Maruti Suzuki Ciaz – The Big Thing in Small Sedans

Maruti Suzuki Ciaz
Maruti Suzuki Ciaz
Maruti Suzuki Ciaz
Maruti Suzuki Ciaz

On of the most awaited cars of the year, to be launched in the Indian market soon, is Maruti Suzuki’s Ciaz. It is a replacement for Maruti’s SX4, the production for which was ceased in April this year.

Having made its debut at the 2014 Auto Expo held at Delhi, the Ciaz is Maruti’s latest offering and is based on the Suzuki Authentics concept which was displayed at the Shanghai motor show last year. It is expected to enter into the C+ Sedan segment and compete with the likes of Hyundai Verna, Honda City and Volkswagen Vento.

The company revealed a close to “production ready” model which still had a lot of elements from the concept car that inspires its design. The model was called “Aivio” and was displayed at the Beijing motor show this year, providing the audience a clear hint as to what the production car would be like.

Ciaz external features: Back headlamps, front fog lamps 

Unlike the SX4, that comes across quite bold and with rather masculine features in its form and surfaces, the Ciaz features sharp and crisp character defining lines and very supple surfaces that reflect a certain class and elegance. Amongst the most evident visual characteristics from Suzuki’s new design philosophy, that the Ciaz sports, is the wide chrome grille with quite large but gracefully swept back headlamps. A well sculpted front bumper will hold fog lamps on the higher variants. A closer look at the side profile tells us that the Ciaz could well be the longest sedan in its segment. The well pronounced shoulder line running between the headlamp and the tail lamp on either side, defines a dynamic surface play, that is visually soothing. The rear end sports an integrated spoiler on the boot lid and reflectors. The one thing missing on its beautiful behind, are the twin exhaust pipes that were sported on the concept model.

The interiors on the car have received just as much attention as its exterior, possibly more, and would have quite a premium feel to it. Sporting a dual tone dashboard, with faux-wood inserts and quite a bit of chrome on the vents and little knobs and buttons here and there, the cabin on the Ciaz will be more inclined toward a more luxury car like feel, and a lot more spacious than the SX4. The rear seats will offer a more comfortable ride thanks to the a number of changes with the ride quality on mind, like rigid mounting of the suspension components, that allow for the use of softer springs providing for  much more cushioning. The entire rear section has been designed and packaged to offer much higher levels of comfort to the rear end passengers with great leg space and rear air conditioning vents.

Extremely clean cut surfaces and quite a bit of metallic accents reflect that the interior design is largely based on European styling cues.

Integrated audio system

The higher variants would also have an integrated audio system bang in the centre console and trimmed with chrome inserts and finishing components. The audio unit would have six speakers with a CD/MP3/USB/Auxiliary multi interface support system. One can expect quite a sound output without having to upgrade at all, except for maybe a bass tube or a subwoofer in the back.

The car is expected to be powered by the same engine that is found under the hood of the Suzuki Ertiga MPV, meaning that it would sport the 1.4 litre K-series petrol and the 1.3 Multijet diesel engines, although it is expected that they would be further tuned to enhance their performance. The petrol variant will come equipped with options on both manual and automatic transmissions, appealing to a much wider pro-driving audience.

The car also claims a great mileage number of more than 26 kmpl as certified by ARAI. The diesel engine is the same unit sourced from Fiat that has powered the SX4 all this while. The top end variant is also expected to sport a 1.6 multi jet diesel powerhouse. The company aims at launching a total of six variants, three each, for diesel and petrol segments. All variants would come fitted with projector headlamps, power windows, etc, and top ends would also feature sixteen inch alloy wheels, automatic climate control and dual front airbags.

The colour options provided by Suzuki include quite a fresh range of shades like Chocolate brown, GIistening grey and Clear Beige.

Maruti’s new baby is sure to send waves of amazement when it hits the streets and is likely to become a flagship model. Since it is styled and built quite well, one should expect it to be priced right, and for those looking for a combination of good looks, performance, efficiency, all under a decent price range, the Suzuki Ciaz is most probably the car of the choice.