Maruti Ciaz long term review first report

By the time I reach the first toll booth, it’s evident that the Ciaz isn’t a great car for fast driving. It’s not just the tepid performance but also the numb steering which feels disconnected around the straight-ahead position. There’s a fair bit of play and you constantly have to make corrections at high speed which never lets you relax completely, and that’s a shame because the attention the Ciaz demands at high speeds goes against its otherwise docile manners.

Cruising down NH4, well past Pune, it’s now pitch dark but the broad spread of the Ciaz’s headlamps light up both lanes fairly. The lights are not intensely powerful but do the job if you’re not pushing hard. Even when dipped, the lights pick out unmarked speed breakers and invisible cyclists early enough.
After a quick coffee stop, I branch off NH4 towards Wai and the fun bit of the drive starts here. The
ghat road up to Panchgani is fairly gentle and wide, which lets you ‘straight line’ corners that hug the mountainside. It’s past 11pm now and there’s no traffic at all and the good thing about driving at night is that you can spot oncoming headlights from miles away.

The Ciaz doesn’t like darting into corners or quick direction changes and its unsporty character will certainly disappoint enthusiasts. But drive a notch or two down like a typical Ciaz owner would, and you will begin to accept and appreciate the benign and rather fail-safe dynamics of the car. The brakes are pretty good; rough patches don’t unsettle this big sedan and if you’re not pushing hard, this is a very easy car to drive.

The big surprise for me is the Ciaz’s fuel efficiency. The fuel gauge needle is a touch below the halfway mark when I reach Mahabaleshwar; that’s after 280km of rather heavy driving. Brimming the car reveals a figure of 13.2kpl, which is truly frugal under the circumstances. I suspect that Maruti engineers, when tuning the K14 engine have leaned much more on the fuel efficiency side and away from performance.

Another surprise, and a big one at that, is the rather sporty exhaust note, which is at odds with the Ciaz’s character. Leaving Mahabaleshwar on Sunday morning, I have the windows down to enjoy the crisp, cool mountain air. The rasp of the engine bouncing off the rock faces on the drive down to Poladpur sounds great and is small compensation for the otherwise uninvolving nature of the car.

The return journey is via Mahad or NH17, which is now riddled with rumble strips before and after every village. The Ciaz’s large 16-inch wheels flatten them quite impressively and the drive back further underscores the Ciaz’s credentials as a comfortable cruiser.

Back in Mumbai, the Ciaz has become my primary car even though the Mahabaleshwar weekend didn’t endear me to it. But I have to admit, I’m strangely impressed with this mild-mannered sedan which goes about its business with little fuss. The Ciaz has become a friend.

Maruti Ciaz ZXi (O)

Odometer - 3,619km
Price - Rs 10.62 lakh (on-road, Mumbai)
Test economy - 14.35kpl (overall)
Maintenance costs - None
Faults - None