Maruti Suzuki Ciaz

The Ciaz is an entry level mid-sized premium sedan launched by Maruti Suzuki, to replace the SX4. It comes in both diesel and petrol variants with various engine and transmission trims.
The Ciaz competes with Honda City, Hyundai Verna, Volkswagen Vento, Nissan Sunny and Renault Scala in the premium sedan segment.

EXTERIOR
The front fascia of the Ciaz features a wide radiator grille with chrome slats, big swept-back LEDs with DRLs. The Ciaz has received top of the class premium aerodynamic styling. The side profile looks more like the Kizashi, mostly due to the same 16inch alloys. A subtle chrome strip is present on the door panel, ORVMs with turn indicators, large tail lamps, and the boot is designed in such a way that it provides good aerodynamics.

INTERIOR
The interior design layout in Ciaz feels practical and modern. The beige and brown interiors gives a more premium feel, along with the clean layout of the dashboard. The instrument panel gets a twin pod display with analog speedometer and tachometer. It also features a SmartPlay multi-function touchscreen infotainment system which offers navigation, Bluetooth calling and audio controls, and it also gets a USB, Aux-in and SD card reader. The top-end variant will come equipped with Automatic climate control and rear AC vents.
The head/shoulder/leg room is sufficient even for tall passengers. It also provides smart storage areas in all 4 doors and a centrally placed armrest. The boot is also quite large with 510L of space.

ENGINE, PERFORMANCE, RIDE & HANDLING, MILEAGE & SAFETY
The Ciaz comes in both petrol and diesel variants with manual transmission and an AMT, petrol only, variant.
The petrol engine is powered by a 1.4L K-series motor which produces 92ps of maximum power and a peak torque of 130Nm and comes mated to a 5-speed manual transmission, while the diesel engine is Fiat?s 1.3L motor producing 89ps of power and 200 Nm of peak torque. The automatic variant is a 1.6L G-INNOTEC VVT petrol motor which is mated to a 4-speed automatic transmission gearbox, and it is exclusively for the Chinese market. As per ARAI, the petrol gives 20.73kmpl and the diesel gives 28.09kmpl of mileage.
The features include ? 7 inch touchscreen infotainment system, navigation system, rear sunshade, leather seats, keyless entry & go and a reversing camera.
The ride and handling quality of the Ciaz is soft and compliant. It has got a kind of suspension that is tuned to provide comfort.

CONCLUSION
Although the Ciaz falls short in front of the Vento, Verna and Rapid I terms of the 1.3L diesel engine. Even the 1.4L petrol engine is unable to match performance and power rating of Honda City i-VTEC and Vento TSi and it also lacks the solid build quality, which the competitors have.
The Ciaz is the widest and longest sedan, with ample of features and a not-so-solid build quality.