Team-BHP - 2018 Maruti Ciaz Facelift (1.5L Petrol) : Official Review

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jeevith (Post 4517147)

Got my hands on a black one. Looks best in black IMHO. Will post more pics shortly.

My cousin has a black Ciaz for the last 3 years, and I am not happy with its paint quality. It looks faded at places, much pronounced at the bonnet area. The FNG re-painted panel on my Honda City looks much better in comparison.

Quote:

Originally Posted by pavi (Post 4517166)

I too have another black Ciaz (long story, will explain soon), which has been in the family since July 2015. The paint has faded no doubt, but the degree of degradation depends on the upkeep. Black is a colour that requires a tad more maintenance. Has your cousin tried detailing? Might help restore some of the former glory.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aditya (Post 4475794)

Lithium-ion battery for the Smart Hybrid system is located below the front passenger seat (petrol Ciaz only). Won't interfere with your feet unless you are tall and really stretch your legs inside. No clue about the life of this battery & its replacement cost (we're guessing it's currently imported):

Its price currently is Rs. 53,685. Price is expected to come down as localisation begins and volumes increase. It's currently imported from Japan.

A screenshot of the DMS showing the two part numbers. One is for Ciaz, the other is for Ertiga. Both cost the same, minor difference being in the mounting mechanism.

2018 Maruti Ciaz Facelift (1.5L Petrol) : Official Review-img20190102wa0021.jpg

Regards
Shashi

Quote:

Originally Posted by SS-Traveller (Post 4545491)

Wonder how much the life of the Li-ion battery is.

Even if it is 10 years, that makes it more than 5k per year. Even the other battery under the hood is a bigger battery unlike the old ciaz. Also half the things are controlled by one battery and half by the other, taking away the Maruti USP of being able to be repaired anywhere and by everyone.

After two successive trysts with diesel cars over a span of 7 years, one a Indica Vista QJT, and then a Zest 90 XT, I decided it was time to move on to a Petrol car. With a strict price cut-off of 10 lakhs ex-showroom price, I was on the lookout for my next car.

My travel profile :

- Hebbal to whitefield, 4 days a week, car pooling with a couple of colleagues (at mostly absurd times and extremely creative routes, to avoid the infamous Whitefield traffic)

- 6 to 8 long drives per year, with my parents accompanying my wife and son, on atleast 2 of them.

Considering the above, few of the key features I expect in a car are:

- Cabin/Boot space(which is of utmost priority)
- Safety
- Fuel efficiency
- Comfortable ride quality
- A good infotainment system
- A sprinkling of the latest technology
- and, lastly, the occasional turbo mode, to outrun the cars ahead of you

I had done my shortlist around the December of 2018 and finally zeroed in on the Ciaz Alpha MT, after having done 2 detailed test drives - one, in b2b traffic during peak hours, and another long drive to the Bangalore Airport.

Just took delivery of the Ciaz at NEXA Palace Cross, Bangalore - a fresh off the Assembly line, Feb 2019 piece. More details to follow, in an initial ownership review thread..

But for now ... the wheels are rolling ..

Rated 5 stars! The styling, improved interiors, equipment aaand those sweeet LED everything lol: make it appeal to the head and heart. Trivia: The Ciaz is the only car this side of 10 lakhs to get a full LED package! clap: But I have my concerns about the effectiveness of the white lights in rain and fog. I’m sure some BHPians would agree with me.

Quote:

Originally Posted by balderash_12 (Post 4559048)

I drive a Verna with LED Projectors and also have driven the new Ciaz (extended family's car) and those lights are absolutely fabulous. Rains, fog not at all an issue. It cuts right through them. Halogens are not even an option for me anymore.

P.S:- these LED Projectors don't use any bulb, the light is emitted off 4 chips and reflected onto the road via a Reflector placed inside the projector. :)

Quote:

Originally Posted by drhoneycake (Post 4559115)

Nice to hear! I said so because the top end Balenos with the bi xenon projectors had visibility problems during rain as the light would just reflect back. From where did you get the LED bulbs installed? Do let me know.

Thanks to this thread as well as some research and assessment of my own, I bought a Ciaz Petrol Hybrid at the end of February, and have already done over 5200 km in it. Read more about it here.

Unlike the perception on this thread that the Ciaz has a light build quality, my take is that it is a car that has been put together well, much better than Maruti's other products. The mild hybrid system works well and can return some excellent FE figures, while assisting the engine with some additional torque of its own. The car needs to be driven in a slightly modified manner to keep the Li-ion battery charged. Maruti does give a 5-year unconditional warranty on the Li-ion battery and the ISG, irrespective of whether one buys the extended 5-year/100,000 km warranty pack or not.

IMO, this car is certainly a beater - it beats the competition that I assessed, by quite a length.

I recently used a self drive rental Ciaz automatic from Revv cars. I felt it was certainly better put together than the other Suzuki cars. The 4 speed auto , even though archaic was a smooth one and down shifted when ever I wanted it to. With the new speed limit chimes at 80 and 120 , the 4 speed gearbox should be enough for all sensible purposes. It accelerates in a linear manner and was very fuel efficient. In fact I found it more fuel efficient than my Xcent 4 speed auto , probably because it is lighter by about 90 kg.

Smart hybrid system worked well , with the car immediately coming back to life every time brake pedal was released. Only problem was in frequent start stop movements , but the button to override it, helped in those situations. Overall Ciaz impressed me with its quite cabin , ride quality and the auto box.

Quote:

Originally Posted by SS-Traveller (Post 4571206)

Maruti does give a 5-year unconditional warranty on the Li-ion battery and the ISG, irrespective of whether one buys the extended 5-year/100,000 km warranty pack or not.

Are you sure about this? Have you got this in writing somewhere?

Asking this as when I went to enquire about the car, the SA told me that even if I took the 5 year extended warranty, the batteries would not be covered in it since they are “wear and tear” items.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pratyush2407 (Post 4599340)

Well, you could go back to the SA and show him this...

2018 Maruti Ciaz Facelift (1.5L Petrol) : Official Review-img_20190606_15371125501.jpeg

Pic taken from my owner's manual & service booklet, Part no. 99011M79M15-74E, December 2018.