Maruti Suzuki Ciaz Alpha DDiS Test Drive


Thread Starter #1
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Hi Readers

Last evening, had an opt to TD the Ciaz DDis 1.3L Diesel C segmenter and below are my observation:

NEXA Experience:
> NEXA Anna Nagar SA and Managers are professional and really interested in customers.
> Very disciplined and up to the point in communication. Well skilled to live in the competition market.
> Was offered refreshment, once I entered. TD was offered on Diesel as well as Petrol, however I took only Diesel one.

Experience with Ciaz DDis:

> The updated car is fine, in terms of cosmetics, but alas! no engine upgrade in Deisel, it's the same old 90 BHP (as told by the SA) 1.3L DDiS doing its duty under the hood.
> First time behind the wheel of the Ciaz Diesel, cranked with mediocre expectations, but alas ! all in vain.
> The car is pathetically slow, I would say. In 2nd and 3rd gear, flooring the accelerator has seldom any effect in the pull. The car is pretty lazy and lethargic and took its own sweet time even to respond. Thanks to the heavier body and the under powered 1.3 DDIS 90 HP or so, which powers all smaller cars right from Swift.
> Alpha model was fully loaded.
> Mileage in city was assured (real time) around 20 kpl and highway real time was told to be around 23-24 kmpl, which is obvious for such a small engine in such a big car. Anyways Maruti is well known for mileage. M for Maruti and M for mileage (though NEXA cars do not carry the Maruti badge or logo anywhere)
> Clutch, throttle pedal and gear shifts weren't as smooth as one would find with the Petrol Ciaz, which are silky smooth to shift and operate. But Diesels are diesels.
> Worst part for me - driver arm rest of no use AT ALL. No, can't be accepted. Didn't the designer of this while designing this part? It is FIXED and not adjustable. And it has been fixed only for a 6+ footer driver and seems they have reserved Ciaz (both P & D) only for 6+ footers. I personally am less than 6 foot (not sure exactly how many inches above 5 foot - 172 cms to be precise) and after getting my most comfortable dirving position, my left elbow was suspended in the air while trying to shift gears (mock though - while explaining / demonstrating the issue to the SA and SA didn't have a word in counter). I literally told him that I , if end up buying a Ciaz, would first of all, remove the arm rest and throw it into a corporation DUSTBIN as my very first modification in the car. Poor SA, it wasn't his fault !!

Sorry guys, I just poured in my feelings. How Suzuki can be so senseless in designing the basic comfort of the driver in a C segmenter car costing above 13L ??? Any clue???

SA tried to convince me stating Suzuki had provided adjustable driver arm rest in S Cross ... who cares ? I am not an SUV guy nor would my family prefer one any time.

My opinion:
> Car should be good, economic and practical to only those who do not do spirited driving and prefer linear (very linerar) acceleration.
> Car would well suit in highways with grinning mileage figures in highways for sedate drivers for sure. Even I would be happy on a highway, I would love to drive this car on highways at speeds somewhere around 110-125 kmph, but certainly not in city
> I wonder how people use this DDiS Ciaz as their daily drive city car, probably I should appreciate their patience, or people got accustomed to its amazing picking power[frustration]


See Maruti lovers, I certainly not am against Maruti by any means. I have owned an M800 1996 model from 2004-2008, and it was a gem out of the cars available then.

Even Ciaz DDiS is an awesome car to drive, only down side is the engine being underpowered. But highly fuel efficient.

Choice is with the new buyers. If one expects fuel efficiency to be motivating, and can compromise with the dead slow pick up of the car, yes one can definitely go for it. It's a VFM package I would say.

I was orally told by SA about the OTR in Chennai
10.8 L (base); 11.50L (next); 13.00L (base +2) and 13.50 L (top end)

I would honestly suggest potential buyers to check out the Honda City 1.5 which slightly more powered with 100 BHP engine, awesome mileage, and a brand value.

Petrol Ciaz didn't attract any significant complaint from me, but for the build quality which is common for all Maruti's.

I was also told that Suzuki had upgraded the Ciaz Petrol from 1.4L engine to 1.5 Engine and left the Diesel counter part to live with the same lethargic diesel burner[confused]

In fact, petrol Ciaz never needed an upgrade, the engine 1.4L was already sufficiently powered. The one which needed an upgraded engine badly was Ciaz Diesel, and I was expecting one eagerly, but alas ! Disappointed with Suzuki's thinking.

Suzuki should rather have rewarded the hot selling Ciaz with a new 1.5L Diesel so that the sales chart would have eaten up all other competition rivals, even Verna 1.5 128 PS one..

God bless.

Regards
Kumar
 
Last edited:
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Thanks for the frank and valuable review of the car,
I personally feel its the mistake on the part of Suzuki to launch a beautiful car in the older Diesel engine whereas they have updated the Petrol version with a bigger engine.
Still dont understand why wasn't the 1.6DDIS of S-cross used in Ciaz[roll]
The fixed armrest is a problem even i face in my Baleno
 
Thread Starter #3
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1.6 DDIS has been discounted in even the S Cross, which now comes with the same puny 1.3 DDIS and I wonder how it manages to pull such a heavy cross over.

S Cross is as under powered as the Ciaz Diesel, says the honest SA.
 

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