New Maruti Suzuki Ciaz 2018 first drive review

When Maruti Suzuki first rolled out the Ciaz, they were once again stepping into territory that had been tough for them to crack. Yes, the SX4 did have a good run, but with the Honda City dominating the space, it was not where MSIL wanted to be. After all, they are the market leader and settling for a few rungs down the order isn’t their style. The Ciaz broke the jinx and has gone on to do brisk business for the company and is now the most popular sedan under the A3 segment and has sold over 2,20,000 units since it was launched. With the new Ciaz, MSIL is set to take that number even further and truly show their might in the midsize sedan segment.

Being a midlife facelift, Maruti Suzuki hasn’t toyed with the design too much, however what they have done is taken a good looking classic design and made subtle improvements in order to lend the car a sharper look. Starting with the front, the new Ciaz sports a brand new grille, new projector headlights and neat LED DRL strips at the bottom. You also get a revised front bumper with LED fog lamps and chrome inserts to give it a more upmarket appeal.

The silhouette remains the same; however the Ciaz does come with these awesome looking 16-inch alloys that are finished in a dual tone metallic pebble grey. The rear LED combination lamps look great at night and are a welcome change as is the extra chrome garnish on the back bumper. Overall, the new Ciaz looks a lot sharper than before and it does have that road presence that will get people to take a second look. I sure got enough heads to turn while testing this vehicle on the outskirts of Bangalore.

The cabin is all new as well and it is clear that Maruti Suzuki is aiming to capture the hearts of those who want a rather upmarket feel without having to shell out the big bucks. The two tone dash looks great and to give it that added rich touch you get a nice satin chrome highlight running right across and extending to the door trims as well. Add to that, MSIL has gone in for a birch blonde wood grain accent that also runs across the dashboard and door trims. It has a great finish and gives the interior a clean plush look. Having said that, the only grouse I had with the car in its entirety was the lever to adjust the seat height for the driver. I just wished it had a little more finesse.

As far as the space on board is concerned, the new Ciaz dominates on this account by having the roomiest cabin in the business. The legroom is fantastic for both front and back passengers and the cabin has a nice airy feel. The seats have been crafted to be nice and firm, which I personally found to be rather comfortable and while on the topic of convenience I should add that the Ciaz does get a rear AC vent and power outlet as well.

In terms of the tech on board, the Ciaz comes packed with features that include the new 4.2 inch multi information TFT display for the driver that gives you access to a plethora of information and some neat graphics as well. You also get steering mounted controls and a neat touchscreen infotainment system that pairs with both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Further to that, you can download the Suzuki Connect App and access an additional set of features that enhance the driving experience of the Ciaz. Other standard features on the top of the line Ciaz variant include a start/stop button, climate control air conditioning, cruise control and if you buy the automatic variant you also get hill hold assist and ESP.

Maruti Suzuki is offering the Ciaz with both petrol and diesel engine options. The diesel unit is the tried and tested DDiS 200 engine. The 1248cc unit delivers 88 hp and 200 Nm of torque and is only offered with a five speed manual transmission. It is a frugal unit and its refinement is second to none. Having said that, the real story that lies under the hood with the new Ciaz is the all new K15B petrol engine. Doing away with the 1.4 litre unit that did face a hint of criticism for not being peppy enough, Maruti Suzuki has decided to go with a bigger unit that promises more power, yet delivers a higher efficiency. The new 1462cc petrol unit delivers 103 hp and 138 Nm of torque and is available in both manual and automatic trims. The automatic unit is a four speed box, however before I get talking about how the car drives, there is more to the drive system that needs to be known!

The new Ciaz gets the next generation SHVS system (smart hybrid) that runs a lithium-ion and lead acid battery set up in order to offer an enhanced driving experience. Key features include idle start/stop at signals or in traffic to help increase efficiency, brake energy regeneration technology to charge the high capacity batteries and you also get the torque assist function. Now you would have noticed that the Ciaz petrol only offers 138 Nm of torque, which might seem a little low for a car this size, but using this smart technology, Maruti has managed to make the engine feel ‘bigger’ than it really is as the energy in the Lithium-Ion battery assists the engine while accelerating and that makes the petrol Ciaz feel rather peppy. With that, you also get optimized performance at all times without sacrificing on efficiency.

With all that tech, the new Ciaz petrol drives like a dream. It is peppy, responsive and by no means can you ever refer to the Ciaz as an underpowered vehicle ever again. Even the four speed automatic version is quite responsive and the gearbox is smooth and great for those who want a city car with that added convenience. Suzuki has also spent a lot of time in getting the suspension right and all it takes is one small drive down a bad road to realize just how well it has been tuned. The car remains composed at high speeds, yet manages to soak in the road undulations to give you a feeling as though you are gliding along the road – yes it is that good! Overall, the Ciaz is a joy to drive and the efficiency that it offers is the icing on the cake.

Safety is undoubtedly one of the leading concerns for car buyers today and the Ciaz doesn’t disappoint on that front either. You get dual front airbags, full frontal and pedestrian impact compliance, seatbelt pre-tensioners with force limiters, ABS, EBD and of course the Suzuki-TECT body that has been crafted to disperse crash energy effectively in the case of an accident. It also allows the car to be built light, yet strong.

With the new Ciaz, Maruti Suzuki knows that they have upped the game in the category and are going to go on to do brisk business. The Ciaz is a force to reckon with and if all the features and tech don’t win you over, then the pricing surely will! This is a car that you just can’t go wrong with and if MotorScribes handed out car ratings, we’d give the new Ciaz a solid 9.5/10!