[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).

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

[mgastor2022grey]

Hi @Proud BRV Owner, hope your day is well..

The Ciaz is a 7 year old product, and lacks in terms of features and safety. It also looks boring and is severely under tyred. When we compare it with rivals like City, Virtus and Slavia, it lacks in 6 airbags and driving feel. It will not age very well, very unlike the Germans.

In case you are buying a sedan, look for the new Verna or the Virtus. The deals are nearby, and they are better vehicles. Maruti might soon discontinue the Ciaz just like they did for the S-Cross, so please do not buy the Ciaz..

[GTO]

It's a 9-year old product, guys! In the same decade, we have seen like three different generations of the Hyundai Verna, and almost the same amount of the Honda City. It also has basic interiors, the lowest power engine, the least features and the lowest quality interiors in the segment.

Especially in the 10+ lakh segments, fresh'ness counts. Maruti-Suzuki have brought in new products in the last 2 years, but they have let their C2-sedan stagnate. I haven't caught any news on the next-gen Ciaz, so it looks like this old horse will continue till it's too outdated to sell.

If it's selling at a lower price than competitors, it's for good reason.

[shancz]

Originally Posted by Proud BRV Owner

WHAT'S WRONG WITH CIAZ????

Like you've already guessed correctly, old, boring, lower safety kit but also because the competition has evolved greatly. But all the strong points you mentioned are also true.

While the hype does go to the flamboyant vehicles but the reality is best explained by data from Autopunditz.

Considering the numbers for June, Slavia, Virtus and Ciaz sold almost 1700 units/month, the City did 1400 units/month and the Verna being a new entry sold around 4000 units/month.

[SNA411]

Well, I certainly haven't.

This is what I had to say in this (Hyundai Verna vs Honda City vs Volkswagen Virtus vs Skoda Slavia vs Maruti Ciaz)thread

Originally Posted by SNA411

Voted Ciaz, because of its immense VFM proposition.
The base sigma variant itself has everything that you need, at a price point of 10.21 Lakhs on-road.
AC, Power Steering, 4 power windows, factory fitted music system with bluetooth, remote lock-unlock, rear center armrest etc.
Good reliability, good service center network, and great fuel economy being added advantages.

Just spend 30k on alloys, and you're set.

[Shreyans_Jain]

Simply because, the game has moved on!

Maruti has just not bothered to make any updates or additions to the car. Forget its erstwhile sedan competition, and compare it with cars at a similar price point even today. Not only is the Ciaz positively naked in terms of features, it is outgunned in the powertrains department as well. Its only saving grace is the absolute space, cabin as well as boot, and the reliability that comes with simple time tested underpinnings. Not that other cars are unreliable, but still. That’s about it. No wonder whatever little sales that come, they are primarily from government departments.

[shancz]

Originally Posted by GTO

so it looks like this old horse will continue till it's too outdated to sell.

I recall a roadmap which someone shared(can't recall which thread), there wasn't any mention of a sedan. I am suspecting the same fate for Ignis.

Originally Posted by Shreyans_Jain

No wonder whatever little sales that come, they are primarily from government departments.

True, I had missed that. Explains the sales now

[bijims]

The fact of the matter is Ciaz is an old car, it sells for this value because it's old and not updated as against the competition, but if you are able to live with it and these don't bother you, the Ciaz is a fair buy for the price.

The top-of-the-line Alpha AT costs just 13.6 lakhs on-road Rajkot, with additional 25k exchange bonus and dealer end offers on top, whereas the City V Petrol CVT (15.4 lakhs), Verna SX IVT (15.7 lakhs), Virtus Highline 1.0 AT (16.1 lakhs) and Slavia (15.9 lakhs) cost anywhere between 1.8 lakhs to 2.5 lakhs more, so considering this, the Ciaz is definitely cheaper, albeit with a very old K15 engine, with 4-speed AT which by the way also does duty on the Jimny!

As regards power and performance, the Ciaz produces the least power and torque among the lot, in terms of dimensions it is the smallest in terms of length and width (although only by a few centimeters), however, interior space is decent. Features are almost at par with the variants mentioned aside from just 2 airbags, a smaller touchscreen, etc.

So to conclude, if the feature set, space, interior quality, fit and finish power, and performance are to your liking, then I see no reason why you shouldn't go for the Ciaz besides its impending discontinuation (considering it is an old model)

[pedrolourenco]

If only those engineers were able to convert the 1.5 DDiS engine from "BS6 Ready" to "BS6 Compliant", it might have been a good car. Even if they just add a Turbo to the existing engine it would have been worth considering.

[Iconoclast]

Although the Ciaz might appear to be great value for money; the fact is that because it's such a dated product - the top end variant of the Ciaz is actually comparable only to the entry level variants of the City, Slavia and the Virtus in terms of what it offers. So the value is actually a mirage.

Price wise, Ciaz Alpha is benchmarked against City SV, Virtus Comfortline and the Slavia Active variants with the others selling at a premium of 30-60k vs the Ciaz.

Now if you analyze this comparison more closely, you'll see that the other vehicles are newer, offer significantly better engine/gearbox options and come with better safety (remember - even the top-end Alpha variant comes with only 2 airbags with a build which can be termed average at best). Some features (e.g. TPMS) have found their way into entry level variants now which the Ciaz doesn't have being so old.

From a price-value equation perspective, we need to net these benefits off partially against the usual feel good features one associates with a top variant (Leather seats, leather wrapped gear knob etc.) and a couple of nice to have features (cruise control, auto dimming IRVM etc.) where the Ciaz scores; Even then, the entry level City/Slavia/Virtus still deserve to be priced higher than the top-end Ciaz; purely going by value delivered.

[Maverick1977]

If we were in 2015 this was one of the best cars to buy. I almost booked one myself in 2015, but things have moved and other manufacturers have taken the game multiple notches. It is 2023, I am sure you don't want a car which is still such in 2015.

If you are interested in the Ciaz look for a pre owned one, they do come at even more attractive prices.

[karthikkv]

Ciaz is a pretty decent car, last I checked the Zeta version ex showroom was under 10 lakhs and is pretty well loaded although the look and feel of interiors is dated. It also has a spacious cabin and Marutis are generally reliable and after sales is great. So if you're okay with the dated interiors and a boring engine Ciaz is a decent buy.

[landcruiser123]

I know someone who replaced his beater Indigo Manza with a Ciaz AT last year.

It all depends on what else is in the garage.

[DriverNo.420]

Ciaz would make a strong case for itself even today only if it had that smooth 1.5L diesel motor in this age of turbocharged petrols. It was a natural evolution from the 1.3 MJD. Also, it came with a 6 speed manual which none of the Maruti products have today.

As an owner, I'd say it is a mediocre product at best. Especially when compared to the cutting edge competition. One of the best things about it is the fuel efficiency, Hitting 20kmpl is very easy on the 1.5 petrol. So I'd say that it is a laid-back comfortable driving experience for someone who wants to go from point A to B with a massive boot and wants to save on fuel expenses.

Reliablity is also not a concern because the engine is tried and tested and the gearbox is literally picked up from the Esteem era.

[sinhead]

I have taken 2 test drives of Ciaz manual, and found the ride comfortable, good low end torque, less gear changes needed At city speeds. Comfortable seats. Light clutch.
Some other cars had a long clutch travel. Some had a high set pedal.

Saw new Ciaz in stock. It is E20.

Ciaz automatic will cost 13.30 here. The only other proper automatic in similar price is Brezza (this includes compulsory accessories and what not). Ciaz manual costs 10.80.

I wont be able to compare sedan to sedan because of my fixed, tight budget, I will compare with what is available in within my budget.