Maruti Suzuki Ciaz: What Happens Now?

In 2014, Maruti Suzuki launched the Ciaz mid-size sedan to compete with the likes of the popular Honda City and Hyundai Verna. The Ciaz has always been the vanilla flavour in a segment where its rivals have always focused on offering something more out of the box. Over the years, the Ciaz has sort of become the jack of all trades and master of none. In this article, we take a look at Ciaz’s relevance in the market to understand and break down its journey and what Maruti can do to make the sedan more appealing. 

No Updates! Why Maruti? 

While Maruti is no slouch in updating its cars and bringing in new models, the Ciaz is one such sedan that has been neglected. Since its launch back in 2014, it has only gotten a facelift in 2018 and there have been no major updates ever since. Back then, it used to compete in a fairly competitive segment, but over time, players like Volkswagen and Skoda chose to bring in newer products to achieve a stronghold in the segment with the Virtus and the Slavia. Both the twins are now giving the oldies good enough competition. In fact, rivals like the Honda City, and Hyundai Verna have not only received facelifts but have also undergone a generation change. 

Outdated Among The Herd Of New Sedans 

We understand that the Ciaz has maintained its stance of being the most affordable sedan in its segment, but at this point, it has started to feel outdated. It is a sedan that is capable of being a lot more but is pulled down and often looked upon due to its lack of features. While the competition is offering premium features like ADAS, larger displays, ventilated and powered front seats and much more, the Ciaz still gets a very basic set of features. 

Not only the features but there has been no substantial change in the way it looks. Its design language is similar to what it was when it was launched in 2014 and apart from subtle changes here and there, there have been no significant changes in terms of design. 

Lack Of Powertrains 

Similarly-sized sedans like the Virtus, Slavia and even the new Verna come with a turbo-petrol engine and the City comes with a strong hybrid powertrain as well. The Ciaz on the other hand, comes with a sole 105 PS 1.5-litre petrol engine which honestly feels underpowered when compared to its rivals. The Ciaz comes with a 4-speed automatic transmission which feels like it belongs to a car from a smaller weight category. 

Sales And Relevance 

The Ciaz currently does not really feel like a competitor to other cars in its segment. Instead, it feels like a more affordable alternative that is happy to be in the position where it is. Maruti’s cars are mostly top sellers in their respective segments, but the Ciaz falls short and its numbers aren’t as impressive now as they used to be. On an average, Maruti sells only 500 units of the sedan. 

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Apparently, it is a top choice amongst government dignitaries and bureaucrats because of its “affordable pricing” and suave, yet sober image.

Ciaz’s Way Ahead And Parting Thoughts 

Currently, Ciaz starts at a price of Rs 9.41 lakh and goes all the way up to Rs 12.29 lakh (ex-showroom). It is sold through Maruti’s premium chain, Nexa and is available in four variants. 

We at Zigwheels really want a sedan like the Ciaz to do well and reignite its spark. It won’t hurt Maruti to make the Ciaz more modern by introducing new features to keep it relevant in the market. Not that the design language of the current Ciaz is bad, but we have seen it a lot on our roads, haven’t we? Something fresher would be more than welcome! We have already seen the new Dzire taking a fresher approach in its design language and the same has been well-received as well, so the Ciaz could also possibly follow the footsteps of its younger sibling. 

Honestly, as long as the entry-level prices remain the same, the Ciaz could benefit from some new higher-spec variants with more features. While as a potential customer, one should not be saying this, but as an automotive journalist, it would be fair to say that a little price hike with more features and probably a newer design would do the Ciaz good. To know more about the Ciaz, head over our review. 

What do you think about the Maruti Ciaz? Let us know in the comments.