Maruti Ciaz

The Maruti Ciaz has been launched in India at a price of between Rs. 6.99 - 9.80 lakhs (ex-Delhi).

What you'll like:

• Clean styling & big footprint. Among the longest & widest sedans from its class
• Spacious cabin with lots of practical features. Rear legroom is particularly impressive
• Diesel & petrol, both, have segment-topping ARAI fuel efficiency ratings
• Soft, compliant ride quality. A suspension that's tuned for comfort
• Big 510 liter boot will swallow your airport & holiday luggage
• Maruti’s excellent after-sales service, wide dealer network & fuss-free ownership experience
• Loaded with equipment (7" touchscreen ICE, navigation system, rear sunshade, leather seats, keyless entry & go, reversing camera etc.)

What you won't:

• 1.3L diesel can't match the performance of the Vento, Verna & Rapid. Has turbo-lag too
• 1.4L petrol has the lowest power rating in the segment. City i-VTEC & Vento TSI are in a different league
• Uninvolving to drive. Steering & dynamics aren't to an enthusiast's taste
• Mediocre under-thigh support of the low rear seat. Also, limited rear headroom for 6 footers
• Some might find the styling to be too bland. Rear end is uncannily similar to the Honda City
• Light build quality. Lacks the sheer solidity of its European rivals



Contrary to popular perception, the SX4 was actually a reasonable sales success in the initial years. It was launched against the 2nd-generation Honda City (dolphin shape). Eventually however, the SX4's sales slowly declined, and it became a dud. Why? Simply because the product got too old! In the time that Maruti sold the SX4, Honda offered three generations of the City, VAG got the Vento / Rapid & Hyundai its Fluidic Verna. The SX4 diesel also came in too late in the day. Then, by current standards, the interior quality is too cheap. Even the less expensive Dzire has better interiors than the SX4. 

Most people think that Maruti can't sell million-rupee cars because of its 'budget / hatchback' image. I vehemently disagree. Maruti has the strongest brand equity in India, enjoying more trust than any other. It is among the biggest assets that a car from the stable can have. Lets also not forget that Mahindra & Hyundai didn't do anything magical to their image for the XUV500 & Elantra, both of which went on to become segment toppers. The reason that no million rupee Maruti has sold till date is down to the product. The SX4 got too old, the Kizashi was grossly overpriced and the Grand Vitara didn't have a diesel (overpriced too). There are a lot of folk who won't shop outside of a Maruti showroom. The company's latest sedan helps keep customers looking for an upgrade in the same showroom. With fierce competition from the Honda City & Hyundai Verna, the Ciaz does have its work cut out though. 

India is the most important market for Suzuki and that shows with the company's aggressive product onslaught. The Ciaz makes its global debut in India and is Maruti's 8th launch in 4 years; there are more in the pipeline (facelifted Swift is up next). Team-BHP Moderator Anshuman was the first to show you scoop pictures of the Ciaz in 2013 (link). 

The Ciaz feels more substantial than the SX4 and has clearly gone upmarket. It's bigger than the direct competitors, and the sheer size lends it presence. The car is built on a new platform with body panels utilizing lightweight high-tensile steel (related article). With a kerb weight of 1010 (petrol) & 1105 (diesel), the Ciaz is significantly lighter than the SX4. In fact, the Ciaz petrol is lighter than the Dzire diesel!

Where the SX4 was tall & quirky, the Ciaz is low slung & wears neutral clothes. It has none of the SX4's mini-SUV stance. The styling is clean & proportionate, but perhaps, too understated. This safe styling might work for conservative Maruti loyalists, although some customers will find it boring compared to the City's busy styling & the Verna's fluidic design. The Ciaz runs the risk of ageing quickly as well. 

The face is distinctly Maruti-Suzuki...you can't mistake it for any other brand. Those large projector headlamps (standard on all variants) look stunning and have a 4-slat chromed grille in between. The front bumper houses a stretched, almost U-shaped air dam. LED daytime running lights would've brought some more bling to its face. Viewed from the side, the Ciaz looks very proportionate. Its sheer length is evident, the Ciaz also has the longest wheelbase in its class. Those elegantly styled 16" alloy wheels are inspired by the Kizashi's rims, giving the car a nice stance. With that long wheelbase & soft rear suspension, we aren't too sure about the 170 mm of ground clearance though. I will leave final verdict on this area to the Team-BHP ownership reports. 

Walk up to the rear and you'll get a feeling of déjà vu ! Yep, the Ciaz' tail bears a striking resemblance to that of chief competitor, the City. The less inclined will easily mistake it for the Honda. Safe to assume this is an unfortunate coincidence as both cars were under wraps at the time of their conception, and Maruti / Honda couldn't have known what the other is doing. The boot has a pronounced lip with a ubiquitous chrome strip. The bumper uses black inserts with reflectors that look similar to the Mobilio's! Surprisingly, Maruti hasn't provided a rear fog lamp.

Exterior fit & finish are on par with segment expectations. Panel gaps are consistent too. While nowhere as solid as European cars, the Ciaz doesn't feel poorly constructed either. It's light weight, yet sufficiently high quality. 

The Ciaz is available in 7 body colours – Pearl Snow White, Clear Beige, Midnight Black, Sangria Red, Silky Silver, Dignity Brown and Glistening Grey.

The Ciaz is a handsome car with a large footprint & good road presence:


Familiar Maruti-Suzuki face. You won't mistake it for any other brand. Clean, inoffensive styling:


Rear end can easily be mistaken for that of the Honda City. One of the rare cars to use 'lower case' letters for the model name:


Clean design is a welcome change from the 'Fluidic' influence, although many of you might find the Ciaz boring:


Looks great from this angle. Rear bumper houses a pair of reflectors and 4 parking sensors:


Prominent 'S' badge on the 4-slat chrome grille. The air dam is wide:


Striking projector headlamps are standard across all trim levels. DRLs aren't available, unfortunately:


No creases here. The Ciaz has a smooth, round nose:


Round fog lamps. Horn is placed low in the bumper...visible through the foglamp housing:


16" rims look elegant. 195/55 R16 tyres provide decent grip:


Electrically-foldable ORVMs with integrated blinkers:


With the smart key in your pocket, simply press that 'black request sensor' to unlock the door. This convenient feature is present on both front door handles. Driver's door gets a slot to insert the emergency key as well:


'City lights' tail-lamp is large. No rear foglamps:


India's most familiar badge:


Top variant diesel gets ZDi+ nomenclature:


170 mm of ground clearance raises concerns (due to long wheelbase & soft suspension). Conventionally located fuel tank:


Neither bumper actually protrudes out, making the body prone to dents & damage:


A parting shot:

Interior - Front

With the smartkey in your pocket, simply walk up to the Ciaz and press the request sensor (on the door handle) to open the car. There's no need to remove the key from your pocket. 

The Ciaz's doors open wide in a 3-stage action. Getting in & out isn't a difficult process. The first thing you notice is that, unlike most Maruti cars, the Ciaz has an extremely roomy cabin. The sheer amount of space, large glass area and light colours lend the interiors an airy feel. 

Just like the exterior, the car's interior sports a neutral design (not too flashy). The black & beige combination with silver accents is universally appealing. Those faux wood touches are tasteful too (for a change). Owners will appreciate smaller details like the footwell's illumination (customizable) & theatre-like dimming cabin lights. 

The SX4's budget interiors were a common source of complaint with its owners. The Ciaz changes that with a nicer cabin. The quality of most materials and fit & finish meet the expectations of a C2 sedan customer. No rough edges are found anywhere. Look closely though and you'll see some plastics feeling budget-grade, albeit they're few & far between. A handful of parts have been lifted from the Dzire parts bin (e.g. power window controls). 

The dashboard layout is straightforward, yet contemporary enough. Importantly, it is user-friendly. The design is a lot more cohesive than that of the Honda City. The 3-spoke steering wheel is similar (but not identical) to the Dzire's unit. It feels nice to hold and has integrated buttons for audio & telephony. That said, the horn pad isn't very wide and you have to stretch your thumbs to honk. Also, the steering only offers tilt adjustment. Reach adjustment would have been nice to have. The wiper & light stalks are easy to reach and operate. As with most Japanese cars, the Ciaz has sorted ergonomics. 

Leather upholstery is standard on the top variant. The chosen leather gels well with the rest of the interior & the stitching appears fine. The front seats, although a bit on the firmer side, offer good support. Remember, a firmer compound is preferred for long journeys. The driver's seat can be adjusted for height, but it somehow doesn't go low enough. Tilt the steering wheel all the way down and, even with the driver's seat at its lowest position, the wheel will touch your thighs. On the flip side, the height adjustment will easily accommodate short drivers. The ABC pedals are properly spaced out and there is a raised dead pedal area to rest your left foot. Good thing that the seatbelts are height-adjustable. 

Frontal visibility is satisfactory. Though the A-pillars are thick, they don't pose as much of a problem as in the SX4. The ORVMs are nicely styled and electrically foldable. They could have been a little wider though. The IRVM is an electrochromic mirror. 

The dials in the simple instrument cluster are new, although the layout is very similar to the Swift / Dzire. It's easy to read on the go. To the left bottom corner is a temperature gauge, while the right bottom corner houses the fuel gauge. The MID offers the usual data: real-time & average fuel economy, distance to empty counter, temperature & time. Various settings for security levels, lights etc. can be accessed via the MID. 

The 7" touchscreen of the 'SmartPlay infotainment system' is a highlight. It has USB, AUX, SD card and Bluetooth connectivity. Video playback is possible via USB & SD card. Sound output is via 6 speakers - one on each door, and 2 tweeters located on the front doors (near the A-Pillar). The touchscreen doubles up as a reversing camera and navigation system. Maps have been sourced from Nokia. The system supports smartphone integration and has an SMS readout function. However, everyone at the drive agreed that it didn't appear to be compatible with all smartphones. My Sony Xperia was one of them, so I couldn't test phone-related functions. The infotainment system also accepts voice commands; those for playing music worked beautifully. Maruti says that the ICE has been optimised to understand Indian accents. As loaded as the head-unit is, I found it to be sluggish. Response times can be slow. 

Below the infotainment system are the display & controls for the climate control. The system is capable and cools the interiors sufficiently well. 

There's plenty of storage in the Ciaz's cabin. The glovebox is medium sized. At the bottom of the waterfall console is a cubicle with a plastic lid that can be opened via a push & click action. Here lies a 12V power outlet, USB / Aux-in ports and two cup holders. This area is illuminated with a red light which comes on with the parking lights. Neat touch! All 4 doors get storage pockets and can hold water bottles. There is a sunglass holder for the driver, and a center armrest with a storage bin underneath. What's unique is the small pocket sewn onto the front seat where one can park a smartphone or the odd item.

Dashboard gets a dual-tone theme with classy faux wood & silver inserts:


Angled shot of the cockpit:


Typical Maruti steering wheel is nice to hold. It can be adjusted for height, but not reach. Reaching the horn pad is a bit of a stretch:


Large & well-spaced audio controls. 'Mute' button is useful:


Buttons for operating the telephone function are unconventionally located lower down. Not the most user-friendly. Should've been on the right of the steering wheel, as is usually the case:


Typical Maruti instrument cluster. Simple & functional. White backlighting is very classy:


MID has readouts for outside temperature, average & real-time fuel economy, distance to empty, 2 trip meters etc.


The engine start / stop button. Located on the right (not left, as is usually the case). With the smartkey in your pocket, press the clutch and hit this button to fire up the engine. Press it without the clutch to access accessory & 'ignition on' modes:


Smartkey has a boot release button too:


7" touchscreen audio system. Not available yet, until some bugs are sorted. We found its response times to be slow:


The home screen:


Choose from many media options:


Navigation by Nokia:


Straightforward interface allows you to search for a particular location with ease:






Effective climate control. Look is typically Maruti:


Storage compartment right below has a plastic lid with a soft closing action:


Opening the cover reveals a power outlet, Aux-in & USB sockets and two cupholders. The area is illuminated with a red light which turns on with the parking lights:


Front seats provide adequate support. They're placed too high though:


Driver's seat is height-adjustable:


Front seats get a full-sized bar for fore & aft adjustment:


Front doors open in a triple-stage action. Door pads are predominantly beige. They house a speaker, tweeter, 1 liter bottle holder and (very usable) door pocket:


Same console as the Swift, Dzire etc. Driver's window gets auto up / down functionality. Door mirrors are electrically foldable:


A closer look at the door-mounted tweeter:


I would have preferred wider ORVMs:


Pedals are well spaced. Dead pedal is actually just a pad on the floor:


Footwells are illuminated with a red light. It can be dimmed or switched off by using the stalk jutting out of the instrument cluster:


Buttons for the parking sensor, foglamps and headlight beam adjuster are located on the RHS of the dashboard:


Height-adjustable seatbelts:


Driver armrest is soft & comfortable. Located too far back to be useful for all drivers though:


Lifting the armrest reveals a storage bin with a card & pen holder:


The handbrake area. No cubby holes here:


Simple glovebox is medium-sized:


Electrochromatic rear view mirror (automatic day / night mode switching):


Twin cabin lights with a sunglass holder:


Sunglass holder has a soft opening action:


Passenger-side sunvisor gets a ticket holder on the mirror's cover:


Vanity mirror only for the co-passenger: