Suzuki has never been that successful when it comes to sedans. Their latest attempt in this segment– the Ciaz is now almost a decade old and is surviving in only a few key markets such as India, where it still sells in decent numbers contrary to other markets where the Ciaz is either discontinued or struggling to leave the showroom floors.
Maruti Suzuki still has faith in Ciaz, that’s why it has been upgraded to meet the new stringent RDE (Real Driving Emissions) norms and BS6-Phase2 emission standards in India which became effective in April 2023. But the upgrade makes Ciaz pricier by up to INR 11,000. The Delta and Delta automatic variants experienced the least price increase of INR 6,500, while the Zeta and Zeta automatic variants experienced the largest price increase of INR 11,00. The base S variant has been discontinued.
After the price revision, the ex-showroom prices of Ciaz now start at INR 9.30 lac and go as high as INR 12.29 lac for the top-spec variant. Interestingly, the price of the least expensive Ciaz variant (Sigma MT) translates into PKR 31.9 lac which makes it even cheaper than the Wagon R here which starts from PKR 32.14 lac and goes up to PKR 37.41 lac for the VXL AGS version. The most expensive Ciaz variant in India is equivalent to PKR 42.19 lac which makes it even cheaper than the Swift here which is priced between PKR 42.56 and PKR 49.60 lac.
Under the hood, the updated Maruti Suzuki Ciaz is currently the only model in the company’s lineup to feature the K15B 1.5L naturally-aspirated, petrol engine. The engine which churns out 103hp of power and 138Nm of torque has been updated to comply with the latest RDE and BS6 emission norms. Transmission options include a 5-speed manual transmission and a 4-speed torque converter automatic gearbox.
In terms of safety features, the Ciaz in India comes equipped with dual front airbags, ABS with EBD, ISOFIX child seat anchoring points, rear parking sensors, and more. Some of the noteworthy features of the Ciaz include automatic climate control, push-button start/stop, rear AC vents, a 7-inch infotainment unit, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto connectivity, etc.
Today the Ciaz might not be the best-selling model in its segment, but it continues to bring decent revenue for Maruti. Once a bestselling car in its segment, the Suzuki Ciaz used to compete against the 6th gen Honda City, 5th gen Hyundai Verna, Toyota Yaris, Volkswagen Vento, and Skoda Rapid. While Toyota Yaris was long discontinued due to poor sales, the City and Verna are upgraded to 7th gen and 6th gen models respectively, VW Vento has been replaced with Virtus, and Skoda Rapid got discontinued in favor of Slavia.
Related: Skoda Slavia & Volkswagen Virtus Get 5-Star GNCAP Rating
The aging Suzuki Ciaz now has a completely fresh lineup of rivals to compete with. How long will Maruti Suzuki continue with the Ciaz sedan in India will be an interesting thing to watch out for.
A computer animation professional with over 23 years of industry experience having served in leading organizations, TV channels & production facilities in Pakistan. An avid car enthusiast and petrolhead with an affection to deliver quality content to help shape opinions. Formerly written for PakWheels as well as major publications including Dawn. Founder of CarSpiritPK.com
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