[DicKy]

If you are going to do a comparo with other sedans or other options, then the faults will start cropping up.

But looked at in isolation, it is VFM for people who really don't care about up to date features or keeping up with the Mohans. Also it gets lots of basic features that one will appreciate in the long run, unlike fancy touchscreens or sunroofs.

[07CR]

Originally Posted by Proud BRV Owner

Is rated 4 star by ASEAN NCAP. It is also BS6 Phase 2-compliant.

Thai Spec car was rated 4 star. There could be considerable differences between India Spec Ciaz and Thailand.

Originally Posted by Proud BRV Owner

Is being "old" and "non-enthusiastic" the only reason for it not being a ride of choice for most? I mean, for me, it's a mouth-watering offering at 13.76 lakhs (top model on road price in Rajkot) minus a sizable discount offer month after month.

Do checkout the City V CVT. It's available at 15.3L in your city. Also it would be carrying some discounts too.

Originally Posted by Proud BRV Owner

So, my question is : WHAT'S WRONG WITH CIAZ????

I had toyed with getting a pre owned Ciaz (2019 model in 2020). But found the car to be simply too outdated for my usecase-

1) Too bare bones in terms of features

2) Unexciting petrol engine, and an even lethargic gearbox.

3) Typical maruti build. Rattles evident on an even well kept 10K run car. Felt like it was a 7 year old car.

4) Horrible NVH WRT to insulation. Engine is refined. But all sorts of noise from outside world creeps in.

5) Lifeless steering. Absolutely no feel or feedback. It does not even self centre!

6) Too much cost cutting evident almost everywhere.

7) Rear seat is spacious, but the seat squab is just too narrow, resulting in a very poor under thigh support.

8) Too much soft suspension is just not to my liking.

If you are thinking of switiching a car just for the 7 year itch, you would feel too bored with the Ciaz and would be wanting to switch again in next two years! Proceed with caution.

[Phantom 510]

Ciaz is an excellent car, no two ways about it. This is a car that is comfortable, frugal, spacious and as reliable as a rock. It has has superb space on offer and that not so exciting (on paper) 1.5L k series motor under it's long bonnet is surprisingly good with its extremely tractable power in our low speed every day scenarios. I personally don't see any flaws in it unless one is really concerned about the unnecessary niceties.

[PrasannaDhana]

Originally Posted by Proud BRV Owner

So, my question is : WHAT'S WRONG WITH CIAZ????

Because it is

1. Old
2. Slow
3. Unsafe

Competition have moved ahead in all ways.

I would rather put my money on a safer, faster, much fresher Virtus 1.0 TSI base model than the Ciaz 1.5 N/A Alpha.

[lamborghini]

Honestly, it's a nice family car compared to the sub 4M sedan / crossover market, and the value for money price tag makes it a top pick for someone on a budget who wants a peaceful, comfortable, daily commute.

In 2020 I recommended a Ciaz to my friend for his requirements : chauffeur driven, comfortable and easy to maintain, etc., and even today it would be the same recommendation unless he can afford a Honda City / Verna. The enthusiasts may pick the VAG twins or the Verna but all of these come at a higher price point.

If you aren't feature or brand conscious - the base Ciaz would still be my pick over say a higher spec Honda Amaze or a Dzire!

[girishv]

Originally Posted by lamborghini

Honestly, it's a nice family car compared to the sub 4M sedan / crossover market, and the value for money price tag makes it a top pick for someone on a budget who wants a peaceful, comfortable, daily commute.

In 2020 I recommended a Ciaz to my friend for his requirements : chauffeur driven, comfortable and easy to maintain, etc., and even today it would be the same recommendation unless he can afford a Honda City / Verna. The enthusiasts may pick the VAG twins or the Verna but all of these come at a higher price point.

If you aren't feature or brand conscious - the base Ciaz would still be my pick over say a higher spec Honda Amaze or a Dzire!

Hi,

I have a slightly different requirement. Our office has provided me with a cab and he needs to change the car now as they have mandated a car not more than 3 year old.

My cab driver is looking to buy a sedan (has to be) and has nearly finalised Aura as it is the only car which comes with CNG. The tigor can not be registered as a taxi, according to Prerana motors.

May I know how ciaz sigma compares with venue? Since he will be selling his d'zire, is there a way he can avail of loyalty benefits.

Any other suggestions other than venue is also highly appreciated.

Cheers,
Girish

[lamborghini]

Originally Posted by girishv

Hi,

I have a slightly different requirement. Our office has provided me with a cab and he needs to change the car now as they have mandated a car not more than 3 year old.

My cab driver is looking to buy a sedan (has to be) and has nearly finalised Aura as it is the only car which comes with CNG. The tigor can not be registered as a taxi, according to Prerana motors.

May I know how ciaz sigma compares with venue? Since he will be selling his d'zire, is there a way he can avail of loyalty benefits.

Any other suggestions other than venue is also highly appreciated.

Cheers,
Girish

If the requirement is for CNG, there are truly limited options there.

Otherwise the Ciaz is a far superior car for you as a passenger even compared to Venue : better rear seat experience being key + the engine is a little more peppy than the 1.2 from Hyundai.
The Sigma comes with all the essential features of power steering, power windows, airbags, abs, etc. and the rest can be brought in after market with ease - even from Maruti themselves!

As for loyalty benefits : his best bet is to speak to Maruti directly. Being a slow seller, he may get a decent discount on the Ciaz.

[i_nv]

Ciaz may be a boring product for many but for those who want big space for a family sedan, good boot space for long journeys , good mileage , good ac , good suspension , and relatively good engine under 13L OTR , this sedan IMHO is the go to car for those .

It dosent pack the bells and whistle like it's contemporaries probably because maruti may be interested in only catering to a segment that values above mentioned attributes in budget . The day Marut upgrades it's features ,it will cross 13L OTR threshold and there it's already crowded with so many models that competition has to offer at every 25K+ price point.

I have been using 2019 Ciaz petrol as a second car. In today's crowded cities and super slow traffic , and submerged roads during monsoon , Ciaz fits all my requirement . My primary car is Superb and for both the cars space was one of the main criteria of buying it .

I regularly get a mileage of 15-16 kmpl (petrol)in city traffic , haven't spent more than 15-18K in servicing cost. So it's been a happy buy all these years.

Originally Posted by Proud BRV Owner

Dear Fellow Travelers,

I have been contemplating off and on about switching over to a new car (more because of the "7-year itch" than anything else! ).

Being pretty much open to any type of "Good Spacious No-fuss" car and not fixated with only SUVs or MUVs; I find it bemusing to note that there is almost ZERO recommendation for Suzuki's Ciaz.

At the current price tag, it is way too cheaper than City, Verna and Skoda/VW twins. Offers great space. It is backed by the reliability and network of Maruti Suzuki India. Comes with an old and boring but proven 1.5 L motor coupled with a reliable (but, again boring) 4-speed torque converter auto gearbox. Is rated 4 star by ASEAN NCAP. It is also BS6 Phase 2-compliant.

Is being "old" and "non-enthusiastic" the only reason for it not being a ride of choice for most? I mean, for me, it's a mouth-watering offering at 13.76 lakhs (top model on road price in Rajkot) minus a sizable discount offer month after month. The base automatic models of every other car - although within the budget - are at least 2 L costlier!! (not a small amount for me).

It's suspension is perfect for NCR roads and even during monsoon , it drives wonderfully well on the potholes/craters or NCR.

Regards

So, my question is : WHAT'S WRONG WITH CIAZ????

[NiInJa]

As fellow bhpians mentioned, the Ciaz is old now and for the comparable price, there are safer options available.

However, my argument is a little different.
A friend of mine wanted to have a Maruti Suzuki car only as an upgrade and he is not an automobile enthusiast who is interested in power figures or tyre width, he went ahead and got the Dzire, and fitted it with top-of-the-line music system costing a bomb. To such customers, I feel they can easily spend a lakh or more on the Ciaz as the space and marginal power gain cannot be brought later. It is such a car that one won't regret buying, even if it is old

Saw a blacked out one few months back at the service center with spoiler and after market wheels, looked wicked, even better than Tata Nexon's dark edition.

[greenhorn]

I think ciaz is becoming the new ambassador. Have seen plenty of them with govt, heck armed forces plates even. For Maruti's core audience, I think a minor facelift there, and a few technology updates are enough.

[Mat095]

I think the more relevant question would be, why has Maruti forgotten about the Ciaz?

Their prime focus appears to be the new launches. However, as some rightly pointed out, Ciaz has taken up Ambi’s place with the government officials.

The main reason for its diminishing popularity is that we have only seen one facelift in a product that has been on sale for 9 years, the 1.5 N/A engine does not even feel adequate on that vehicle when you compare its rivals, the feature list is the same as an Ertiga or the discontinued S-Cross. IMHO, Maruti should work on a turbo-petrol for their “premium” products in order to pitch them against the Koreans or the Germans

[mgastor2022grey]

Originally Posted by Mat095

I think the more relevant question would be, why has Maruti forgotten about the Ciaz?

Their prime focus appears to be the new launches. However, as some rightly pointed out, Ciaz has taken up Ambi’s place with the government officials.

The main reason for its diminishing popularity is that we have only seen one facelift in a product that has been on sale for 9 years, the 1.5 N/A engine does not even feel adequate on that vehicle when you compare its rivals, the feature list is the same as an Ertiga or the discontinued S-Cross. IMHO, Maruti should work on a turbo-petrol for their “premium” products in order to pitch them against the Koreans or the Germans

Absolutely true! Maybe Maruti should step-up their game by either introducing the facelifted Kizashi due to its comfort and driving factor, or introduce and fun-to-drive and rev-happy motor in the Ciaz, and give it a minor update.

Maruti thinks that people would buy cars due to its badge value, however, little did they know that people have got taste and buy cars whose features are special

[bijims]

When the Competition besides the newly launched Hyundai Verna which sold 4001 units last month, like the Honda City (1478 units), Skoda Slavia (1639 units), and VW Virtus (1812 units) sell similar numbers to the Ciaz (1744 units) why should Maruti even bother, the segment may not seem to be the most profitable as volumes are anyways low even for the competition. The Ciaz has sold more than the Slavia and the City and just 68 units shy of the Virtus, so it ain't bad numbers considering it's an "old" car.

Moreover, even if they bring an updated facelift, once the hype dies down, the numbers will stabilize, so the economic incentive of updating the model may not seem to be worth the investment for Maruti, considering they can use the same old car and still sell 1000+ units every month regardless.

Moreover with SUVs being all the rage and with Maruti's Grand Vitara and Brezza bringing in good numbers (more than 10,000 units each) besides the sub-4-meter hatchbacks (Wagon-R, Baleno, Swift, Alto) being the best sellers, even the newly launched FRONX sold around 8000 units last month too.

Even the Ertiga and Dzire sell more than 8000 units monthly, so Maruti has an excellent portfolio of best sellers, and the only ones that sell the least are perhaps the Ciaz and the Ignis, and it shows as Maruti hasn't updated them in a long time.

[07CR]

Originally Posted by bijims

When the Competition besides the newly launched Hyundai Verna which sold 4001 units last month, like the Honda City (1478 units), Skoda Slavia (1639 units), and VW Virtus (1812 units) sell similar numbers to the Ciaz (1744 units) why should Maruti even bother, the segment may not seem to be the most profitable as volumes are anyways low even for the competition. The Ciaz has sold more than the Slavia and the City and just 68 units shy of the Virtus, so it ain't bad numbers considering it's an "old" car.

But there lies your answer as to why Ciaz needs a comprehensive update. A car (Verna) which was comprehensively updated is selling in good numbers, good enough to justify why the update was required for Verna in the business sense. City got a minor facelift, and hence the decline in numbers. Virtus/Slavia have been pretty half baked cars since day 1, and they would never reach the Verna numbers considering their reputation and VW/Skoda's reach compared to Hyundai or Maruti. IMO with even a facelift as good as 50% of Verna would give a huge boost to sales of Ciaz.

Right now, as it stands, I would happily get Amaze over the Ciaz.

[DicKy]

Originally Posted by greenhorn

I think ciaz is becoming the new ambassador. Have seen plenty of them with govt, heck armed forces plates even. For Maruti's core audience, I think a minor facelift there, and a few technology updates are enough.

Especially when you see official cars used around Parliament et al. Ambassadors -> Esteem -> SX4 -> Ciaz. They seem to be still in the mindset that GOI has some stake in Maruti.

Off topic. Maruti may flog the Ciaz to death, but don't think they will be introducing a next gen Ciaz or any other sedan to replace it. Dzire may well be the lone sedan in Maruti's (read Suzuki's) whole line-up. Maruti- Toyota marriage seems to avoid Daihatsu products, but by a long shot, this maybe the most possible replacement for Ciaz if Maruti decides to have a replacement at all.