Spied - Maruti Ciaz caught testing near Gurgaon plant
The Maruti Ciaz was caught on test by Sandeep Dabas, a Motorbeam reader, near Maruti's manufacturing base in Gurgaon recently. The Ciaz is due to go on sale in India during the festive period of this year with a petrol and a diesel engine.
The Ciaz was previewed by the concept Authentics at last year's Auto Shanghai. The same concept, albeit with the name 'Concept Ciaz', was shown in a different color at the 2014 Auto Expo last month. The Ciaz is a successor to the Maruti SX4, which in recent times has seen sales fall off a cliff. Even with a frugal diesel engine and a CNG offering, sales of the sedan averaged only 297 units/month (July-December 2013 period).
The upcoming Ciaz seems to have an uphill task of garnering market share, given that competition is fiercer now with the likes of the new Honda City, updated Hyundai Verna (which is offered in a new CX trim) and refreshed Fiat Linea. We also have the refreshed Ford Fiesta and Nissan Sunny which were previewed at the Auto Expo and are announced for a launch later in the year, while facelifts for the Skoda Rapid and VW Vento are on the anvil.
Vehicles that compete with Maruti Ciaz
[Images from Motorbeam]