Maruti Suzuki has launched the 2018 Ciaz sedan in India at Rs 8.19 lakhs (All India ex-showroom). There’s 11 variants, 2 engine options, 7 colour options and in the case of the petrol engine, you also get an automatic transmission. The Ciaz is Maruti Suzuki’s representative in the C-segment of the Indian car market. Here it takes on a variety of sedans as well as compact SUVs and here is how the Ciaz stands up to them.
Honda City
The Honda City is the Maruti Suzuki Ciaz’s chief rival. In terms of equivalent variants, the car is priced not too far apart and now with this new 1.5-litre petrol, the Ciaz matches City in terms of petrol models despite the former being slightly down on the latter in terms of torque and bhp. However, the City’s diesel motor at 1.5-litres has a higher output both in terms of torque and bhp. It also gets a six-speed manual as compared to the Ciaz diesel’s five-speed manual.
The top-of-the-line models for both cars get climate control with rear vents, touchscreen system and leather upholstery. Where the City’s interior has gone for a black and silver cabin trim, the Ciaz gets a brown and beige cabin with faux wood inserts in the dashboard.
Hyundai Verna
The Hyundai Verna is the other main competitor for the Ciaz. It’s been around much longer than the Ciaz and underwent a major generational change last year. While the Verna managed to step up the game significantly, the Ciaz has caught up and now offers electrically adjustable mirrors across the range, steering mounted audio controls, rear AC vent and rear parking sensors across every model in the range.
However, the Verna has significantly more powerful engines than the Ciaz both in terms of petrol and diesel. Both, the Verna and the Vento are major players which offer a diesel AT among the C-segment sedans and this is a major selling point for the vehicle.
Volkswagen Vento
The Volkswagen Vento has been around for quite a bit and although not a rival to the Ciaz in terms of volumes, it is a well-known player in the segment. The Vento is powerful in terms of engine options but does not have the hybrid setup that’s present in the Ciaz. In fact the Ciaz is now the first car in the segment to offer the hybrid setup. However, the Vento offers a diesel DSG as well as a petrol automatic in the form a 1.2-litre DSG powered unit.
In terms of features, the Ciaz is now better equipped than the Vento and offers a much bigger list of standard items across the range.
Toyota Yaris
It’s the newest player in the segment and is only offered with petrol power. The Yaris’ petrol engine is also a 1.5-litre unit and it produces 106bhp/140Nm of torque putting it right on par with the Ciaz. The Ciaz gets a four-speed AT while the Yaris has a CVT but this is not expected to be a deal breaker for the former. In terms of features, both cars are quite evenly matched and offer the same items variant for variant.
