayed: Source Diesel variants of rivals are much more powerful with Honda’s 1.5-litre engine in the City and Hyundai’s 1.6-litre powertrain in the Verna. However, in terms of size, the Ciaz continues to be longer and wider compared to competition.
Fresh Face, New Stance
Matters of the ‘heart’ aside, let us now come to the looks part, something discerning car buyers care a lot about.
The outgoing Ciaz modelThe face and the posture of the new Ciaz are definitely new. While some may like it, we prefer the earlier horizontal grille look, which has now been replaced by a sleeker multi-pixel grille. The silhouette is also fresh with a new sweeping design replacing the earlier, bolder, and edgier silhouette of the previous generation, which we thought was more striking.
Other updates on the outside include LED projector auto headlamps with daytime running lights, LED fog lamps, and LED combination tail-lamps. The front and rear bumpers are also shaped slightly differently from before.
New 16-inch precision cut alloy wheels in a dual-tone design drive the 2018 Ciaz (15-inchers in the lower spec-trims).
Safety First
In terms of safety, Maruti Suzuki has introduced a speed alert system and seatbelt reminder in the Ciaz for both driver and front passenger. What is commendable is the fact that these new features have been introduced as standard across all variants.
The speed alert system is a nifty little addition and will hopefully go a long way in deterring people from driving too fast and avoiding road accidents -- the leading cause of deaths in India. According to the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, in 2016, 1.5 lakh people died in road accidents.
The speed alert system is designed to beep twice every 60 seconds in case the driver goes past 80 kmph, and in a scenario where the car goes beyond 120 kmph, it will make a continuous beeping noise.
Not wearing seatbelts has also been a menace in India, with a whopping 75 per cent passenger vehicle users (driver, co-driver and rear) in the country not strapping up, leading to 15 deaths every day, according to a study published by Maruti Suzuki last year.
Read more: 75% vehicle users in India don’t wear seat belts leading to 15 deaths every day: StudyOne hopes the seatbelt reminder addition will help change these ghastly statistics, and that Maruti Suzuki introduces these safety features across all its models. Given the company’s wide reach, such a move will surely have a favourable impact.
Besides these safety features, the 2018 version of the Ciaz also gets Electronic Stability Program (ESP), traction control, and hill control assist (ESP and hill control assist come with the automatic variants). Earlier features such as ABS (Anti-lock Braking System) and EBD (Electronic Brakeforce Distribution) are carried forth in the new model.
Nip And Tuck
The interiors have not seen much change, but there are minor tweaks in terms of the finish -- a matte look replaces the earlier glossy one, along with a faux-wood trim of lighter shade compared to the earlier dark brown -- on the dashboard. The updated cabin feels more plush and refined compared to the earlier generation.
The new Ciaz also gets a fresh instrument cluster, along with a Multi-Info Display (MID) in colour. The steering wheel now has dedicated buttons for cruise control.
The new Ciaz (petrol) definitely drives better, and feels safer. While we like the changes inside and under the hood, we are still more enamoured by the looks of its predecessor. But as the Greek philosopher Plato said, “Beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder”.