Test driving the Maruti Suzuki Ciaz

Itrsquos been a while since Marutirsquos Honda City rivalling Ciaz made its debut in India A few months and a minor recall later the big sedan from Indiarsquos leading small car maker is going strong It even topped the charts for its segment briefly Although itrsquos still early days to call the Ciaz a big longterm success for Maruti the notable initial reception proves that people are not averse to sparing a million bucks for a big Maruti car But does it really have the refinement and the finesse that theexpensive cars in its segment require We find outPrice Rs 72 to 102 lakh exshowroomDesign and appealThe Ciaz which looked sensational in the concept form has been relentlessly watered down for the production trim While the concept exuded attitude the Ciaz rolling off the Maruti dealerships is an exponent of safe inoffensive and clean design The biggest USP of the Ciaz is its size which is the largest in the segment and will naturally appeal to the Indian car buyer who loves associating dimensions with value The Honda City took the game a notch higher with its enormous size and Maruti Suzuki have responded soundly by making the Ciaz go a size up even on the CityThe dashboard is clean minimalistic and classy Materials used and workmanship is above satisfactory PICSAMIT CHHANGANI The wide stance and the low roofline works towards adding some attitude to the Ciazrsquos otherwise humble appearance The angular swept back headlamps taper inwards and feature some chrome detailing inside along with a projector unit The front also features a wide central air dam with two connected faux side air vents with fog lamps housings flanking itIn profile the roofline unlike most other cars in the segment doesnrsquot drop towards the rear liberating a decent amount of headroom for the rear passengers Those 16inch spoke wheels donrsquot look bad eitherThe Bluetooth and call receivereject buttons are placed behind the steering and require some getting used toAt the rear the Ciazrsquos taillamps bear an uncanny resemblance to the Cityrsquos wide angular tail lamps Itrsquod be tough to let it pass as mere coincidence though those lamps are probably the most likeable components of the Ciazrsquos design For the average Joe who wants a practical decent looking sedan for his family the Ciaz fits the bill perfectly It would impress most with its size and doesnrsquot have any unlikeable oddities that would be frowned uponRear AC vents are available even in small cars and the Ciaz doesnrsquot omit the featureEngine and transmissionThe Ciaz is presented with two engines mdash a 13litre VGI turbo diesel and a 14 litre K14 engine shared with the Ertiga albeit in a different state of tune Both engines come mated to a 5speed manual transmission The diesel engine for a variety of reasons is the natural pick of the two Letrsquos discuss the performance of the two engines in detailFront central armrest also offers a small space underneath the flipopen lid Letrsquos start with the diesel first The 13litre Fiat sourced VGT turbo assisted oil burner is a proven performer On the Ciaz it delivers 90 PS of peak power at 4000 rpm Performance wise the more reassuring figure is the peak torque of 200Nm produced at 1750 rpm Though a proven performer this engine has been known to have some turbo lag and it is no different here While there is some response 1500 rpm onwards the engine starts pulling with conviction only from around2000 rpmThere isnrsquot anything to whine about though on single carriageways and in stopstart city traffic you may have to shift down a cog a bit more frequently than you desire The engine also gets a tad noisy post 3500 rpm but stays well within the boundaries of acceptabilityThe 14 litre petrol engine appears to be a tad feeble for a car this size The specs read 92PS 6000 rpm and 130 Nm at 4000 revs which isnrsquot very impressive for this class of cars Engines on the rival cars boast better figures The response isnrsquot very strong below the 2000 rpm mark The engine also doesnrsquot rev very smoothly and there is some degree of coarseness to the noise it makes From slow speeds the Ciaz in the petrol guise would take some time to build momentum unless you decide to shift down a cog or twoPerformance in the higher band of the rev range isnrsquot particularly strong either and on open highways with the car fully loaded with family and luggage the small engine should show its limitations especially when you wish to travel at a swift pace Having said all that itrsquos an engine you can live with without any major gripes but it isnrsquot the kind of velvety smooth responsive unit that makes you get behind the wheel at every opportunityRide and handlingThe Ciaz comes with 16inch wheels and during our test stint loaded with 4 occupants the dampers felt mildly on the stiffer side Overall the Ciaz tackles the broken city roads well at slow speeds with one or two occupants than when fully loaded The ride improves with speed though the overall composure at higher speeds isnrsquot as sorted as the European machinesThe Ciaz handles confidently for a family sedan offering good straightline stability and reassuring composure around bends as well Sure there is some body roll and some understeer too but itrsquos all well within acceptable limits and shouldnrsquot be something to bother about unless you want this car for sheer driving thrills And yoursquod be looking the wrong way if you doInterior and featuresThe interior of the Ciaz is very neatly laid out The twotone blackbeige dash is split in two by wood inserts which are a tad too dark for our liking The fitfinish materials used and the overall workmanship inside the cabin is above satisfactory if not delightfulInstrument console is rather simplistic mdash in a European fashion it employs black dials with white markings in a subtle font Central screen on the instrument console includes a trip computer which offers very useful data including stats related to fuel efficiency The steering wheel is adjustable for rake and feels decent to hold though it isnrsquot leather wrapped Also the mounted controls are stacked on only one side with the audio related functions on the left spoke and Bluetoothtelephony controls mounted behind the hub between the left and the bottom spoke They need to be pulled unlike normal buttons which you push The position of these buttons is a bit odd for intuitive use and may require some getting used toSeats are big and comfortable with ample thigh and back support up front The seats at the rear could have done with a bit more thigh support though especially knowing the extra legspace the Ciaz has Storage spaces come aplenty with both front door panels housing space for a big water bottle and documents You get two cup holders ahead of the gear shifter a small storage under the flipopen front armrest good for a couple of cellphones or wallets a glares holder and two cupholders in the rear central armrestThe space at the back is astonishing The Ciaz boasts the highest leg and shoulder room for the class and is an extremely comfortable car for the rear passengers The backtrest has a comfortable angle and a flat floor spells even more convenience and space for the feet The rear seats are not foldable though A rear AC vent is the order of the day and the Ciaz does not skimp on the feature On the top ZDI ZXI variants the features list is quite generous The audio unit is equipped to operate with inputs from CD USB Aux radio and Bluetooth ABS and twin airbags are the two important safety items Rear blinds come as a nice value add Adjustable seat belts dimmable RVMs parking sensors an RVM integrated rear view camera and electric folding ORVMs are a few other goodies The cabin is well insulated from ambient noise A bit of road and tyre noise intrudes the cabin thoughVerdictFor someone looking for a valuefor money spacious decentlooking family car with loads of features the Ciaz is almost a nobrainer The petrol engine isnrsquot the most apt unit for a car this size but should pass as a practical fussfree unit A big car at a great price with the dependable sales and service network of Maruti Suzuki backing it makes the Ciaz a compelling option in the segment