The SX4 replacement, Maruti Suzuki Ciaz was revealed at 2014 Auto Expo in Delhi. The SX4 may be discontinued next year with the introduction of this vehicle. According to the reports, the Ciaz’s launch has been delayed and will be introduced in India this July. Dubbed YL1, the Ciaz has been spied testing in India several times. It is the all-new C-segment saloon competitor of Maruti Suzuki, which borrows design cues from Suzuki Authentics concept, showcased at Shanghai Auto Show last year. In terms of proportions, the vehicle was definitely ostentatious as the production version is sure to be considerably smaller.
Painted in dark maroon metallic paint, the Maruti Suzuki Ciaz gathered a lot of appreciation from the visitors. The automaker is planning to cash on the anticipation by bringing the vehicle pretty soon in India. The 1.4 liter K14 petrol powerplant, like the one found in Ertiga, will be powering the Ciaz. The diesel variant will be propelled by Fiat’s Multi-Jet Diesel 1.6 liter powerplant. The all-new Ciaz comes standard with plenty of features and equipments; these include air conditioning with climate control, an entertainment system with Bluetooth, steering mounted audio controls, cooled glove box, Electronic Brakeforce Distribution, Antilock Braking System and more.
The Maruti Suzuki Ciaz is based on the Maruti Suzuki Ertiga’s platform, which in turn is a modified platform upon which India’s best selling B+ segment hatchback, the Swift, is based. From the initial rash of spyshots, the quality of the Ciaz’s interiors, especially the dashboard bits appeared top notch. If this level of quality is carried over to the Ciaz’s production version, the automaker could make a dent on sales of other C-Segment sedans, something that SX4 could never manage. However, the indicated pricing between Rs. 9.5-12 lakh for Ciaz appears optimistic at best and we can’t fathom why MSIL would want to enter price points, which clearly now belongs to the SUV (Sport Utility Vehicle) brigade.
When introduced to India, the new Maruti Suzuki Ciaz will rival Renault Scala, Honda City, Hyundai Verna and Volkswagen Vento from the C-Segment.
