The new Verna is funky & all-rounded in nature, the Honda City remains a car you just can't go wrong with and the Virtus / Slavia are a whole lot of fun.

BHPian Omkar recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Hyundai Verna

What you'll like:

• An all-rounder sedan that ticks all the right boxes
• Well-positioned overall package. Priced competitively against rivals
• User-friendly interiors with good cabin space
• 158 BHP, 1.5L turbo-petrol engine is the most powerful in the segment. Gets a quick DCT too
• Comfortable, neutral suspension setup riding on 205/55 R16 tyres
• Long list of features includes LED auto headlamps, ventilated seats, electric driver’s seat, sunroof, wireless charging, smart trunk, rear sunshade & more
• Safety equipment includes level 2 ADAS tech, 6 airbags, ESC, 3-point seatbelts for all, rear disc brakes, front & rear parking sensors etc.
• Hyundai's wide service network & up to 7-years extended warranty

What you won't:

• Futuristic styling will polarise opinions. Many BHPians think the design is too edgy & unusual
• Better quality plastics should’ve been used in a car that costs 20+ lakh on-road
• No diesel engine on offer. The outgoing Verna was the last diesel sedan in the segment
• Turbo-petrols are very sensitive to driving style. FE will drop drastically when you drive hard
• Dual-clutch ATs have a history of poor reliability in India. Note: Verna with 1.5L NA CVT is available
• Back seat is more suitable for 2 healthy adults and a child. Not 3 healthy adults
• Not as much fun-to-drive as the VW Virtus & Skoda Slavia
• Missing features like a 360-degree camera, wireless Android Auto & Apple CarPlay, auto wipers and foldable rear seat (a must in sedans IMHO)

Review Link

Honda City

Review Link

Volkswagen Virtus

What you'll like:

• A ‘complete’ car that just might bring some love back to sedans
• Classy exterior & interior styling, along with solid build quality
• Cabin has good legroom on offer, supportive seats, perfect ergonomics & enough storage
• 521-litre boot is quite spacious
• 148 BHP engine makes the Virtus among the most fun-to-drive sedans in the segment
• Sporty 1.0L & 1.5L turbo-petrols are mated to smooth transmissions
• Sorted suspension offers a balanced ride & handling package
• Safety features include 6 airbags, ESC, 3-point seatbelts for all, electronic differential lock, brake disc wiping, multi-collision brake and more
• Features like active cylinder tech, ventilated seats, sunroof, wireless Android Auto and CarPlay, auto headlamps & wipers etc.
• 6-year extended warranty & 4-year all-inclusive service packages available

What you won't:

• No 1.5L diesel is a major disadvantage in a world where petrol costs over 100 bucks/litre
• DQ200 DSG transmission has a history of poor reliability & breakdowns in India
• No MT option available with the 1.5L petrol. The Slavia offers this combination
• Backseat better for 2 healthy adults and a child, rather than 3 adults
• Lovely 1.5L TSI is only available on the top variant. Should have been there in the mid-trim too like the Slavia
• Interior quality doesn’t feel up to old school VW standards. Body-coloured interior highlights are polarising too
• Missing some features such as a subwoofer, driving modes (sport), 360-degree camera & electric driver's seat adjustment
• Turbo-petrols are very sensitive to driving style. FE will drop drastically when you drive hard
• VW’s after-sales service can be a hit or miss. The brand’s long-term reliability can be patchy as well
• Slavia's 'clever' touches are missing = no spot on top of the dashboard to place a deity, no smartphone holders on the front seatbacks, no ticket clip on the windshield, no elastic band in the door pad to keep items in place, or even something as simple as the small reflective tapes on the doors

Review Link

Skoda Slavia

Review Link

Maruti Ciaz

What you'll like:

• Clean and conventional styling that will please the masses
• Value-for-money pricing that undercuts almost all rivals
• Spacious cabin with lots of practical features. The rear legroom is particularly impressive
• 1.5L petrol motor is smooth and refined
• Soft, compliant ride quality. A suspension that's tuned for comfort
• Big 510 litre boot will swallow your airport & holiday luggage
• Maruti’s excellent after-sales service, wide dealer network & fuss-free ownership experience
• Equipment such as the automatic LED projector headlamps, DRLs, 7" touchscreen ICE, rear sunshade, cruise control, telematics system etc.

What you won't:

• 1.5L petrol is rather mediocre. City & Verna petrol engines are much superior
• 4-speed Automatic gearbox feels old & outdated
• Uninvolving to drive. Enthusiasts look elsewhere
• Average under-thigh support of the low rear seat. Also, limited rear headroom for 6 footers
• Light build & ordinary interior quality. The game has moved on with newer competitors
• Missing features by today's standards like a sunroof, driver assistance system, sunroof, side and curtain airbags, 360-degree camera, etc.

Review Link

Here's what GTO had to say on the matter:

Other than the antique Ciaz, all C2-segment sedans are very strong offerings. The new Verna is funky & all-rounded in nature, the Honda City remains a car you just can't go wrong with and the Virtus / Slavia are a whole lot of fun.

My tastes are now inclined toward European cars, hence I will pick a VW Virtus or Skoda Slavia. For that awesome 1.5L DSG, driving pleasure & 5-star safety.

Here's what BHPian Aditya had to say on the matter:

Skoda Slavia 1.5L turbo + MT. It's got looks, space, pace and safety. I don't want anything to do with DSGs. So the VW Virtus is out of the reckoning.

I don't like the Honda City's high-speed driving dynamics and I am not sure of the Hyundai Verna's looks. The Ciaz is too old to be considered.

Here's what BHPian Shreyans_Jain had to say on the matter:

The decade + old and obsolete Ciaz does not belong on this list. We’ve had 3 generations of City and Maruti has been pushing its same sedan.

Between the City, Verna and Virtus/Slavia, the least attractive option remains the City. It’s a spacious and reliable car, but in this company, that’s about it. Build, engines, suspensions, ride and handling are all wanting. The hybrid model fixes a lot of the shortcomings but it is obnoxiously overpriced. At 25 odd lakhs, cars like Hector, XUV700 and Harrier also make a strong case for themselves. They have made ADAS standard, but I see it more as a gimmick, not something very useful or deal-making.

Tough call between Verna and Virtus/Slavia. All three are very competent all-rounders, guess it boils down to personal preferences. My pick will be Virtus, simply on account of the clean, timeless styling. The car is just gorgeous. Also happens to be the safest mass-market car you can buy in India.

Here's what BHPian SNA411 had to say on the matter:

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 centre armrest etc.

Good reliability, a good service centre network, and great fuel economy are added advantages.

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

Although if I had to buy a car for 11L on-road, my money would probably go to either a Brezza or a Bolero Neo.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

No other options were considered but I did find the Honda City to be a worthy contender.

BHPian tatafanatic recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Prelude

Post retirement me and my bud Tiny started our own venture, what was experimental work to keep us occupied did work and before we knew we ventured from local to state and were now going pan India. It was during one meeting with a banker who took us aside and kindly remarked “It's fine you guys come up in Hawaiian shirts at times but cycles! You guys are coming for meetings with board members on cycles!”, we coming in Tiny’s rickety old first generation soft top Thar didn’t cut much ice either. There was a potent requirement for a vehicular makeover and this writeup is about the same.

Preamble

Much of my work life I have travelled in 4-wheelers but hardly enjoyed the process owing to the nature of work, my mind was consumed with worries of different kinds. I do not remember a single instance when something didn’t happen somewhere which needed me to get ready and get going in a dash which made the journey more worrisome than pleasing albeit I must say the surroundings I went to were the most precious and scenic offerings in India. At fag end of my career, I was up and running in administrative work at such a pace that the only solace was the little naps in the rear seat of my official Ciaz, sometimes my trusted hand would park the car under some shade walk out and let me have the moment for myself before something urgent came calling.

I most likely break my association with four-wheelers as under:

Gypsy years

Fun and frolic, the car had no creature comforts whatsoever, the only solace in name of luxury was a pillow the driver put on his seat in case it was a long run. The car per se was a breeze to drive, on any given surface it never faulted. It got the job done and survived harsh weather conditions, provost mechanics swear by its reliability and easiness to service. I still see service Gypsyies in pristine condition so that’s a testament to their quality.

Mahindra years

Certain terrain did demand a stronger and tougher vehicle and that’s when the ‘Rakshaaks’ came to play, they were armoured Mahindra Commander series and were bolted to withstand the abuse, they were crampy and by nature of our work used to get thoroughly abused, bearings were strong, and it got the job done. I have had many good, bad, and horrible experiences with this vehicle but that’s not for this forum. Again, the vehicle lacked creature comforts as it was built for a very different purpose, I drove it once when we were in a very tight spot and found it utterly ridiculous.

Years later I saw the Kalyani M4. Albeit I don’t have any firsthand experience of the vehicle it does look like one hell of armoured carrier built to last.

Tata years

Started with the Sumo (there is an interesting anecdote as to why I choose the name Tatafanatic written later), the Sumo was the first vehicle which had creature comforts, it was spacious and was again bolted well to suit our requirements. Had amazing times in it and loved it through the years. The best part about the vehicle was its roominess. It was also bolted to last and ferried heavy stuff with ease.
As I climbed the ladder of grades from Sumo it went to Safari and that was my first tryst with being driven than driving self, the Safari was again bolted to our suit and it held itself rather well, it was spacious, roomy, had creature comforts, and amazing rear seat comfort and drove well on all surfaces, the bonus was its commanding presence. I remember my daughter purposefully missing the school bus just to have me drop her off enroute to the office.

Ciaz years

These were the last of my working years in uniform based in Bangalore, most of the time thanks to cities horrible traffic I would complete paperwork in the rear seat whilst being driven to and fro work, the rear seat comfort was extremely accommodating, all the creature comforts were fantastic. I am not sure if that’s why it lingered long in my memory, but I did really have a great time in the Ciaz.

Family cars

We started with a modest M800, once I became Tatafanatic it’s been the Indigo Marina, Manza, Nexon 1st generation and now the electric Tigor, the electric vehicle suits our requirements as we got solar installation at home which ensures almost free charging, is majorly used for city driving by my wife. My parents who stay a block away moved from Scorpio to Dzire as ingress and egress for septuagenarians is easy. My brother stays another block away and had been a Ford guy till they shut shop, he now drives a Kia Seltos which I find neither here nor there, for me, it’s a full-blown SUV or a proper sedan.

So, coming to decision was rather a simple affair, something from the Tata stable or the Maruti Ciaz. Albeit in earlier times I was close to buying an Isuzu Highlander I thank providence for not doing so as I am majorly a two-wheeler guy, cycles are my first love and most obvious choice of commute be it anywhere and any far. I love the Xpluse I got a few months back to its core, contrary to public opinion it’s an excellent machine, well fit to purpose and extremely likeable, I have done over 12k kms in a short period of time and have never been disappointed. In going times, I eagerly await the bigger Xpluse to be launched.

To put things into real perspective, I didn’t really enjoy or had time to enjoy a four-wheeler experience so logically, I was looking for a car to be driven in. My only requirement was it needs to have a perfectly comfortable rear seat and a decently reliable engine with no fuss, the tech gobble wasn’t my need.

PS – I and my driver are from the same service, and we can read maps really well, he is a couple of notches above me so on a road trip to Goa he found an amazing route through the forest which initially we were only one driving through but strangely the cars behind us started to follow and little did we know later they thanked us for finding this route… beat that google lady!

Process

The house of Tata’s – Must say even in a tiny city like mine the Tata’s experience is very different to what it was decades ago, the staff is more knowledgeable and courteous, and they do not skim on test rides. I loved the Safari, loved the Harrier more so as it was a bit smaller in dimensions to the Safari so parking in tight spots, I guessed would be easier. I am truly amazed at how far Tata Motors have come in way of design and quality, the cars look appealing, interiors are modern with simple tech for even a dud like me to grasp, the driver's position commanding and rear seat comfort exquisite. Loved the ride, for a vehicle of their dimensions they handled easily albeit the truck-like feeling remains initially and in places cost cutting comes out evident, I was keen to go ahead with the Harrier (Green color is soothing) but decided to hold till I checked the Ciaz.

Nexa experience

Horror tales come from regular Maruti showrooms maybe more so as we look at Maruti along the same lines of SBI and Post Office, something generic, however, the Nexa experience was rather amazing.

The new Ciaz has more creature comforts in terms of cruise control etc, the leather seats of the top end Alpha variant were excellent, the automatic transmission felt more at home than it felt in the Tata cars, the manual S MT (sports version) came in maroon which instantly gathered my attention but was rather disappointed to know the same could be discontinued any time owing to dwindling sales. The tech was not rocket science and display etc easy and not confusing. It didn’t drive as spirited as I expected but again, I was looking for something to be driven in and not self-drive much of the time.

The build quality of the Ciaz is nowhere close to Tata’s, they feel like a tank, but I was Ok with that, the SHVS tech I was told would be frugal as well. Coming from the commanding position of the Tata twins sitting in the Ciaz is quite opposite of the feeling but again it is the rear seat that I was more concerned about and on that front it was excellent. It had better legroom, better knee room, better under-thigh support, the rear AC vents were good option, the rear window blind also did its job well and per se I loved it, sadly the Ciaz is not available in maroon! Wonder why it isn’t considering the XL6 is and looks amazing in it too! Now what really closed the deal was it gobbled my cycle in its entirety all I had to do was push down front seat and stretch it as ahead as possible. Even in the Tata cars that did not work and putting a cycle in was a task (this was not the criteria for purchase but when it happened, I felt happy).

I closed the deal on Alpha ‘Prime Celestial Blue’ as ‘Opulent Red’ which is Maruti’s version of Maroon is a joke!! Sadly, was told there would be 6 weeks of waiting for the automatic version but in reality, I got the car in 10 working days as some gentleman had not honoured his commitment to purchase.

No other options were considered but I did find the Honda City to be a worthy contender, there are many amongst my friends who drive and swear on it in its entirety, but truth be told I am comfortable with the tried and tested, it’s always the Colgate toothpaste immaterial my dentist keeps telling me to go for Sensodyne!

PS – I did test ride the VW Virtus, which is an excellent handler, but as I said Colgate toothpaste for life.

Now coming to the Ciaz

The Goods

Space

During a recent family trip to Goa, till we emptied the boot my folks had no idea I had packed my decathlon folding cycle which was easily gobbled in the boot amongst other luggage easily.

Decent Engine, Ride and Handling

The 4-speed AMT mated to 1.5Ltrs engine is a breeze for city driving and the occasional highway. My driver comes from uniform services, he gave a good 18 years driving those army trucks which he really had to push to perform, he keeps saying the Ciaz reminds him of those trucks even when pushed hard it lazily moves ahead, I imagine the tunning is done for fuel economy but as we do not do three-digit numbers fitment to purpose is fine.

For a car of its proportions, it steers quite comfortably in the hills where I reside, we have bought a cabin in the woods which I regularly visit over the weekends self-driving and uphill or narrow roads or even broken ones are done sans any drama, yes, the ground clearance is a bit low but I haven’t really seen any tall sedans barring the Tata Zest. It steers well too, haven’t experienced moments where tackling narrow lanes was an issue.

Rear Seat Comfort

It's well documented across reviews, I have a funny tale to put matters in perspective, my sister-in-law came from the US, I was assigned to pick her up from Chandigarh airport. It was a day after a rather long cycling run with buds so in no time I dozed off through the entire journey. On entering home I told my wife "I slept with your sister for the last three hours", my sister-in-law quipped to my wife "If that's how he sleeps then I do pity u a lot" Bottom line the rear seat is indeed heaven.

Frugal

Even with my driver's initial heavy foot driving it turned 18kmpl to 20kmpl on highway runs, in city premises, we touched 13kmpl, with sedate driving which we did on way to Goa we crossed 22kmpl but that could be once a blue moon scenario (all are with AC tank to tank calculations).

Decently Loaded

My daughter says Apple car play is preloaded and I got to use it, the driver says the Cruise control is a blessing, wife says keyless entry is amazing tech as she has a habit of misplacing keys, brother says “wow you got rear reading lamps” (he’s a lawyer so I assume he does a lot of reading to and fro work), father says that’s Auto AC is way better than one in his Dezire, I say “Thanks guys”.

PS – BTW the Decathlon folding cycle is at best a leisure item, it's not for regulars and long-distance cyclists.

The ‘Hyped’ Not Goods

Soft suspension

Yes I might say that’s partly true, while driving to Goa there were moments when a fully loaded car with soft suspensions means some rough surface moments get transgressed to all passengers, however as I said it's not a deal breaker, I assume every sedan has softer suspension set up v/s an SUV by design.

Not-so-updated tech

Reminds me of a funny incident – Dilly and Dally were SAS drivers and communications guys whose job was to pick us up from a remote location where we’d disappeared for a weeklong exercise. This was in the middle of cold and unforgiving British winter, in no time we started I assume Dilly lost his way and yelled “Dally you (expletive), where is the right turn, we’d to make? Dally said “lemme check sarge but “The Bell” is right around the next corner”. Point is tech is as meaningful as the user desires, Dally had the best map-reading tech at his disposal that night!

Ciaz has what I need and that’s that.

Expensive Servicing

That is how the economy works, rationalization is fine, but costs have over the years logically risen and so have remunerations and emoluments.

Typical Maruti rattling sounds

Yes if one cares to fault finding but I have felt the cabin to be peaceful and very good on NVH levels.

Average Performance

Subjective to what performance is expected than what it means, for me comfort matters and in that area the Ciaz shines. It does not feel lost at high speeds as well and can crunch miles sans drama.

The Only Not Good

Built and Safety

In 2022, there were 1,55,622 deaths due to road accidents registered in India and 59.7 per cent of fatalities occurred due to over-speeding. That demands the car to be solidly built like the Tata ones which can withstand damage, in that matter and that matter alone Ciaz seems lacking, we don’t do triple digits, and we avoid night runs but that doesn’t mean Maruti can get away with such build quality mainly as I see many Ciaz taxi’s which do ply in nights and are driven fast.

Two Interesting Anecdotes and some photos

Dimapur and Driving

I was posted in Dimapur and soon realised that I had not really set my hands on a four-wheeler, two wheelers were my forte, so one day as I shared this predicament with my superior his eyes suddenly lit up, he invited me to dinner at his place saying he had a perfect solution to my problem.

As I found out his sister-in-law a freshly minted doctor had come over to enjoy much-needed holidays and was driving him and his wife nuts with continual rants of boredom, she knew how to drive, he believed keeping her occupied teaching me would shift the receiving end of her rants from them to me.

This does sound cliché but the moment I saw her I said to myself “to hell with driving I am marrying this girl’, it’s been 28 years of togetherness since.

PS – My wife still complains that I was a poor student who had to be reminded many times it is the road that needs attention and not the tutor's face!

Mizoram, the birthplace of ‘Tatafanatic”

Those days we were issued standard Gypsy to ferry around however one day a Tata Sumo was made available as the Gypsy had gone for servicing, on a rainy day we were driving to base when something hit us from behind, it hit us so hard that the vehicle swirled twice before coming to a screeching halt, quickly following ambush protocol we awaited action but nothing, we waited for some more time but nothing, cautiously we got to the vehicle for inspection and it occurred that a huge animal had bashed us from behind.

The impact was so hard that the entire back part was mauled, had it been the Gypsy none of us would have lived to tell the tale, but we didn’t recollect passing a wild heard so after a bit of search all we found was a lone Mithun (Bison) chewing grass lazily in the bushes, did he hit us, maybe he did maybe he was their version of a Maroon Beret who said “Chaalo aaj kuch toofani karate hain”! But that day I became a Tatafanatic.

Do I recommend the Ciaz – most definitely yes if chauffer driven.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

The hybrid ECM cost Rs 13,000 while the hybrid alternator was replaced for Rs 45,000.

BHPian cherub recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

I own a Ciaz diesel (currently at 1,35,000 kms). My service centre forgot to change the belt at 30k and at around 40k kms, it broke off and fell off somewhere on the way at night. Firstly the power steering stopped working and the battery stopped charging but thankfully the car reached home, probably because it is a diesel. Once the ignition was switched off, I could not start the car. The next morning the service centre executive came with a charged battery and took the car to the service centre and changed the belt. He charged me for the belt and the emergency service. Later on, I realized that it was their fault, but since I had already made the payment, I did not protest. If I had known at the time of repair that it was their fault, I would have gotten it done for free. Maruti is very responsive if you protest (if have the time to follow up) and they do make you feel like they care I have felt they actually do care about their customers and products. Additionally, the service/parts costs are usually so nominal that it seems easier to just pay than to protest.

I think the belt issue damaged the hybrid system. The hybrid ECM was replaced around 65k kms (approx. Rs 13,000) and the hybrid alternator had to be replaced around 80k kms (approx Rs 45,000).

To check the damage in the belt, wrap it around your finger in the opposite direction with the grooves on the outside and you will see the cracks.

Another two Important things to change that are not in the service manual.

1. The radiator fan assembly (dual fans) should be changed every 60k kms. Only one of the fans will fail and it is very difficult to diagnose this failure as one fan manages quite well, but it will create issues driving on slopes and other engine stress situations (fan assembly approx Rs 5,500). Mine has already failed twice and damaged my engine due to overheating. Two service centres could not catch the fault, then my FNG caught it. It takes a long time to diagnose the issue as one has to wait for the engine to heat up.
2. The gear cable connection to the gearbox should also be replaced around the 100k mark, mine failed around 120k kms. (approx Rs 250)

Despite my poor experience a few times, I love Maruti for providing niggles free cars and good customer care.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

The dual-tone colour options are available on the top-spec Alpha variants priced at Rs 11,14,500 (MT) and Rs 12,34,500 (AT).

Maruti Suzuki has announced the launch of the 2023 Ciaz. The updated sedan gets new safety features and is now available in dual-tone colour options.

The Ciaz comes equipped with Electronic Stability Program (ESP) and Hill Hold Assist as standard. The car also gets dual airbags, rear parking sensors and ISOFIX child seat anchorage. 

The 2023 Maruti Ciaz is powered by a 1.5-litre petrol engine with mild-hybrid tech. It develops 103 BHP @ 6,000 rpm and 138 Nm @ 4,400 rpm and is mated with 5-speed manual and 4-speed automatic transmissions.

The Ciaz is available with a choice of 7 exterior colours. These include three new dual-tone shades of Pearl Metallic Opulent Red with Black Roof, Pearl Metallic Grandeur Grey with Black roof and Dignity Brown with Black Roof. 

The dual-tone colour options are available on the top-spec Alpha variants priced at Rs 11,14,500 (MT) and Rs 12,34,500 (AT).

The prices of the Nexa Black Editions are consistent with the corresponding variants of the standard Nexa models.

Maruti Suzuki is celebrating its 40th anniversary with the launch of the Nexa Black Edition range of cars.

Maruti Suzuki is offering Nexa Black Editions of the Ignis, Baleno, Ciaz, XL6 and Grand Vitara. The cars are painted in a new Pearl Midnight Black shade and are available with a limited-edition accessory package at discounted prices.

The Nexa Black Edition is available in Zeta and Alpha variants of the Ignis, all variants of the Ciaz, Alpha and Alpha+ variants of the XL6 and Zeta, Zeta+, Alpha and Alpha+ trims of the Grand Vitara.

The prices of the Nexa Black Editions are consistent with the corresponding variants of the standard Nexa models.

Toyota has also announced a recall of the Urban Cruiser Hyryder over the same issue.

Maruti Suzuki has recalled over 9,000 units of the Grand Vitara, Ciaz, Brezza and Ertiga over a faulty seat belt shoulder height adjuster assembly.

According to the carmaker, 9,125 vehicles manufactured between November 2 and November 28, 2022, have been affected. It is said that there is a possible defect in one of the child parts of the shoulder height adjuster assembly of front-row seat belts, which might lead to the seat belt disassembly.

Maruti Suzuki has asked owners of the affected vehicles to get them inspected at their nearest authorized service centre. The carmaker will be replacing the faulty part free of cost.

Toyota has also announced a recall of the Urban Cruiser Hyryder over the same issue.

After 4 years and 10 months, the battery of my 2017 1.3 Diesel Alpha Hybrid seems to have become weak and the auto-start-stop light constantly flashes and the function does not work.

BHPian Foxbat recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

After 4 years and 10 months the battery of my 2017 1.3 Diesel Alpha Hybrid seems to have become weak and the auto-start-stop light constantly flashes and the function does not work. Apart from that everything is working as normal (car starts on the first try despite single digit temperatures).

Does it make sense to replace the battery now or wait some time? What are my options to replace the battery? should I get an exact replacement (same brand and models as it lasted almost 5 years).

Here's what BHPian jigar1791@gmail had to say on the matter:

Hi, I'm facing the same issue in my 2018 Petrol MT (facelifted version) since the last fortnight. Initially, I thought it's the usual rat menace with wiring going kaput, but a quick visit to our trusted FNG confirmed wiring is intact. Couldn't check on the battery health, since he didn't have a working battery health checkup machine.

All other parameters and functions are normal - audio/AC/1-shelf start etc. I also see the Hybrid Battery being charged when the car is in motion. All of these do point towards the OEM battery becoming weak, will still investigate more on this when I visit MASS over the weekend.

During my most recent periodic service in January '22, our SA did hint me on the OEM battery gradually becoming weak, and his battery checkup slip rated current health at 40%. Though I'm yet to confirm his suggestion, I think it's the battery that's causing the issue we're facing.

If that's so, it bothers me to know that the OEM battery lasted just over 3 years and 3 months, with the ODO reading at 27K!

Are we getting something wrong here, or that's the usual life of these conventional batteries, or the Hybrid setup somehow sucks more from the conventional battery to power itself?

Here's what BHPian foxbat had to say on the matter:

I got the battery replaced with the same exact model of Exide for Rs.7000 after exchange.

The original battery lasted about 4 years and 10 months and about 27,000 km before the start-stop feature stopped working. However mine was a Diesel not sure if the petrol has the same battery.

Read BHPian comments for more insights and information.

The revised colour palette is similar to that of the upcoming Baleno facelift.

Maruti Suzuki has introduced four new colour options for the MY2022 Ciaz. The revised colour palette is similar to that of the upcoming Baleno facelift.

The 2022 Ciaz is available in Celestial Blue, Opulent Red, Splendid Silver and Grandeur Grey. Besides the four new shades, the mid-size sedan is also available in Pearl Arctic White, Midnight Black and Prime Dignity Brown. Maruti has discontinued the Sangria Red, Nexa Blue and Magma Grey shades.

The 2022 Ciaz comes with features such as a 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, automatic LED headlamps, automatic climate control and cruise control.

Powering the car is a 1.5-litre mild-hybrid petrol engine that produces 104 BHP and 138 Nm. The engine is mated to either a 5-speed manual or a 4-speed automatic transmission.

Models like the Ertiga, XL6, Swift, Dzire, Ciaz and Ignis are said to be affected by this issue.

Some Maruti Suzuki customers are said to be facing abnormal engine vibrations caused due to faulty engine mounts. In response, the carmaker has undertaken a service campaign to inspect and replace the faulty parts.

Models like the Ertiga, XL6, Swift, Dzire, Ciaz and Ignis are said to be affected by this issue. Customers have been requested to get it fixed if they notice excessive engine vibrations.

The part in question is the right-hand side engine mount; part no - 11610M72R00

The cut-off VINs for the aforementioned models are as follows:

• Ertiga: MA3BNC32SMG361698
• XL6: MA3CNC32SMG261516
• New Swift: MBHCZCB3SMG838412
• Ignis: MA3NFG81SMG319333
• Ciaz: MA3EXGL1S00437213
• Dzire: MA3EJKD1S00C76583

Cut-off date: July 22, 2021

Thanks to BHPian Leoshashi for sharing this information with other enthusiasts!

The Toyota Belta is a rebadged version of the Maruti Ciaz and will replace the Yaris in India.

Toyota has revealed a new mid-size sedan for the Middle Eastern markets. It's the Toyota Belta - a rebadged version of the Maruti Ciaz.

In terms of design, the Belta features the same front grille, bumper and headlights as the Ciaz. Similarly, the rear end is exactly the same except for the Toyota badge on the boot lid.

The Belta is powered by the same 1.5-litre, 4-cylinder mild-hybrid petrol engine that is offered in the Ciaz. It produces 103 BHP and 138 Nm and comes paired with either a 5-speed manual or 4-speed automatic transmission.

The Toyota Belta will be manufactured in India for left-hand drive markets including the Middle East.