[blacksport]

Originally Posted by drmohitg

Its not about the cc. But the bhp figures of the car are a bit on the lower side. And during a overtaking maneouvre one would at times need to downshift to enter the torque zone. Same is the case with my Altis diesel. It can also go to 3 digit speeds easily but ofcourse during overtaking, if not planned properly, you would need to downshift.

The Ciaz just weight a tonne in petrol and 1.1 in diesel. Hence, I guess the engines are adequate for the audience they are targeting. To put it in perspective, the Linea diesel is 1.25 tonnes and comes with the same engine.

[itsashishsharma]

Originally Posted by blacksport

The Ciaz just weight a tonne in petrol and 1.1 in diesel. Hence, I guess the engines are adequate for the audience they are targeting. To put it in perspective, the Linea diesel is 1.25 tonnes and comes with the same engine.

You are right, but comparing with the competetion, petrol is one of the least powerful. Diesel, on the other hand, being lightest, will not feel underpowered, though is not in Verna/Vento leauge.
Also, other than the bhp, we people are also not liking the driving dynamics, coupled with a so-so engine would make a bad driver's car.

To put it in perspective, Fiesta's 1.5 TDCi is again, not in leauge of Vento pr Verna, but the excellent driving dynamics make it a better driver's car and that is what we like.

[Kratos453]

Originally Posted by blacksport

- Banged my shoulder against the top while getting out.

I thought I was the only one to have banged my shoulder against the top while getting out. I am happy I've got a company

[tejas08]

Originally Posted by Keralite

I think this only a comment and not a review, no offence friend !

Just by hearing the cc of the engine, one cannot underestimate its capability. I am not here to advertise for Ciaz, but when I own a car (read SX4) which is also equipped with the same engine and driven it extensively (40K km plus), never I felt, even for one instance to downshift for overtaking.

Morever, what we will do with more than a 100 bhp power vehicle in our cities - we will do racing? And on the highway I don't think anybody would say this engine is underpowered when you can go at higher speeds and I must say, reaching that digit is so effortless too.

Issue here is the "comparison only based on the cc of the engine".

IN THE REAL WORLD, THIS ENGINE DELIVERS!

My point was never regarding the Engine capacity, but regarding its power. 30% less power is a significantly lower power specially when you have other manufacturers who are having vehicles with good power as well as fairly good FE.

A simple example is the Honda City 2014. With 30% more power the ARAI FE rating is only 10% less than that of the Ciaz.

Also, the 30% less power will be evident right from the start and not only at speeds about 120 where the vehicle starts reaching max. power.

I think some others on the forum to put up some other arguments of why Ciaz will lack that 'zing' if I may say for a 10L-off Sedan buyer, unless the buyer is more inclined towards a Maruti Suzuki.

[malq]

Latest update is that I received a phone call today and was told that I can, if I make full payment, get the colour of my choice but only in VXi or maybe VXi+, and maybe in a week or two but no guarantees about anything. This is on telephone by senior sounding guy from the dealer who also informs that properly registered, insured and capitalised test-drive vehicle (as different from "display" vehicle or un-registered vehicle) is not available.

Dealer appears to be keen to promote the VXi version in white for some reason. This is in the heart of South Delhi.

I have no idea what is going on. Maybe most Maruti-Suzuki dealers are only good at selling cars with waiting lists and premiums. I am getting the same sinking feeling I got when we went to buy a Baleno in 2004 but ended up opting first for a Honda City and then eventually buying the Chevrolet Optra 1.6 . . . anycase, now we are not going to buy anything till well after Diwali so the Ciaz appears to be, sadly, history for us.

[blacksport]

Originally Posted by itsashishsharma

You are right, but comparing with the competetion, petrol is one of the least powerful. Diesel, on the other hand, being lightest, will not feel underpowered, though is not in Verna/Vento leauge.
Also, other than the bhp, we people are also not liking the driving dynamics, coupled with a so-so engine would make a bad driver's car.

To put it in perspective, Fiesta's 1.5 TDCi is again, not in leauge of Vento pr Verna, but the excellent driving dynamics make it a better driver's car and that is what we like.

I have a different view. The target audience intended do not fare for either engine or dynamics. For them, ciaz is a good enough car. Ciaz would have competition only from dzire in my opinion.

There is no point comparing either the vento/rapid or the fiesta or even the city with the ciaz. I don't think any enthusiast is going to even consider the ciaz as his primary car. If he does, he is not an enthusiast at all.

[giri1.8]

Originally Posted by blacksport

I have a different view. The target audience intended do not fare for either engine or dynamics. For them, ciaz is a good enough car. Ciaz would have competition only from dzire in my opinion.

There is no point comparing either the vento/rapid or the fiesta or even the city with the ciaz. I don't think any enthusiast is going to even consider the ciaz as his primary car. If he does, he is not an enthusiast at all.

So a guy/girl is considered an enthusiast depending on their ride of choice? try posting about our hardcore performance 1.6L diesel with mind blowing 100+ hp on an western enthusiast forums to be frank NONE of the cars we have are performance oriented, so there is no need to insult people who choose puny 1.3 diesel over monstrous 1.5L engines.

Peace.

[drmohitg]

Originally Posted by giri1.8

So a guy/girl is considered an enthusiast depending on their ride of choice? try posting about our hardcore performance 1.6L diesel with mind blowing 100+ hp on an western enthusiast forums to be frank NONE of the cars we have are performance oriented, so there is no need to insult people who choose puny 1.3 diesel over monstrous 1.5L engines.

Peace.

Ouch. I think the OP there made a valid point. We cant compare our market with what Western markets have. But in our market an out and out enthusiasts car would be a Fiesta/Tjet/Vento rather than a City/Ciaz/Verna. Why take offence in that? Yes in name of practicality and intended use for the car, the final decision might be in favour of any of these cars. But if I ask you as a newbie that I am looking for a performance oriented car in this segment then you certainly won't recommend me the Ciaz right? All this notwithstanding, the Ciaz is still a very competent product.

[blacksport]

Originally Posted by giri1.8

So a guy/girl is considered an enthusiast depending on their ride of choice? try posting about our hardcore performance 1.6L diesel with mind blowing 100+ hp on an western enthusiast forums to be frank NONE of the cars we have are performance oriented, so there is no need to insult people who choose puny 1.3 diesel over monstrous 1.5L engines.

Peace.

My apologies if you felt insulted. There is nothing wrong in calling the ciaz a non-enthusiast's car. If all cars are the same then why should we have so many different cars?

World's best selling car, the corolla, is not an enthusiast's car. In fact I remember somebody (vidd?) lamenting in the new corolla thread that this time they tried to make it more acceptable for enthusiasts, resulting in a car that has much lesser passenger comfort than what corolla is famous for.

It is not an insult to be called a non-enthusiast. I am graying, and with every passing year, I am looking for more comfort, reliability and predictability from my car. Preferences change and it ain't a bad thing at all.

[RSR]

Originally Posted by malq

For what it is worth, the used car "dealers" in the famous South Delhi motor market in Lajpat Nagar near where I live, who I met during my morning walk earlier today, tell me that there is "nil premium" on the advance booking for the Ciaz which some of them had done. That single point tells more of a story about the realities of the car's prospects than anything else...

I don't know if I'm missing something that's very obvious to everyone else, but what is the link between your used car dealer friends, advance booking amount and the sales prospects of the Ciaz (or any car for that matter)?

It would be helpful if you could shed some more light on this. Thanks!

[Kratos453]

Originally Posted by giri1.8

So a guy/girl is considered an enthusiast depending on their ride of choice? try posting about our hardcore performance 1.6L diesel with mind blowing 100+ hp on an western enthusiast forums to be frank NONE of the cars we have are performance oriented, so there is no need to insult people who choose puny 1.3 diesel over monstrous 1.5L engines.

Peace.

Don't take it hard on yourself. I am a Maruti owner myself yet agree to the fact that Ciaz lacks enthusiasm, especially after having taken a test drive.

I have driven Vento quiet a lot and having recently taken honda city's test drive, I found Ciaz lacking in many aspects in-comparison.

Maruti Ciaz is a package that is made for people who just like to have a sedan rather than those who really need a sedan.

[pdma]

Hello All,

A quick update the delivers have started , someone known to me has taken the delivery of the car last week. Few details below.

Variant : ZDI
Colour : Brown
City : Hubli , Karnataka.

Cheers,
pdma.

[giri1.8]

Originally Posted by drmohitg

Ouch. I think the OP there made a valid point. We cant compare our market with what Western markets have. But in our market an out and out enthusiasts car would be a Fiesta/Tjet/Vento rather than a City/Ciaz/Verna. Why take offence in that? Yes in name of practicality and intended use for the car, the final decision might be in favour of any of these cars. But if I ask you as a newbie that I am looking for a performance oriented car in this segment then you certainly won't recommend me the Ciaz right? All this notwithstanding, the Ciaz is still a very competent product.

I agree with his view that Ciaz is not so performance oriented car in its segment, but there is no need to tag Ciaz owners as non-enthusiast I feel. I am not sure if I should say this, I am a biker and always feel that bikes are the best way to have fun while burning fuel(I just see cars, except powerful petrol ones, as commuting machines) but I never say that on forums since it might hurt someone.

Originally Posted by Kratos453

Don't take it hard on yourself. I am a Maruti owner myself yet agree to the fact that Ciaz lacks enthusiasm, especially after having taken a test drive.

I have driven Vento quiet a lot and having recently taken honda city's test drive, I found Ciaz lacking in many aspects in-comparison.

Maruti Ciaz is a package that is made for people who just like to have a sedan rather than those who really need a sedan.

Originally Posted by blacksport

My apologies if you felt insulted. There is nothing wrong in calling the ciaz a non-enthusiast's car. If all cars are the same then why should we have so many different cars?

World's best selling car, the corolla, is not an enthusiast's car. In fact I remember somebody (vidd?) lamenting in the new corolla thread that this time they tried to make it more acceptable for enthusiasts, resulting in a car that has much lesser passenger comfort than what corolla is famous for.

It is not an insult to be called a non-enthusiast. I am graying, and with every passing year, I am looking for more comfort, reliability and predictability from my car. Preferences change and it ain't a bad thing at all.

I apologise for my harsh reply, it was never intended that way. I accept your view about Ciaz, and yes as a public forum we have our rights to post about our POV, BUT some of the members here opted for Ciaz over the Europeans due to maintenance cost and other obvious reasons(we ourself have a polo), so calling them as non-enthusiast might hurt them more that you think.

Bike I own is not the fastest or the best handling, but it is something which fits my requirement, but I did take it to race-track and enjoyed every bit of it, on the contrary I saw a mercedes C63 AMG owner being driven by chauffeur. As they say, it not about the ride.

Peace

[itsashishsharma]

Originally Posted by blacksport

I am graying, and with every passing year, I am looking for more comfort, reliability and predictability from my car. Preferences change and it ain't a bad thing at all.

My take is, why are we made to chose between better ownership experience and fun? Why are the days of 5 speed Maruti 800, Alto 1.1, Zen, Esteem, Baleno all gone? It is the same manufacturer after all. Baleno was hell of a machine. My father still drives his 2006 Baleno, after more than 1L KM, it is still the original clutch, you just fill petrol and run it, maintenance is no issue, man it is durable. And I can't talk about the sporty suspension, the handling which is spot on, that sweet steering, those comfortable seats, that driving position.. the list never ends. Also, if you want to be chauffer driven, the back seat was among the most comfortable, ride was best in the segment. That 1.6L petrol was really good for all kinds of usages but was not really happy to rev, which after all that Baleno has, is just acceptable and man I don't have enough words for that build quality..
But what happened than? How come we see the hedious Alto800, the WagonR, the Celerio, the DZire, the Ciaz now? Except the Swift/DZire combo, there is nothing there which we would want to drive, and believe me, if you know what I am talking about, my Swift K1.2 is FTD, yes, but it doesn't even come close to that sweet suspension/steering combo of the Baleno. And if somebody picks 'Baleno' from here as I repeatedly used it to compare, I had an 98' Esteem before, I have driven a 98' Zen for years and the Alto 1.1 too and this comparision is between products from MUL from before and now, and it is not about one particular car.

Originally Posted by giri1.8

I agree with his view that Ciaz is not so performance oriented car in its segment, but there is no need to tag Ciaz owners as non-enthusiast I feel. I am not sure if I should say this, I am a biker and always feel that bikes are the best way to have fun while burning fuel(I just see cars, except powerful petrol ones, as commuting machines) but I never say that on forums since it might hurt someone.

You just said it dear, though politely. Hehe. I never had a bike, tried riding once, only once, got no reason to try again.
I own a petrol Swift and it works for me, it is a very competent machine. Frankly, I have seen bikes as a cheaper mean to commute, and as an Indian, I bound to say that because we don't even see much Yamaha R15 bikes, leave alone the real performance bikes. I believe a Pulsar 150 is more than sufficient for a regular Joe to commute to office and have little fun in between. I think a regular petrol Swift is a Pulsar 150 of the 4 wheelers, just good enough. Well, I wanted to have a bike once, father didn't allow as cars are safer generally speaking.

I apologise for my harsh reply, it was never intended that way. I accept your view about Ciaz, and yes as a public forum we have our rights to post about our POV, BUT some of the members here opted for Ciaz over the Europeans due to maintenance cost and other obvious reasons(we ourself have a polo), so calling them as non-enthusiast might hurt them more that you think.
Bike I own is not the fastest or the best handling, but it is something which fits my requirement, but I did take it to race-track and enjoyed every bit of it, on the contrary I saw a mercedes C63 AMG owner being driven by chauffeur. As they say, it not about the ride.
Peace

You are a polite man sir. Hehe.. I just don't understand why Maruti can't bring cars which are cheaper to maintain and hassle free, though have enough grunt to satisfy the enthu within ourselves. A businessman from a small city once purchased the DZire VDi in 2009. He is no enthusiast, doesn't know a thing aboutt cars but he really liked the turbo kick. That is one of the factors which contributed towards making Swift diesel look a better option over Fiats and others. Now I hear that they have slightly toned down that turbo kick, why exactly, I fail to understand. And this goes for all the cars from Maruti. They all could have given a better engine or sportier suspension or a better steering.

[giri1.8]

Originally Posted by itsashishsharma

You just said it dear, though politely. Hehe. I never had a bike, tried riding once, only once, got no reason to try again.
I own a petrol Swift and it works for me, it is a very competent machine. Frankly, I have seen bikes as a cheaper mean to commute, and as an Indian, I bound to say that because we don't even see much Yamaha R15 bikes, leave alone the real performance bikes. I believe a Pulsar 150 is more than sufficient for a regular Joe to commute to office and have little fun in between. I think a regular petrol Swift is a Pulsar 150 of the 4 wheelers, just good enough. Well, I wanted to have a bike once, father didn't allow as cars are safer generally speaking.

We are going a bit off-topic I guess, sorry mods but do ride the latest performance bikes like RC 390 from KTM, hits 60Km/Hr in 2.xx seconds and 100 in less than 5.5 seconds and it costs 2.3L. Coming back to the topic, I guess Maruti is trying to offer only what the customer wants, yes people love swift's turbo boost, but try giving them better performance at the cost of mileage and all would strike it off as a gas guzzler(Diesel in this case).