2014 Maruti Ciaz review, test drive

What’s it like to drive?

The petrol Ciaz is powered by the 1.4-litre K-series motor that first debuted in the Ertiga. It’s been upgraded further for the Ciaz and comes with a higher compression ratio, a tweaked ECU for better response and other mods to lower frictional losses.

First impressions are that the 1.4 petrol, which develops 91bhp, is more than adequate for the Ciaz. It’s quick off the line and quite responsive too, accelerating briskly to make light work of overtaking slower cars on the Delhi-Jaipur highway. However, this K-series engine doesn’t offer the manic thrust of a Honda VTEC motor. Instead, what you get is a linear and almost flat power delivery which isn’t exactly exciting. You do need to wring the engine to get the most out of it and it’s not very quiet either, taking on a coarse edge at the rather conservative 6,200rpm redline. This motor feels best at moderate speeds, and for normal, everyday driving, has sufficient poke to keep you ahead of the traffic.

It’s the Fiat-sourced 89bhp 1.3 diesel that actually impressed more, possibly because we weren’t expecting too much from it. This higher-powered version of this ubiquitous engine is known for its turbo-lag. However, in the Ciaz, it felt like a different animal altogether. No doubt, at low revs, there is still a bit of lethargy until the turbo spools up, but this engine doesn’t feel asleep like in the Ertiga. Again, Maruti has worked on lowering the frictional losses, and has recalibrated the ECU for better low-end response. Drive the Ciaz on part-throttle and it feels far from sluggish, which makes it quite competent for normal city driving. It’s only when you want to get a quick move on and floor the throttle that you feel a hesitation that lasts till 1800rpm, after which there’s a strong kick to the dizzy (by diesel standards) 5,200rpm rev limit.