Maruti Suzuki Ciaz 1.5 Diesel launched in India

Maruti Suzuki has finally launched the much-awaited 1.5-litre diesel engine with the Ciaz. It is an in-house developed engine, which was highly awaited in the market. Ciaz 1.5-litre diesel is available in three variants – Delta, Zeta and Alpha. Prices as below. Delta Rs. 9.97 lakh, Zeta – Rs. 11.08 lakh, Alpha – Rs. 11 37 lakhs. The Ciaz powered by the 1.3-litre diesel engine is also on sale and will remain so for the foreseeable future. The Ciaz 1.3 SHVS (older model) is priced as below. Delta – Rs. 9.8 lakh, Zeta – 10.6 lakh and Alpha Rs. 11 lakh. All the prices are ex-showroom, Delhi.

Why does this matter?

1. It’s the first in-house diesel engine from Suzuki. This means that the 1.3 liter Fiat Multijet diesel engine – a staple across a slew of Maruti cars from the Swift to the S-Cross – will make way for the new diesel engine. This will result in Maruti having to pay no royalty to Fiat, and could potentially mean lower prices for you, the diesel car buyer.
2. The new diesel engine will make Maruti cars more powerful, as the torque output now stands at 225 Nm, up from the 200 Nm that the Fiat Multijet diesel motor made.
3. Then there’s a new 6 speed manual gearbox that accompanies the bigger diesel engine. Faster overtaking and better pick up across all gears are two likely advantages. The additional gear is expected to boost acceleration through the gears, and also offer better mileage while highway cruising by allowing the engine to spin at a lower rpm.
4. The new Ertiga MPV and S-Cross crossover are two other cars that will soon get the new 1.5 liter DDiS 225 diesel engine. Even the Maruti Brezza could get this engine although it remains unclear whether smaller cars such as the Swift, Baleno and Dzire will also get this motor. If they do, better performance and fuel efficiency is what we can expect.
5. As for the Ciaz’s direct competition (Hyundai Verna and Honda City), the new engine reduces the performance gap, making the Ciaz more attractive to buyers. Previously, the Ciaz Diesel (89 Bhp-200 Nm) had quite a gap between the Hyundai Verna (126 Bhp-250 Nm) and a slight gap with the Honda City (98.6 Bhp-200 Nm) Diesels. Now though, the 94 Bhp-225 Nm outputs of the new diesel engine has narrowed this gap down.
6. Thanks to the higher performance on offer, the engine is less fuel efficient than before. Mileage has gone down to 26.82 Kmpl, from 28.01 Kmpl.
7. The engine gets a new turbocharger and a dual mass flywheel. The new turbo is said to boost low end torque significantly with the new flywheel reducing noise and vibration levels,.

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 the popularity of our cars.

The 1.5-litre diesel engine has been developed in-house by the manufacturer. Until now, all Maruti Suzuki diesel cars get powered by the 1.3-litre diesel engine sourced from Fiat. The all-new four-cylinder engine produces a maximum of 94 Bhp at 4,000 rpm and peak torque of 225 Nm between 1,500 and 2,500 rpm. Maruti Suzuki also claims that the engine offers a better low-end torque due to the high-efficiency turbocharger.

The engine also uses Dual Mass Flywheel (DMF) that ensures that the compression ratio is optimized and it reduces the engine noise and vibrations greatly. Maruti Suzuki also claims that the engine returns the best fuel efficiency in the segment. According to ARAI, the new 1.5-litre diesel engine powered Ciaz returns a maximum of 26.82 km/l. The new Ciaz also gets a newly designed 6-speed transmission with the new engine.

Last year, Maruti Suzuki introduced the all-new a 1.5-litre petrol engine with the Ciaz. It generates a maximum power of 103 Bhp at 6,000 rpm and a peak torque of 138 Nm of peak torque at 4,400 rpm. It gets an SHVS mild hybrid system too. However, the all-new 1.5-litre diesel engine available with the car does not offer the SHVS mild hybrid system. All the features of the car remain the same. The vehicle gets standard dual airbag and ABS across all the variants.

The Maruti Suzuki Ciaz takes on the likes of Hyundai Verna, Honda City and Toyota Yaris in the Indian market. It is one of the best-selling cars in the segment and according to Maruti, the top-end variant contributes to 54% sales to the model.