[dZired]

Maruti Suzuki Ciaz has managed to clock 100,000 sales in the Indian market. The Ciaz was launched in October 2014, and hence took less than two years to achieve the above-mentioned sales milestone. This success of the Ciaz comes as a respite to Maruti Suzuki, as the brand wasn't really able to make a mark in the premium sedan and SUV segment with its earlier offerings like the Suzuki Kizashi and Grand Vitara.

In the monthly sales charts, Maruti Ciaz has been the leader in the mid-size sedan segment for May 2016, selling more units than its rivals like the Honda City, VW Vento, and Hyundai Verna.

The sales figures for the Ciaz were boosted after the introduction of SHVS (Smart Hybrid Vehicle from Suzuki), which is a mild-hybrid technology. The SHVS technology has improved the fuel efficiency of the car to a company claimed 28.09 kmpl, which makes it India's most fuel-efficient Diesel car. In addition to the lower fuel consumption, the Ciaz SHVS diesel gets many financial incentives from the government, which include a recent excise duty reduction to 12.5 percent from the earlier 24 per cent. Being a mild-hybrid, the Ciaz SHVS was also exempted from the odd-even car rationing rule in New Delhi.

The Maruti Suzuki Ciaz is offered in both petrol and diesel trims. The 1.4-litre, four-cylinder petrol engine is tuned to deliver 91.1 BHP and 130 Nm of torque, while the 1.3-litre SHVS diesel engine develops 88.5 BHP and 200 Nm of peak torque.



Link to Team-BHP News

[GTO]

Third time lucky . The Baleno sedan was a flop, the SX4 received a lukewarm market response at best, but the Ciaz hit the bull's eye!

The Ciaz had a lot of things going for it. The all-rounded nature, spacious cabin, big boot, nice ride and long equipment list. Being priced lower than its chief competitor certainly helped, and the price dropped further down thanks to the SHVS & related tax subsidies. Not a car for enthusiasts (it's b-o-r-i-n-g to drive), yet one that's perfect for the mass market. I've recommended a lot of Ciaz' to chauffeur-driven owners instead of the Nissan Sunny which I own. While the Sunny is equally a terrific car to be driven around in, Nissan's shoddy sales support means its off my recommendation list. And therein lies the difference - not only is the Ciaz competent, it's also backed by the best after-sales network in the country.

Of course, the lack of fierce competition definitely helped the Ciaz. Honda moved the 4th-gen City half a segment up. The Verna was getting old, the Vento & Rapid were even older and the Ford Fiesta was a flop.

We've got a treat coming up for you guys. Maruti took Moderator FlyingSpur on a factory tour to show how the Ciaz is built. Expect the report to be up later in July.

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Originally Posted by GTO

Third time lucky . The Baleno sedan was a flop, the SX4 received a lukewarm market response at best, but the Ciaz hit the bull's eye!

SX4 received a very good response initially and was considered a real winner against the 2nd generation City.

I repeat, 2nd generation City. Because IMO - that was the biggest blunder committed by Maruti for the launch of the SX4 and one that they corrected for the Ciaz with almost sheer perfection.

SX4 was launched in May 2007 and benchmarked against the outgoing Honda City. They did almost everything right from features (ACC, airbags, ABS, alloy wheels, leather seats etc) to specs (16 inch 205 section tyres, higher GC etc) to dimensions and had it all going for it. What they did not prepare for - was the drastic change that was going to happen to the City in the upcoming generation which got launched shortly - in just another year (Oct 2008!). City transformed itself from a dolphin faced hatch with an added boot to a space age design that came back in time to save Honda against Maruti.

SX4 went from segment best to outdated within a year of launch!

In fact, in exactly one year as our bhp'ian caught the undisguised City back in May 2008 and SX4 lost its charm almost overnight - http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/indian...s-pg-39-a.html

With the Ciaz they played their cards much better. Waited for the October 2013 launch of the fourth generation City and benchmarked it properly against the fresh new contender and took it head on! No unexpected surprises this time around.

Originally Posted by GTO

We've got a treat coming up for you guys. Maruti took Moderator FlyingSpur on a factory tour to show how the Ciaz is built. Expect the report to be up later in July.

Originally Posted by GTO

The Ciaz had a lot of things going for it. The all-rounded nature, spacious cabin, big boot, nice ride and long equipment list. Being priced lower than its chief competitor certainly helped, and the price dropped further down thanks to the SHVS & related tax subsidies. Not a car for enthusiasts (it's b-o-r-i-n-g to drive), yet one that's perfect for the mass market. I've recommended a lot of Ciaz' to chauffeur-driven owners instead of the Nissan Sunny which I own. While the Sunny is equally a terrific car to be driven around in, Nissan's shoddy sales support means its off my recommendation list. And therein lies the difference - not only is the Ciaz competent, it's also backed by the best after-sales network in the country.

Its not a sweet happy ending yet though! Maruti still has a big chink in their armour - the weak petrol motor. Whatever success Ciaz has achieved is majorly due to the competent diesel engine which can stand up to the City without fear. The added hybrid gimmick helped matters too! The same can't be said about the 1.4 petrol which is nowhere close the 1.5 iVTec of the Honda.

With the market preferences shifting towards petrol variants - Maruti would better off getting the boosterjet engines in the Ciaz as soon as possible.

[PrasannaDhana]

Agree with all GTO has said. I don't agree with the perception that Ciaz is slow. It definitely isn't. 11 months and 20000 km of ownership, Ciaz diesel has left me mighty impressed, except for that fun to drive quotient. But if it is your only drive, you will get used to the non enthusiastic nature. I drove my Chevy Beat diesel after a long time of driving only the Ciaz, and to my surprise Beat felt a lot more involving to drive.

That said, if you are chauffeur driven or a sedate driver, there isn't a better car at that price.

PS: Ciaz sales took a beating in June. Did only 2800 numbers while City gained its lead with 3500 units sold.

[drmohitg]

Originally Posted by PrasannaDhana

Agree with all GTO has said. I don't agree with the perception that Ciaz is slow. It definitely isn't. 11 months and 20000 km of ownership, Ciaz diesel has left me mighty impressed, except for that fun to drive quotient. But if it is your only drive, you will get used to the non enthusiastic nature.

You contradicted yourself there . GTO called the car "boring to drive", not slow literally. Its like a cheaper version of Altis diesel. I have driven it on good 3 digit speeds but it takes its own sweet time to reach those speeds.

[searacer932]

Well the Honda City crossed the same milestone in less than 15 months and that's not even 1.5 years! Just shows how much catch-up Maruti has to do!

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/...w/46823094.cms

[PrasannaDhana]

Originally Posted by drmohitg

You contradicted yourself there . GTO called the car "boring to drive", not slow literally. Its like a cheaper version of Altis diesel. I have driven it on good 3 digit speeds but it takes its own sweet time to reach those speeds.

No I didnt. I said i agree with ALL that he has said. There is a perception among people that ciaz is slow, i disagree with that. And it doesnt take a lot of time to get to three digit speeds, (11.2s to a ton) actually faster than the city diesel to a hundred. I have taken it to its limits, trust me, the problem with ciaz is not that it cant do higher triple digit speeds, but the way in which it gets there (not the time, again)

[paragsachania]

Originally Posted by PrasannaDhana

And it doesnt take a lot of time to get to three digit speeds, (11.2s to a ton) actually faster than the city diesel to a hundred.

There is absolutely no doubt about the way the Ciaz Diesel picks up speed and not just that, it has got a top end that is equally impressive (And higher) if you compare that with other 1.3 DDiS/Multijet equipped engine cars churning 90 horses.

Have witnessed myself during our regular drives with 3 different cars sporting the same engine under the hood where the Ciaz is way quicker to the rest.

With good acceleration, cruising abilities, excellent FE, features that actually made sense along with space made sure there were enough takers for this.

Regarding choice between the Petrol & Diesel, I would pick up the 1.5 iVTEC Honda City any day for its refinement levels and the power.

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Originally Posted by searacer932

Well the Honda City crossed the same milestone in less than 15 months and that's not even 1.5 years! Just shows how much catch-up Maruti has to do!

City has built a reputation for over three generations already before the current one hit the market. It has been the undisputed champion of this segment for more than a decade! People don't even need a second opinion on it, everyone knows it is the benchmark for this segment.

On the other hand, Maruti had two failed runs and had to drop the brand names as well - both with the Baleno and the SX4. Ciaz is an all new take on the midsize segment from Maruti.

Keeping this background in mind - the accomplishment seems much bigger for the Maruti than the Honda this time around. I wouldn't say Maruti won, because as we have seen earlier with the Verna as well - other brands tend to lose against the City once they start relaxing on the initial success.

[advaitlele]

Originally Posted by GTO

The Ciaz had a lot of things going for it. The all-rounded nature...
Not a car for enthusiasts (it's b-o-r-i-n-g to drive), yet one that's perfect for the mass market.

Absolutely right GTO. As a "one in a million" I can vouch for it. It ticks all the boxes. And it is not a "fun to drive" like old Fiesta, or "solid" as Vento or great pickup as T-Jet Fiesta etc. But it is p.e.r.f.e.c.t for the driver like me and I have mentioned that in my ownership review.

Originally Posted by GTO

We've got a treat coming up for you guys. Maruti took Moderator FlyingSpur on a factory tour to show how the Ciaz is built. Expect the report to be up later in July.

That would a great thread I am sure, anticipating it already.

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

SX4 received a very good response initially and was considered a real winner against the 2nd generation City.

With the Ciaz they played their cards much better. Waited for the October 2013 launch of the fourth generation City and benchmarked it properly against the fresh new contender and took it head on! No unexpected surprises this time around.

For the first time, I really loved a Maruti car for its features and value-for-money factor. They waited and designed the car with all the features that were head-on with its biggest rival and it has paid off.

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

Its not a sweet happy ending yet though! Maruti still has a big chink in their armour - the weak petrol motor.
...

With the market preferences shifting towards petrol variants - Maruti would better off getting the boosterjet engines in the Ciaz as soon as possible.

Boosterjet would attract of new customers who dont want to drive "boring" car for sure. I didn't find petrol a "weak" motor any time, except for one ocassion when driving steep ghats with fully loaded (passengers and boot) on a hot summer afternoon. I can easily cruise on highway and city traffic its equally good. Of course, you would feel it's week when you see it against likes of T-jets.

Originally Posted by searacer932

Well the Honda City crossed the same milestone in less than 15 months and that's not even 1.5 years! Just shows how much catch-up Maruti has to do!

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/...w/46823094.cms

It surely has a lot of catching up to do. Honda City had its advantage in the name and legacy as well, which Ciaz is establishing now. Hopefully, it continues the same rigor in future as well.

[RavenAvi]

Commendable feat, indeed.

Maruti-Suzuki didn't try to beat in-segment competitors with the Ciaz, but they built it according to their own strengths - dynamite pricing, proven and reliable engines, a huge and spacious cabin, a humongous boot, updated features and the Maruti-Suzuki badge which ensured peace of mind and a fuss-free ownership experience - and let it challenge the might of the Honda City on it's own terms.

The market responded well, and the icing on the cake was the unique diesel SHVS option.

Sure, it took some time to reach this milestone, but in this particular segment which was the toughest for the domestic automotive leader to crack, the Ciaz has done extremely well. To challenge the City and even to beat it in monthly sales in even one month (let alone a few) was a huge accomplishment.

Not to forget, the Ciaz was highlighted to be the first Nexa offering. Glad that Maruti-Suzuki stuck to regular dealerships for the Ciaz though - it gave the C2-segment competitor much better exposure in the market and people liked it for what it brought to the table.

Now, it will be interesting to see how the Ciaz fares in the days to come. In this era of crossover SUVs which are seeing a steady rise in sales and whose competition is expected to grow even fiercer in the days to come, the Ciaz might have it's hands full in challenging two different segments at the same time. It's upto Maruti-Suzuki to keep the spotlight on their premium sedan offering as much as possible by giving it better engine options, more features and a good, substantial facelift when the time comes.

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Originally Posted by advaitlele

Boosterjet would attract of new customers who dont want to drive "boring" car for sure. I didn't find petrol a "weak" motor any time, except for one ocassion when driving steep ghats with fully loaded (passengers and boot) on a hot summer afternoon. I can easily cruise on highway and city traffic its equally good. Of course, you would feel it's week when you see it against likes of T-jets.

Of course its all relative. The 1.4 petrol might be good enough, but its the competition that makes matters worse for it. TJET is insignificant when it comes to sales, so the main benchmark here is the 1.5 iVTec which gives much better performance without a loss of FE compared to the 1.4 K series motor from Suzuki. Even Verna comes with a better 1.6 petrol motor.

When Maruti is the underdog in the segment, good enough wont do well against the Honda. They have to bring in the boosterjet to their advantage. There is a big price differential with the City so that shouldn't be a big problem IMO.

[supremeBaleno]

Not a bad achievement given the average success with the previous models from Suzuki in that segment. And I seem to see more of the Ciaz in non-Metros - for eg. find a lot of them in Kerala towns, but not as much in Chennai. I guess the City folks prefer the City.

The cabin space is humongous (relative to peers), especially at the rear. Sis has a petrol Ciaz which I drove once for around 80kms and while it wasn't anything great, it did not feel bad either. Would work for the normal buyer, which explains the sales.

[baskar]

Ciaz has a lot going for it. For one, the front-end of Ciaz is lot more sleek than City, in fact, I see it as closely resembling VW Passat in some way - the double barrel headlamps with projectors, prominent grill etc. If only it had a good automatic option, it would make it a complete car. With Maruti service network, reasonable maintenance costs, excellent fuel economy, roomy interiors, lots of features, "executive sedan" looks and all of this at a decent price, it could attract some of the higher end buyers like Corolla Altis.

[amitjha086]

1 lac is a great number. Would it be possible for any member to break that number into two categories viz petrol and diesel?