We’ve known that Maruti Suzuki, like most manufacturers, has been working on a new diesel motor, that would fit in their portfolio and could be made to meet BS6 norms once they kick in 2020. The official announcement is just in, with Maruti adding a new 1.5 litre Diesel engine to the Ciaz’s engine portfolio along with a new 6-speed manual gearbox. Both of these have been designed, engineered and manufactured in-house by Maruti Suzuki in India.
Interestingly, Maruti Suzuki has skipped out on SHVS  Smart Hybrid technology for the Diesel Ciaz, although that is still on offer with the 1.5-litre petrol Ciaz. On the flipside, Maruti claims that the new aluminium diesel is not only more refined but also has much better efficiency than the outgoing Ciaz diesel that used the SHVS technology on the Fiat sourced 1.3 litre DDiS Engine. Maruti Suzuki claims a fuel efficiency of 26.8 kmpl which makes the Ciaz the most fuel-efficient car in its class. Given the significantly larger motor, the increase in power is just about incremental with 95 hp of peak power kicking in at 4000 rpm, and 225 Nm of torque kicking in slightly lower between 1500-2000rpm. However, thanks to new materials and parts, including the use of a Dual Mass Flywheel (DMF) along with optimized compression ratio, leads to improved NVH (noise, vibration and harshness) performance.
Sharing his thoughts on the new offering, Mr Kenichi Ayukawa, Managing Director & CEO, Maruti Suzuki said “Maruti Suzuki has always re-defined the Indian auto industry with its revolutionary offerings. The all-new aluminium 1.5-litre DDiS 225 diesel engine is yet another testament of the same. This new engine offers an optimum balance of enhanced performance with best in class fuel efficiency. The new engine showcases our commitment to provide products that capture performance aspirations of our young customers. We are confident that the introduction of this new engine will further strengthen our portfolio and help in popularity.”
The Maruti Suzuki Ciaz with the new 1.5 litre diesel engine is available at a slight price increment and the variant-wise pricing is mentioned below. The new model is on sale from today at all Nexa dealerships across the country.
Variants  Ex-showroom price (Delhi)
Delta     Rs 9.97 Lakhs
Zeta     Rs11.08 Lakhs
Alpha    Rs 11.37 Lakhs
