Earlier in the year we reported that Maruti plans to launch three more models in 2017-18 in the form of the facelifted S-cross which is expected during the festive season, an updated Celerio and the all-new third-gen Swift early next year.
Now there seems to be a fourth model added to the list of new cars, with images of test mules of the Ciaz wearing minor camouflage doing the rounds of the Internet. Cosmetic changes seem to be few with only sections of the bumpers masked by camouflage with the remainder of the car more or less similar to the current model.
Images of the interior have also revealed minimal changes, with the most prominent being a new instrument cluster with a larger MID – possibly a similar unit to the Baleno hatchback.
In terms of equipment, reports suggest that the car could see the inclusion of kit such as auto headlamps – top variants may get LED projector units and rain sensing wipers, along with a few bits of kit being shuffled around with the update.
One of the test mules spotted featured an automatic gearbox, though there is no news of any mechanical updates for the sedan. The current 1.4-litre petrol and the 1.3-litre DDiS200 diesel engines are expected to carry forward unchanged.
The Ciaz has been Maruti's best attempt at the mid-size sedan segment with the car having successfully taken the fight to the Honda City. The Ciaz also became Maruti's first mild-hybrid diesel sedan and the first car in the segment to feature said technology in 2015. In recent months, the sedan has seen sales cross the 1,50,000 unit sales milestone along with the model shifting to Maruti's premium Nexa chain of dealerships.
The update could be Maruti's attempt to make the Ciaz feel a little more premium than before with the car having not received any cosmetic updates when sales switched over to the Nexa outlets.