2018 Maruti Suzuki Ciaz | First Drive

I had before me a spruced up Maruti Suzuki Ciaz. It had now got a new 1.5 litre smart hybrid petrol engine with a 4-speed automatic transmission. I had to find out whether this new face-lifted Ciaz was ready to take on competition with a lot more vigour. The car is being offered with a new 1462cc smart hybrid petrol engine as well as the existing 1248 cc smart hybrid diesel engine. While the latter comes only with a 5 speed manual transmission, the petrol engine gets an option of a five speed manual transmission as well as a four-speed automatic transmission. We drove the top end automatic petrol variant for our review.

Exterior Design and Features of 2018 Maruti Suzuki CIaz

The exterior of the new Maruti Suzuki Ciaz has been tweaked to some extent. No, it does not come with a sunroof, rather the front has a new grille and bumper. It now has new auto LED projector headlamps with DRLs and even the fog lamps are LED with chrome garnish. The rear gets an LED combination lamp. With chrome bezels on front and rear fascia, the car definitely looks quite elegant. The rear bezels, in fact, give the impression that the car has dual exhausts. To add to the elegant looks are the 16 inches alloy wheels in dual tone metallic pebble grey finish. The car comes with electrically adjustable and foldable ORVMs. Though the new Ciaz has power windows, it is only the driver side that gets an auto up/down feature with anti-pinch.

Interior Design and Features of 2018 Maruti Suzuki CIaz

The elegant character of the new Ciaz is not confined to the exterior alone. Inside, you get to see a brand new setting with new Birch blonde wood grain accents that have an uber low gloss finish, satin chrome highlights on the dashboard and door trims, a new 4.2” Multi information colored TFT display and a speedometer which changes its colour depending on the driving pattern. Displays on the screen include fuel consumption, energy flow, trip details, driving range and gear shift indicator, which however is not there in the automatic. There is no compromise on the tech front with a touch screen that allows you functions like radio, navigation, call etc. The 17.8 cm touchscreen Smartplay infotainment system is compatible with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and Mirror Link.

The steering wheel can be adjusted for tilt but not for reach. There are several controls on the steering for functions like voice command, volume control and cruise control.

The top end we drove came with leather upholstery, a leather wrapped steering wheel, a lot of chrome garnish, etc. While the front seats are manually adjustable but very comfortable, the rear seats too are plush and practical. There is a rear AC vent and the seats come with adjustable headrests. Leg room, knee room, shoulder room and head room are very adequate. There is a boot space of 510 litres. Though there is a power socket for the rear passengers, there are no direct USB slots at the rear. Manually adjustable rear sunshade, rear reading lamps and ample storage spaces makes the new Ciaz a very practical car.

Safety and Performance of 2018 Maruti Suzuki Ciaz

The new Maruti Suzuki Ciaz has a smart hybrid technology. This means that the car has an inbuilt lithium-ion battery set up. Thus, each time you brake, the energy rather being wasted is stored in the batteries as part of a process known as brake energy regeneration. This in turn assists the engine’s idle start stop and the torque assist functions. The energy stored in the lithium-ion battery also assists during acceleration. Not only optimal acceleration and performance is achieved but this also increases fuel efficiency. The point I need to make is that this car is not the least boring to drive.

The automatic transmission comes with models like the Drive mode and even L and 2. The L and 2 are the modes that act like a manual mode for this automatic transmission. The L is used for steady climbs or for crawling. The 2 acts like the 2nd gear. Interestingly tucked away on the auto gear shift lever is a tiny OD button which when pressed switches off the OD function. In essence, this means you are driving in the third gear. A small bright light on the instrument panel  glows  which signifies that your speed will be limited. All in all, the L, 2 and OD modes are now playing the role of a manual mode in an automatic. Quite an interesting feature by Maruti Suzuki!

While driving down the national highway connecting Bengaluru and Hyderabad, I could not believe that this 4-speed automatic could behave like a 5-speed or 6-speed one. The power generation was so quick and linear that reaching speeds of 170kmph came without any struggle.

The new Maruti Suzuki Ciaz has the oomph factor when it comes to its ride quality with a suspension that soaks in a lot of the rough. Despite the drum brakes at the rear and disc in front, the braking ability of this car is no way compromised. While the car could have done with a few more airbags at the top end, it’s heartening that it has features like reverse parking sensors, reverse parking camera, speed alert system, Electronic Stability Programme with Hill Hold Assist. 

Verdict

The new Maruti Suzuki Ciaz has got the right tweaks, especially on the design and comfort front. Though it has scored on the performance front too with the new 1.5 litre Smart Hybrid petrol engine, the company should have offered at least six airbags in the top end variant of the car. Sadly, it comes with only two.