Maruti Suzuki Ciaz facelift India launch likely by Nov; will it get 1.5-litre engine?

Maruti Suzuki is not in a hurry yet to make any changes to the charts topping Ciaz in India. Even when the Japanese carmaker Honda launched the new City with updated features earlier this year, Maruti Suzuki's only move was to drive Ciaz into the Nexa premium dealerships without making any changes to the model.

Now with the competition in this segment brazing to go a notch higher with the new Hyundai Verna to be launched in the country on August 22, Ciaz remains nonchalant by the developments and taking its sweet time before the facelifted model makes an entry into the market. According to a new report of GaadiWaadi, the Ciaz facelift could come only by November this year. Maruti Suzuki Ciaz, the premium sedan has been a leader in its segment leaving its challengers - Honda, Hyundai, Volkswagen and Skoda - grappling for answers.

Maruti has been testing a facelifted model of the Ciaz in India and the images of it were circulated on the web. While it is too early to comment on the changes in the new Ciaz, reports indicated cosmetic modifications at the front and rear. There have also been reports that Maruti is testing new 1.5-litre engine in Ciaz.

Currently, Ciaz comes powered by a 1,373 cc petrol unit and a 1,248 cc diesel mill under the hood. While the petrol unit develops 91 bhp at 6,000 rpm and 130 Nm of torque at 4,000 rpm mated to five-speed manual transmission, the diesel unit comes equipped with a small hybrid system which produces 89 bhp at 4,000 rpm and 200 Nm of torque at 1,750 rpm. The petrol variant is also available with four-speed automatic transmission. It is said that both the petrol and diesel engine versions of Ciaz are likely to get the 1.5-litre engines.

Source: GaadiWaadi