Four Reasons Why Maruti Ciaz Facelift Should Get 1.6-Litre Diesel Engine

The midsize sedan segment is going through an overhaul. All existing models are getting updates that have been due for long. While the Vento and Rapid have received updates this year itself, others like the Verna, City and the Ciaz will see their facelifts roll out in 2017. The Ciaz remains at par with its competitors in terms of features, comfort and design, but where it lacks is the power and mechanical options front. Aesthetic updates aside, here’s why we think the facelifted Ciaz should also get the 1.6-litre DDiS320 diesel engine. 

1. Lack Of Engine Options

The Ciaz is available with two engine options. The petrol unit is a 1.4-litre VVT unit which comes with an option of a four-speed automatic and a 1.3-litre DDiS diesel unit which is combined with Suzuki's mild hybrid tech. 

To start with, let's take the Hyundai Verna, for example. It offers four engine options in the line-up to choose from. The petrol engine range comprises a 1.4-litre and a 1.6-litre block. Similarly, the diesel options also comprise a 1.4-litre and a 1.6-litre unit. Buyers looking for efficiency get to choose between the 1.4-litre options whereas the ones looking for some fun driving get to pick from the 1.6-litre range. Coming to the Volkswagen Vento, it has three engine options in its portfolio. In petrol, there is a 1.6-litre MPI and a 1.2-litre turbocharged TSI unit to choose from. In terms of diesel, there is just one: a 1.5-litre TDI, but with an option of a seven-speed DSG gearbox. 

Although the Honda City and Skoda Rapid also have just two engine options – one petrol and one diesel, the City's petrol unit gets paddle shifters with a CVT transmission mated to the petrol engine and the Rapid gets an option of a seven-speed DSG gearbox with the diesel engine, expanding its variant range. 

So, overall, the Ciaz is limited to three mechanical combinations – a petrol manual/automatic and a diesel manual. If the Ciaz gets the 1.6-litre DDiS320 from the S-Cross, it will not only expand the product range but also make the Ciaz more attractive to people looking for a bigger engine for some spirited driving. 

2. A Punch Of Power In The Economy Range

Both the 1.4-litre petrol and the 1.3-litre DDiS diesel engines in the Ciaz are tuned towards driving in the city and eking out a good fuel economy. Hence, it lacks the punch, especially at lower RPMs. The petrol engine of the Ciaz produces 92PS of power and 130Nm of torque. The diesel unit, on the other hand, produces 90PS with 200Nm of torque. While this is good enough for most driving duties, there are more powerful options to choose from for enthusiasts. 

The Hyundai Verna's 1.6-litre petrol/diesel engines produce 123/128PS of power respectively. The City's 1.5-litre petrol/diesel variants have an output of 119/100PS and the Rapid's petrol/diesel outputs are 105/110PS, respectively, which is similar to the Vento. All of these cars are more powerful than the Ciaz. Having the 1.6-litre DDiS 320 diesel engine will propel it right into the heart of the competition with 120PS of max power and 320Nm of peak torque. 

3. Justification Of The 'RS' Badge

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The top-of-the-line Ciaz variants come with the RS badge. This badge gives the car a sporty body kit which has a rear boot-mounted spoiler, front and rear bumper under spoilers, side skirtings and all-black interiors. All these make the car look sporty, but with the same old tune of the engines, the Ciaz fails in the fun department. This problem can be sorted with the 120PS/320Nm diesel. Apparently, Maruti is planning to introduce a 1.5-litre petrol motor as well, especially for the RS variant. If this turns out true, the Ciaz will become a serious contender for the top position, performance-wise, in the segment. 

4. The ‘Premium’ Sedan 

The Ciaz facelift is pegged to be retailed via Nexa, Maruti’s chain of premium showrooms. If the idea is to position Ciaz as a premium offering, then it is only logical to also offer its customers a more powerful and lively engine option. The 1.6-litre diesel will attract more buyers who are looking for a premium sedan that’s high on performance and not oriented purely towards fuel economy. 

The Maruti Suzuki Ciaz, in particular, has been long overdue for an update. Launched back in October 2014, the sedan has remained practically unchanged for the past two years, which is not really a bad thing since it has remained on top of the sales charts for most of the time. With the update, the Ciaz might pack a lot of feature updates like daytime running LEDs, LED or bi-xenon headlamps and the new engines, making it even better than it is now. Expect a launch in the first half of 2017 with a price hike of about half a lakh.