The Maruti Ciaz diesel hybrid continues to use the 1.3-litre DDiS engine and is now paired to an integrated starter generator that helps improve the power, fuel efficiency and reduce CO2 emissions.
Maruti Suzuki has officially launched the 2015 Ciaz SHVS Hybrid sedan in India, with prices starting at Rs. 8.23 lakhs (ex-showroom, Delhi). With the new SHVS system, the Ciaz has turned into one of the most affordable vehicles in the country to feature the technology and has helped the sedan improve its fuel efficiency figures without any lag in power. The new hybrid replaces all the standard diesel variants on the model and gets no cosmetic upgrades, save for the SHVS badging. The interiors continue with the same list of features as well, but the real changes are extensive under the hood.
Engine – Power on the new Ciaz diesel SHVS comes from the same 1.3-litre four-cylinder oil burner that produces 90 PS of power at 4000 RPM and 200 Nm of torque, paired to a 5-speed manual transmission. The engine now comes with the ‘Smart Hybrid Vehicle by Suzuki’ (SHVS) technology upgrade and gets an Integrated Starter Generator (ISG). The new Ciaz SHVS essentially gets an Idle start-stop function that will shut down the engine when the sedan comes to a complete halt and will restart when the driver presses the clutch again. A feature otherwise seen on premium vehicles, helps conserve fuel and improve efficiency.
Hybrid Features – Apart from Idle start-stop function, the 2015 Maruti Ciaz SHVS gets Torque Assist Function that helps optimise acceleration and performance of the car. You also get Brake Energy Regeneration wherein the energy released during braking is stored in the high capacity batteries and later is used by the engine to restart after being idle due to the auto start-stop function. Finally, a gearshift indicator has been added to the list of updates that prompts the driver to change the gears more effectively and smoothly.
Fuel Efficiency – With the new SHVS mild hybrid system in place, the 2015 Maruti Ciaz returns an ARAI certified fuel efficiency figure of 28.09 km/l. Compared to the non-hybrid Ciaz, the hybrid model has improved its efficiency figures by 1.88 km/l, while also becoming India’s most frugal vehicle.
Variants – The Maruti Ciaz diesel SHVS is being offered in a total of five variants that replace the standard diesel Ciaz completely. There is a new mid-level VXi (O) and VDi (O) trim that has been added on the Ciaz, which boasts of new safety features including ABS with EBD and dual front airbags. The petrol trims continue using the 1.4-litre K-Series motor with no changes.
Losing out to the Honda City every month in sales, Maruti Suzuki has loaded the Ciaz with more sophisticated technologies that distinguish the sedan more effectively compared to other offerings in the segment. The company has also kept the prices extremely competitive despite the additional equipment and the same definitely will work in its favour. Booking are open for the SHVS with a token amount between Rs. 11,000-21,000/- depending on the variant.
There is a price reduction of Rs. 10-15,000/- on all diesel variants thanks to the government incentives on the new Ciaz SHVS hybrid diesel.
2015 Maruti Suzuki Ciaz Diesel SHVS Prices (ex-showroom, Delhi) –
* Ciaz Diesel SVHS VDi – Rs. 8,23,000/-
* Ciaz Diesel SVHS VDi (O) – Rs. 8,37,500/-
* Ciaz Diesel SVHS VDi+ – Rs. 8,81,500/-
* Ciaz Diesel SVHS ZDi – Rs. 9,52,500/-
* Ciaz Diesel SVHS ZDi+ – Rs. 10,17,500/-
* Prices are introductory
