Maruti Suzuki Ciaz

It has taken a while to arrive, but India’s biggest carmaker has tried to make the wait worth it .

The last time Maruti had a proper sedan in its line-up was when the erstwhile Baleno was on sale. It was a good drive for its time, had enough space inside and enough meat under the hood. It wasn’t cheap, though, and neither was it a great looker. And, it died a natural death a few years down the line as India’s biggest carmaker went about on a major revamp of what went out of its Indian factory.

The next few years saw it tread the segment with a rather unique take. So, the sedans in the line-up happened to be either based on a hatchback (DZire), or a tiny SUV (SX4), and the results were mixed. Although the bigger, robust SX4 was a sales wonder in the beginning, its owners soon realised that it was indeed an SUV at heart, with the attendant bumpy ride and dynamics. It did get a midlife refresh, but it was too little, too late to allow Maruti a fair chance of battling it out with bigwigs such as the Honda City and the Hyundai Verna.

Well, things have changed with the all-new Ciaz. Having learnt their lesson, Maruti Suzuki engineers went back to the drawing board and started work from scratch, literally. So, the Ciaz is based on an all-new and decidedly lighter platform. Internally, it is called S-TECT (Suzuki-Total Effective Control Technology). It uses high-tensile steel in various sections of the body to improve overall rigidity of the chassis, making it feel more cohesive on the move. Also, what it has done is reduce the overall weight of the car. Variant to variant, the difference in kerb weight between the Ciaz and SX4 ranges from roughly 50kg for the base petrol to almost 120kg for the top-of-the-line diesel. And, that shows in performance and efficiency figures big time.

The Ciaz retains the same engines as the SX4, but these are tuned for better fuel efficiency and lower emissions. So, the petrol is a newer version of the 1.3-litre K-series engine that is used in the Ertiga, with a marginally lower peak power figure of 91bhp, but a slightly higher 130Nm of max torque. That’s around 10bhp and 20Nm lower than the current SX4 petrol version, but fuel consumption now stands at a healthier 20.7kpl (claimed). This is a typical Suzuki powertrain, which churns silently at idle but builds revs quite easily. It does get quite audible when you push the tacho needle towards the higher range, but does provide decent shove. Again, you don’t notice the reduced number of horses, thanks to the reduced weight. Low-end torque surfaces at 1200rpm, and that, coupled with a reasonably lighter body, delivers a better initial push.

The engine is mated to a five-speed gearbox that has short throws, which should keep the enthusiast in you interested if you decide to drive spiritedly on empty stretches. Surprisingly, the throws feel easier in the petrol version than in the diesel, but Maruti has yet to get the shift feel as right as modern Hyundais have done. There is a bit of vagueness as it slots in, which is a bit odd. Again, this is more noticeable in the five-speed manual gearbox of the diesel. Maruti showcased an automatic version, too, but that model will only hit showrooms a few months down the line.

The diesel unit is the evergreen number that single-handedly helped Maruti maintain its supremacy over the rest, at a time when the cheaper fuel was the craze of the nation. It powers a whole lot of Maruti cars in various levels of tune, and, in the Ciaz, it is the same 89bhp/200Nm unit that is found under the hood of the Ertiga and even the SX4. And, the logic behind using it cannot be faulted, because this is indeed one of the best everyday engines you can find around the world. The torque spread is immense and allows you to pull from any of the first three gears at any time.

Driveability through the cogs is amazingly efficient. On the road, the torque and the inherent lightness of the car makes building up speed an easy job. The gearshift quality is the only thing that lets the Ciaz, which is otherwise an effortless highway car, down. The suspension setup is fairly simple, but Maruti’s engineers have tried to strike a balance with a firm, yet supple ride. The Ciaz is pretty steady in a straight line and is not disturbed easily.

The steering is not dead at low speeds, but doesn’t exactly weigh up as speed builds up. That can be the only worry, because otherwise the car is quite capable of touching three-digit speeds with ease, and even maintaining speeds in excess of 120kph doesn’t seem to be a problem. The lighter steering is a bigger worry in the petrol version, because it isn’t as nose-heavy as the diesel. Lack of high-speed steering feedback aside, the Ciaz will undertake quick lane changes with poise despite a touch of body roll, especially at the rear. The car runs on 15-inch wheels on all variants except the top Z+, which gets 16-inch alloy wheels.

Compared to the SX, the Ciaz looks bigger, but both cars are actually similar in size. The Ciaz has a longer wheelbase, and that delivers a sense of it being a longer car.

The long wheelbase also frees up a lot of space inside. Legroom at the rear is incredible, and the seats are quite plush and comfy. A sedan isn’t complete without a proper boot, and the Ciaz doesn’t disappoint on that front. It gets a large 510-litre loading area, which is as commodious as the Honda City’s.

Maruti has kept the interior free of clutter. Everything is well laid out, and there are a number of cubbyholes and storage spaces. The dashboard is, like the rest of the interior, a clean waterfall design. The big thing here is a new multimedia system, complete with a large touchscreen interface called SmartPlay. It’s an interesting concept, with shortcut buttons to access functions such as audio modes, navigation and Bluetooth telephony. The SmartPlay can also be controlled via switches on the steering wheel. The instrument cluster is the classic two-dial unit.

For those who have seen the Ciaz Concept, which was exhibited at the 2014 Auto Expo, the production model’s design might seem like a bit of a letdown. None of the massive flowing lines of the headlights and flanks have been carried over. Nevertheless, the Ciaz has reasonable street presence. The large sweptback headlamps, pronounced front grille (the big chrome slats may remind you of the SX4) and large wheel arches give it a good chance of scoring brownie points against its rivals. More importantly, the proportions of a classic three-box are intact. A high shoulder line and swooping roofline add a touch of dynamism.

India will be the first country in the world to get this midsize sedan from the Suzuki stable, with the launch scheduled for sometime close to Diwali. The Ciaz’s launch in China, and, subsequently, other markets, is scheduled for mid-October. Prices were yet to be announced at the time of going to press, but company officials did maintain wanting to price it at par with the City, which might be a bit ambitious considering the higher brand value the Honda still commands. We think the Ciaz will go cheaper than that a sub Rs 10-lakh price tag for the top-of-the-line diesel - in which case we can safely assume that India’s biggest carmaker will finally play a bigger role in the upmarket segment of full-sized sedans, and will go higher, too.