The refreshed Ciaz has been clicked undisguised for the very first time, reportedly at Maruti Suzuki’s stockyard in Haryana. The spy shots also suggest production is well underway to build inventory before the car’s launch in August 2018.
Though the images are grainy, what is clear is that frontal styling is where the bulk of the update has been concentrated. The grille is all new and now seems to fuse in with the headlamps, which have also been reprofiled, and now sport a prominent ‘brow’. Like the newer lot of Marutis, it is expected that the Ciaz too will be upgraded with LED headlamps. The front bumper has been redone as well, and get chrome surrounds for the fog-lamp housings. In all, the frontal styling is similar in appearance to to what we’ve seen on the new Ertiga that was unveiled in Indonesia last month. Worth noting is that the Ciaz facelift for India gets unique styling and is quite removed in look from the Suzuki Alivio sold in China.
At the sides, the Ciaz will continue to be offered with 16-inch alloy wheels, though the multi-spoke rims are slightly different in look. Going by the pictures, changes at the rear will be minimal, though the tail-lamps could be re-profiled and sport LED elements too. On the inside, expect minor updates to the seat fabric and a new, lighter woodgrain shade. However, the dual-tone cabin theme is expected to continue. There will also be some enhancements to the features’ list, though, it’s uncertain whether Maruti will go on to offer a sunroof on fully loaded Ciazs.
Under the hood, the updated Ciaz will see a big change in the form of a new petrol engine. Suzuki’s new 1.5-litre K15B engine will replace the current 1.4-litre K14 unit. Peak power will see a jump to 104hp (from 92hp) and max torque will also be a higher 138Nm (compared to 130Nm). The Ciaz’s 1.4-litre petrol engine was peppy in town but felt lackluster at higher speeds and we can only hope the new engine gives the Ciaz the performance it always needed. This new engine will also be seen under the hood of the all-new Ertiga MPV that will come to India this year. Expect this engine to be offered with manual and automatic transmission options.
In addition to the new petrol, the older 1.3-litre diesel engine will also be offered at launch but will eventually be replaced by Suzuki’s in-house 1.5-litre engine that is in development.
Prices, we expect, will remain competitive and continue to undercut rivals by a big margin. The Ciaz is a strong seller in the mid-size sedan segment and, with sales not showing any downturn even a full three years after launch, the facelifted car is sure to get off to a rolling start.