Amidst all the hype surrounding Maruti Ciaz’s phenomenal ARAI-certified fuel efficiency figure of 26.2 kmpl (diesel), the launch date is what everyone is waiting for which is scheduled for the first half of October 2014. And in an update, the folks at CarDekho.com share that the launch date of Ciaz may just be 10th of October.
Maruti had first launched its SX4 in 2007 against the Honda City and the price difference between both the cars was around a lakh rupees. The SX4 sold well initially but never actually came even remotely close to dethrone the Honda. Maruti wants another go at the segment and is better prepared this time!
Ciaz comes with some nifty features like projector headlamps, key-less entry, window blinds, touchscreen infotainment system, rear parking camera, climate control, ABS, two airbags, rear air-con vents, push button stop-start, 16-inch alloy wheels in top-end trims (lower-spec variants get 15-inchers), etc.
Motive power for Maruti’s flagship comes from engines borrowed from the Ertiga. Yes, the 1.6-litre petrol motor of the SX4 has been ditched in favour of the newer 1.4-litre K-series petrol motor that produces 92PS and 130 Nm torque. The diesel is the same Fiat-sourced unit that did duty on the outgoing SX4 too and all other diesels offered by Maruti at present. The 1248cc DDIS engine produces 90PS and 200Nm of torque – and hats-off to Maruti to get this engine to perform at its most efficient level yet under the hood of the Ciaz. We are talking about the fuel-efficiency here; let’s just hope that the driveability has not suffered…
The petrol Ciaz, unlike the petrol SX4, is not a heavy drinker too and has got an ARAI-certified fuel efficiency figure of 20.7 kmpl. With those big and impressive looks, Maruti’s latest salvo in the premium C-segment, Ciaz actually appears to be a very promising car and should worry the Hondas and Hyundais some bit!
Maruti should have learnt its lessons from Kizashi by now and we hope that it gets the pricing right too – so even though if it fails to lure Honda customers, it surely could pull a lot of them out from Hyundai, Ford, and Volkswagen showrooms.
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Ciaz Official Pic Gallery
