[SchumiFan]

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

Features comparison. Entry levels variants are City are bare-bones spec, only saving grace being the standard inclusion of ABS and driver airbags.

Wonderful post, CrAzY dRiVeR! Hits the nail on the head. City is no longer premium and there is no definitive car in this segment that gives the consumer all they want in a car. Suzuki didn't try creating a perfect car. They gave a car which is jack of all trades. Considering their expertise in service even though expensive, it bodes very well for Maruti and if people can come out of the 'Honda=Premium' mindset they will see that too.

IMHO Amaze, Brio, latest City are not Honda quality anymore.

[isandy]

Originally Posted by Self Driven

I read the review a couple of times, though had some problem with the browser not downloading all the contents

Is the Ford Fiesta not a competitor in this segment, did not see anyone using it for comparison

All cars in the segment including Ford Fiesta have been pitted against Ciaz in this review. I guess due to browser issue you were not able to see it.

[neethi_raj]

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

Features comparison. Entry levels variants are City are bare-bones spec, only saving grace being the standard inclusion of ABS and driver airbags.

Dear Crazy Driver, you are right. The only saving grace for the city in the lower spec version is the ABS and the Driver Airbag. IMO it's high time car manufacturers put safety above other creature comforts. Kudos to Honda, VW and the likes for have taken the right step.

Also, could you please double check on the touchscreen infotainment system? The City has it in its top 2 variants and the Ciaz doesn't offer them.

[adarsh76]

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

Features comparison. Entry levels variants are City are bare-bones spec, only saving grace being the standard inclusion of ABS and driver airbags.

The Honda City does have "Driver Side Window One Touch Up/Down with Pinch Guard".

The 16 inch alloy wheels, rear sunshade are very good features in the Ciaz. Also, the low speed ride comfort is a good thing. The touchscreen if it's slow & responsive, will rob the fun and practicality. But yes, Ciaz will definitely find some buyers of its own.

[malq]

Drove past and stopped at another Maruti showroom in Delhi.

Test drive of the petrol version - not possible.
Can a second airbag be retro-fitted in the VXi+ version - not known.
My booking is over 3 weeks old, when will I get delivery of a VXi+? Company will inform.

Outside, I am accosted by someone who may or may not have been an agent, who assures me of delivery "any model any colour" before Diwali, and invites me for a chat.

This is total b/s. By now, Maruti Suzuki should have sent individual letters to those who booked the cars, or emails, or SMS messages, anything, telling them what's going on. As of now, all I can get is stuff on social media which is all over with much of it also being possible motivated, some low credibility stuff from the media where everybody is using the same language "game-changer" "bells and whistles" "infotainment centre waah waah" "allows wow" "butter chicken for lunch" and so on and so forth.

Sure, the Ciaz looks good, because it is new. A few thousand people will want to be the first customers in their neighbourhood. After that?

I think Maruti Ciaz is going through a serious Flipkart moment. Again.

[aaggoswami]

Well, I had a look at Ciaz diesel today. Did not TD. My views :

1) Front Seats are nice, but not as good as City. Would rate City seats as 10% better. Ciaz front seats are much more comfy than my Grand i10.

2) The front seats are mounted high. This helps Maruti get away with small seat base.

3) Rear Seats have fixed head restraint. Wonder why. Even the cheaper Wagon R has adjustable ones. That said, I must say that front seats of Wagon R are more generous ( though little less shoulder support ) than Ciaz.

4) Rear seat space is "Excellent". The enormous legroom makes the car feel nice even from rear. After adjusting seat for my driving style, there was more than enough room for me to stretch. The rear seat, again, are high mounted as compared to City. Seat base is short, but for average Indian, it wont be a big thing paving way for discomfort.

5) Very large boot. ZDi spare was steel. Cheap.

6) The panels felt as tough or better than City. Build quality feel is as good or better than City. However, cars like Vento/Rapid and Linea ( even Fiesta for that matter ) are in a different league. The build quality standards can be clearly differentiated like EU manufacturers on one side and Jap/Korean on other.

7) Car did not feel claustrophobic at all. Better than City and Verna.

8) The wiper and light stalks are straight lift from Wagon R it seems. Very poor feel, but will get the job done.

9) The car is very long and on the road will have more than reasonable street presence.

10) Alloy design on Zdi was nice. Tyres on showroom car were MRF.

11) The car is wider than City and it feels so from the inside.

12) Boot lid does not have internal finishing alike City. Very bad trend started by City, unfortunately followed by Maruti.

Overall, I felt it was a nice family car. Enthusiasts should look forward to Fiesta Classic Petrol ( I understand its a class lower ). IMO, Fiesta Classic Petrol is the only car with an engine that feels at home both in urban and highway driving. Fiesta Classic does not feel artificial which somehow, at one point or other, almost all cars in the segment feel so.

My take on Petrol is that Maruti should come up with a 115-120 bhp version of M16 in Ciaz. It will make the petrol a better all rounder than what the current one is. My Grand i10 did cost me Rs. 6.5 OTR with bumper to bumper insurance. The current V petrol, which is more loaded than my Grand i10 crdi, would cost approx. Rs. 7.5 OTR. An ideal replacement for my Baleno as the petrol prices have moved south and diesel, north.

[Leoshashi]

My friend who had booked ZXi was invited unofficially for a TD. He took me along. Just came back from the neighborhood Dealer and here are my observations.

1. One word which describes CIAZ- Pragmatic!!
2. The 1.4 VVT , feels eager off the line, has good acceleration but lacks punch after 4000rpm. Also it gets way too noisy after 4500 rpm mark. May be because the car was brand new(it was not a DEMO car). But speaking practically, it never feels underpowered and has adequate punch for day to day driving. Even though we were not given an extensive drive, I felt that users may be a bit disappointed on highway.
3. The 1.3 DDiS felt awesomely refined and punchy. Turbolag is nowhere as bad as Ertiga.
4. Just like BHPian RavenAvi said, the car without chrome touches looks way more classier in person.
5. Steering felt very numb and nervous. It was a bit better in diesel, but not at all comparable to Swift. I was about to bang in the divider on slightest of turn. The steering behaves very inconsistent.
6. Base VXi is fairly equipped. Except for safety equipments, it has most other bells and whistles.
7. Somehow I felt that in name of European design, the interiors are a bit too bland. Might not age well. Though quality is excellent, and it felt more solid than the new gen Honda City.
8. Rear Seat base is very small. My height is a touch over 6 ft, and I found the underthigh support to be average at best. Though space is excellent. For me, the underthigh support was like Ertiga's last row. Don't know why. Probably seat is perched low.
9. AC cools the cabin in no time.


In all, a very decent attempt from Maruti. This car can never be the enthusiast's choice. It lacks personality of say a Swift, or a City or a Punto. But for common man, it ticks all the right boxes.
This car can very well carve a space of its own in the C segment. Will not affect Honda, but other weaker players are sure to be affected.

Regards
Shashi

Edit- I don't know why people are blaming Honda City for naked boot internals. AFAIK, the SX4 didn't have a cladding also, and apart from Linea, I don't remember any other C Segment car which had those. Please correct me if I am wrong. Surely, its a nice thing to have.

[Lobogris]

Excellent review, as always.
Only thing missing from the review is information regarding safety features. For instance, how many airbags are available and in which trims? Is ABS standard? Is ESP available? I apologise if I have missed this information.

My humble request would be to add and even give prominence to safety features in our reviews as they are more important than cosmetic design.

[bhaskaracs]

The Zxi/di variants come w fabric+leather upholstery. What does this mean? What is draped in leather and what in fabric? What about seats - are they leather or fabric? Thanks.

[Carophilic]

Mod Note: Please quote ONLY the relevant bits of a post. Quoting a full, long post inconveniences our mobile readers.

Originally Posted by Leoshashi

My friend who had booked ZXi was invited unofficially for a TD. He took me along. Just came back from the neighborhood Dealer and here are my observations.

Originally Posted by neethi_raj

The touch screen infotainment was present only in the cars sent to the media and is not a part of the final product.

@ Neethi: From where did you come to know that touchscreen won't be provided. That info is grossly incorrect. In fact the optional or z+ variants will only be available by December or early next year. Pls check your facts before posting.

[vibbs]

Great review as usual. Missing the petrol review though.

I am a little double minded on the car as such. It sure is loaded to the brim in comparison to the City, but I cant help but look past the engine specs. While there were reports of good 0-100 timings, I always felt the real world performance would be different. Nobody guns the car in all gears all the time. I thought the lack of power and the narrow power band will show up. Which is infact confirmed by this review too which says in no uncertain terms that Vento and City are better. Clubbed to that the not so enthusiastic suspension set up and handling, I will find it hard to buy this car in its diesel avatar. Not too sure about the Petrol version either. Most reviews have spoken of Diesel being the better engine. Now reading the Tbhp review, which says even the Diesel is not great, I am not sure what to expect from the Petrol version. But I am sure this car will do well. It ticks most of the boxes for most.

It is loaded, spacious, comfortable and reliable. I just wish they had two versions with the 1.6 VVT priced 40-50K above the comparable 1.4 versions. That would have made a statement. With superior power to weight ratio, it would have been the performance king of the segment just as the current versions are the mileage kings.

Neverthless an honest effort by Maruti which I hope does well, eventhough not to my liking.

[Nilesh5417]

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

Features comparison. Entry levels variants are City are bare-bones spec, only saving grace being the standard inclusion of ABS and driver airbags.

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The price list above shown for Bangalore shared by Volkman has V, V+, Z & Z(O). There is no mention of Z+ but your table shows 5 variants instead of 4 and the odd one is Z+. What am i missing?

[RavenAvi]

Originally Posted by blue_pulsar

I have one thing to say about the pricing. If the Vento costs 9.9Lacs, 9.8Lacs for the ZDi+ is too optimistic. But yeah, VXi pricing is good.

Originally Posted by extreme_torque

The diesel is overpriced as far as I am concerned. I would not pick this over Honda City or the Verna or even the new Ford Fiesta.

Indeed.

In retrospection, the ZDI and the ZDI+ do seem overpriced, specially in comparison to the immediate competition. Maruti could have easily shaved at least 15K from the pricing of those variants (at least to play the introductory VFM pricing card), and brought it down to be a match for the Linea Emotion and/or be close to the Fiesta Titanium.

The VDI is adequately priced, and so is the VDI+. The price difference between the VDI+ & the ZDI, vis-a-vis the features on offer, seems to be too huge. That is where they could have shaved off a few rupees and brought down the ZDI/ZDI+ prices a bit further.

Originally Posted by blue_pulsar

The dash looks too much like Swift. Not sure if someone who pays 12 Lacs for ZDi+ will be happy about it.

Well, the Brio's dash in a 9L OTR Amaze and a 13-14L OTR Mobilio is selling, so no reason to see why the Ciaz won't sell with the same dash as the DZire/Swift. As long as the paying customer isn't complaining, MSIL won't be, either.

Originally Posted by Self Driven

Is the Ford Fiesta not a competitor in this segment, did not see anyone using it for comparison

Except the rear space it has most of the things for a sub ten lakh car, anyone saying

It is included in the comparo, and also in the price sheets I uploaded in Page 1. But there is no comparison when you come to sheer driveability factor for an enthusiast - the Fiesta blows the Ciaz out of the water in that aspect.

Originally Posted by SoumenD

But what am interested in is the new 1.5L diesel that Suzuki apparently is working on? That, on this chasis might just do what the new 1.5L 4cyl mill did for Polo. Just a thought.

It will be offered in a mid-cycle facelift, I am sure. About 2½-3 years down the line. It won't replace the 1.3L DDiS, but will be a separate option.

Originally Posted by D4D

I'm against the move of MSIL using the 1.3 MJD right from Ritz to Ciaz.

Most manufacturers are following this trend these days, unfortunately. Same engine powers the Amaze & the City, the Verna & the Elantra, Grand i10 & Elite i20, etc.

A 1.6L Fiesta Classic is a fantastic & unique offering in that regard, but is a sales dud, compared to competition.

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

Features comparison.

Excellent comparo. A minor correction - The Z_I (O) variants and the Z_I+ variants are the same.

Originally Posted by amit_2025

The brand name is both a positive and negative for this car; however the negative can change with real time examples in the XUV, Verna and Elantra. People need to have a look at the product before really terming the City "Premium"

Originally Posted by SchumiFan

Wonderful post, CrAzY dRiVeR! Hits the nail on the head. City is no longer premium and there is no definitive car in this segment that gives the consumer all they want in a car. Suzuki didn't try creating a perfect car. They gave a car which is jack of all trades. Considering their expertise in service even though expensive, it bodes very well for Maruti and if people can come out of the 'Honda=Premium' mindset they will see that too.

IMHO Amaze, Brio, latest City are not Honda quality anymore.

Indeed. The XUV & the Aria are excellent examples of premium offerings from manufacturers who are more known for their mass-market cars.

And in comparison, Hondas have really gone down. Just open the door of a Brio, Amaze, Mobilio or even the City, and you won't feel the premium richness anymore. Build quality and fit/finish compromises are there for everyone to see, and if the segment competition keeps bringing out better cars, they will soon feel the heat.

IMHO, the 4th-generation City cannot be termed premium. Spend a couple lacs more and get an Octavia/Jetta to get a feel of real premium-ness of a car, I say.

Originally Posted by neethi_raj

Also, could you please double check on the touchscreen infotainment system? The City has it in its top 2 variants and the Ciaz doesn't offer them.

The City doesn't have a touchscreen infotainment system. It's a non-touchscreen HU which doesn't play videos, even. In comparison, the Ciaz Z_I+'s 7" touchscreen HU has navigation and can play videos too.

Originally Posted by Leoshashi

In all, a very decent attempt from Maruti. This car can never be the enthusiast's choice. It lacks personality of say a Swift, or a City or a Punto. But for common man, it ticks all the right boxes.
This car can very well carve a space of its own in the C segment. Will not affect Honda, but other weaker players are sure to be affected.

And that is where the mass-market buyers are. MSIL have played it smartly by pricing their mid-variants (V_I+ & Z_I) in the <10L bracket, and that is where most of the Ciaz's sales will come from. It will surely pull some buyers away from all the segment offerings, specially Volkswagen, Skoda, Nissan, Renault, Ford & Fiat will feel the sales' heat in a big way. Even Honda & Hyundai might not be spared.

It's a practical, no-nonsense offering from the stable of India's biggest car manufacturer, and it has just enough to take on the market leaders. If I was a car manufacturer relying on sales in the C2-segment, I would be worried.

[Self Driven]

Originally Posted by RavenAvi

Indeed.

It is included in the comparo, and also in the price sheets I uploaded in Page 1. But there is no comparison when you come to sheer driveability factor for an enthusiast - the Fiesta blows the Ciaz out of the water in that aspect.

.

Having booked one I will agree to it with a

But having owned a maruti, the enthusiast and self drive mind set keeps me away from them.

My take is.. It reminds me of some or the other car in most of the angles

Just my take not to irk any of the prospective owners

[rajeev k]

Fantastic and spot on review by Aditya and on the dot. That is well synchronized with the launch. This review is sure to help prospective buyers in finalizing their choice between yes and No. Coupled with the pages of valuable comments of Team-Bhpians, the thread is likely to be an encyclopedia or reference manual. No Automags are able to even come anywhere close on this.