Maruti Suzuki Ciaz Will Not Get Automated Manual Transmission: Report

Maruti Suzuki's upcoming sedan Ciaz will not come with AMT (Automated Manual Transmission) technology, claims a new report.

AMT, a technology which became popular in India with the launch of Maruti's small car offering Celerio will not be offered in the company's Ciaz sedan, which is due for a launch during the festive season this year. A recent report of Autocar India citing industry sources reported that the AMT is considered to be a 'poor man's automatic' and thus it will not be a good idea to make it as a part of company's premium sedans like Ciaz. The report also added that instead of AMT, Maruti Ciaz is likely to get CVT (Continuously Variable Transmission), which is a feature of the Ciaz's rival Honda City.

Unveiled first at the Delhi Auto Expo 2014, Maruti Ciaz is based on the Suzuki Authentics concept car, which was displayed at the 2013 Shanghai Motor Show. The Suzuki had also showcased a near production version of Ciaz dubbed Alivio at the Beijing Auto Show 2014. Suzuki's Alivio sedan draws power from 1.6-litre DOHC 4-cylinder petrol engine and comes mated to six-speed automatic transmission.

Under the hood, Maruti's new C-segment offering, 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.

The car is expected to come with premium features like 16-inch alloy wheels, keyless entry, push button start, puddle lamps, leather seats and will take on the likes of Hyundai Verna, Honda City and Volkswagen Vento in the sub-continent.

Going by the rumours, the upcoming sedan of Maruti is likely to fall in the price range of ₹7.2 lakh to ₹10.5 lakh. On the safety front, Ciaz is speculated to come with Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) with Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD).

Maruti Ciaz will replace the company's underperforming SX4 in the country. Although Maruti is a trusted name in the country for small cars, the success of the company in the higher segment is still debatable. With the launch of new Ciaz , Maruti is hopeful to etch its name in the fast growing sedan segment.

Meanwhile, the company's radical offering Celerio got a new CNG version in India. The new CNG Celerio has been priced at ₹4.68 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi). Under the hood, the new Celerio model packs 1.0 liter K series petrol engine, which is re-tuned to churn out 68 ps of power at 6000 rpm and 90 Nm of torque at 3500 rpm in petrol mode and 59 ps of power and 78 Nm of torque in CNG mode. The engine comes mated to five-speed manual transmission, promising a fuel economy of 31.79km/kg and is available only in Vxi trim.