First things first, Maruti Suzuki, in my opinion, is not going to exit the diesel space completely once BS6 emission norms kick in. Yes, I’m aware that the company itself admitted to the same but I don’t think they will exit the diesel segment entirely and I have solid reasons to believe so. First, the diesel segment is not of an insignificant size so leaving it completely will take a toll on the company’s market share, which is already under pressure from other carmakers. Second, the company recently came up with an absolutely amaze-balls and fantastic new diesel engine. I’m sure the company didn’t spend crores to use the engine for just a few months.
We have been driving the Maruti Suzuki Ciaz diesel with the company’s all-new 1.5 Litre diesel engine for a couple of months now and are immensely impressed with Maruti Suzuki’s second attempt at an in-house diesel engine and the first one at a proper diesel car engine.
As far as design and cabin is concerned, there isn’t any change from the petrol variant so the car still remains brilliantly comfortable to be seated in, especially at the rear with loads of legroom. The infotainment system is easy to use and offers Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. Build quality seems fine for now after the car clocking over 4,800 kms in total. However, more on things such as space usage, seats, sound quality and rattles and squeaks in our next update. For now, let’s talk about the engine first.
New Heart – 1.5 Litre DDiS diesel engine
Let’s get the basic figures out of the way first and these are good numbers by the way. The 1.5-litre engine develops about 95 hp and 225 Nm of torque, which is a considerable gain over the older 1.3-litre unit. Thumb the starter and the engine comes to life with lower than the expected sound from the motor entering the cabin. Get going and there’s a bit of lag from the motor but once you get past about 1,500 rpm things only get better. Drive for a few hundred metres and the first thing that might hit you is the high refinement levels from the motor. It’s hard to believe how the engineering team at the company pulled this off but the new diesel motor is one of the most refined ones in its segment today.
The higher power output and torque rating mean that the speedometer needle now moves upward quicker and one also doesn’t need to shift gears frequently in traffic. Getting to highway speeds is a breeze and executing quick overtaking moves doesn’t pose any problems. The transmission in use is a new six-speed manual unit, which has been paired to engine quite well. Also, a light clutch means that traffic jams will no longer be a nightmare as they might in some other sedans in the segment.
Getting Richer – Surprisingly Impressive Fuel-Efficiency
Now let’s get to the point about you getting richer. Well, the Ciaz in its present diesel variant can actually make you richer and that’s because of the unbelievably high fuel-efficiency it offers. Claimed figure (ARAI rated) stands at 26.82 kmpl and you’ll be surprised to know that the car manages to come quite close to this figure in city traffic! Yes, in rush hour traffic from West Delhi to Noida, the Ciaz returned over 20 kmpl on a regular basis and on one of the days when traffic was slightly lighter the car returned as high as a 22.3 kmpl (system indicated), which is pleasantly insane for a car of this size.
I’m yet to take the car out for a long highway run but on the short drive that I’ve had on expressways, the fuel-efficiency of Ciaz diesel went up to 25.2 kmpl. That’s within breathing distance of the claimed figure and we all know that cars rarely manage to get close to their claimed fuel-efficiency numbers.
Now imagine the extent of savings one can manage over the ownership cycle of the car due to the impressive fuel-efficiency of the Ciaz diesel with its new 1.5-litre engine. This is exactly why I said this car can make you richer, literally! This is actually the car that fits Maruti’s famous old advertisement wherein a kid can be heard saying “papa ki kara petrol (diesel) khatam hi nahi honda hai”.
Maruti Suzuki Ciaz Diesel Conclusion
Of course, there are things such as a lack of automatic transmission and the absence of the SHVS system but none of these are deal-breakers. Overall, the Maruti Suzuki Ciaz diesel with a new engine does a fantastic job of balancing multiple requirements of the buyer and delivering high in most of them. Also, these are the reasons why I believe Maruti Suzuki won’t entirely vacate the diesel segment and will eventually have diesel offerings for cars such as Ciaz, Ertiga and possibly the upcoming new Vitara Brezza. Small cars naturally don’t make sense to be diesel-ised anymore so Maruti Suzuki is right in exiting that segment.
