Maruti testing the new 1.5-litre petrol engine in Ciaz

Maruti Suzuki has been planning to launch the all-new 1.5-litre petrol engine that is currently in the final stages of entering production for a long time. The all-new 1.5-litre is expected to debut with the Ciaz facelift later this year. The new engine has been caught testing with the current version of the Ciaz. The car on the test can be seen with the Suzuki Solio, which is reportedly testing a new platform, but it will not come to India.

The Ciaz facelift is expected to be launched by the mid of this year. The new engine is codenamed ‘K15B’ that will be used by Maruti in many other cars across its portfolio. The new four-cylinder 1,462cc engine produces around 104 Bhp and 139 Nm. Currently, the 1.4-litre engine used by Maruti in Ciaz produces 92 Bhp, which is quite underpowered when compared with the likes of Honda City and Hyundai Verna in the same segment. This will allow Maruti to market the Ciaz more aggressively in the market. Currently, the Ciaz petrol is not as popular as the SHVS diesel variants. The new engine is expected to change that and attract more customers looking for a petrol sedan in the segment.

The new engine is also expected to power the all-new Ertiga that will be launched later this year. The Ertiga will also debut the new 6-speed transmission with the diesel-powered variants. A new 1.5-litre diesel engine is also expected with the Ertiga. The new diesel engine is also expected in the Ciaz, but as per reports, there are stronger chances that the new diesel engine will debut only with the Ertiga. The video is shot by our teammate, Bunny Punia and he says that the new petrol engine is extremely silent and was idling at almost zero noise.

The new engines will put Maruti Suzuki India in a much stronger position. Currently, Maruti sources the diesel engines from Fiat and their high capacity offerings like Ciaz and Ertiga do not have a powerful petrol engine. The introduction of two all-new engines later this year is expected to add many more customers to the Maruti brand.