Long term review: Maruti Suzuki Ciaz – Introduction

If you’ve been following the long-term reports that have been going into the magazine, you would be quite up to date with what’s been going on with the Maruti Suzuki Ciaz. You would know that it is the petrol manual, and you would know that it’s got a mild-hybrid system. You would also know that in the last five months, I have put nearly 4000km on the odo. Right, so let me give you a quick lowdown on what I like. I like the engine and gearbox combination. It’s refined, has a lovely linearity to it and likes to be revved. The gearbox is slick — Maruti sure know how to make a manual gearbox.

I also like how comfortable it is. Ciaz is softly sprung, and that means ride quality at city speeds is actually really good. The interiors are bright as well — beige leather seats and a dual-tone beige and black dash give it a sense of airiness. As for what I don’t like, my biggest grouse is the infotainment screen. It has too many small icons and they can be annoying to touch on the go. The menus, too, aren’t arranged in the most intuitive way. I’ve never been a fan of this screen and seeing that the competition has upped their game immensely, this screen gets on my nerves even more. However, Maruti Suzuki have already started rolling out a fresh interface with their SmartPlay infotainment screens in their new cars.

The other thing isn’t a grouse as much as a disappointment. It’s not a fun-to-drive car. It’s a car that likes to be driven at six-tenths of its capabilities. You can wring it in a straight line but it’s soft and uninspiring around corners. It’s not a car I’d want to wake up early and take out on a Sunday drive.Well, there you go. You have an idea of what I like and don’t like about the car so far and as the weeks go by, I will keep you updated with what’s been happening with it. Stay tuned!

Date acquired: Feb 2019

Total mileage: 4977km

Mileage this week: 320km

Costs: Nil