Maruti Suzuki Ciaz has been spied testing in the country once again, albeit under heavy camouflage.
The test mule of the Ciaz was spotted in Delhi by the folks at MotorBash. From the images, Maruti's upcoming C-segment offering looks production ready and is likely to hit the market soon. According to the report, the latest test mule of Ciaz was spotted with commoners inside, indicating that the testing of the car has reached the final stages. The images also reveal its double barrel headlamps and ORVM integrated side mirrors.
Ciaz, Maruti's next big launch in the big car segment is expected to make its entry into the domestic market within two months; with all probability by September. The car which gave us the first glimpse at the Delhi Auto Expo has been trying the patience of auto lovers in the country since then. In China, the Ciaz will be called Alivio and is likely to go on sales in the next few months. Going by the previous reports, the Alivio is likely to get the power from 1.6-litre DOHC 4-cylinder petrol engine and comes mated to a six-speed automatic transmission.
Maruti has been seen testing the car in various cities of the country numerous times. Under the hood, Ciaz is likely to pack the same 1.3 liter Multijet diesel or 1.4 liter K Series petrol engine of Ertiga and is expected to carry some of the features of both SX4 and Ertiga.
On the safety front, Maruti Ciaz is speculated to come with Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) with Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD).
When launched, the car will take on the likes of Hyundai Verna, Honda City and Volkswagen Vento in the sub-continent and is likely to price in the ₹7.2 lakh to ₹10.5 lakh range. The car will show doors to Maruti's underperforming SX4 in the domestic market.
If reports are to be believed Maruti has already stopped the production of SX4 in the country and the company is also offering heavy discount upto ₹1.17 lakh on the purchase of the same. Interestingly, in June, the sales of the mid-sized sedan SX4 rose by 2.5 percent to 322 units, as against 314 units in June last year.