Maruti Suzuki has been working on developing its own in-house diesel engines for a while now, and has finally introduced its new 1.5-litre four-cylinder diesel under the hood of the Ciaz. This, however, isn’t Maruti’s first in-house diesel – the brand previously offered a 793cc two-cylinder unit under the hood of the Celerio, though it pulled the plug on said diesel model a while back.
The new Maruti Ciaz 1.5 diesel – the DDiS 225, with the number representing the car’s torque figure – is priced from Rs 9.97 lakh and goes up to Rs 11.37 lakh for the top-end diesel (ex-showroom, Delhi). As reported by us previously, there is no entry-level Sigma variant on offer with the diesel range; it starts from the Delta trim. Spec-to-spec, prices have risen by about Rs 17,000 for the lower-spec Delta trim and by about Rs 35,000 for the top-spec Alpha variant, compared to the outgoing 1.3-litre diesel-equipped model.
Compared to the old Fiat-sourced, 1.3-litre diesel engine-equipped model, the new 1.5 diesel in the Maruti Ciaz develops 5hp and 25Nm more. The DDiS 225 unit is good for 95hp and 225Nm of torque. The new engine also features a new gearbox, with the old 5-speed manual replaced by a new 6-speed unit. Compared to its rivals, the Ciaz 1.5 diesel still has the smallest horsepower figure, though it sits above the Honda City diesel in terms of torque.
Here is how the new Maruti Suzuki Ciaz DDiS 225 diesel fares against its rivals:
| Powertrain | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ciaz 1.3 (Old) | Ciaz 1.5 (New) | Verna | City | Vento | Rapid | |
| Displacement | 1.3-litre | 1.5-litre | 1.6-litre | 1.5-litre | 1.5-litre | 1.5-litre |
| Type | 4 cyls | 4 cyls | 4 cyls | 4 cyls | 4 cyls | 4 cyls |
| Power | 90hp at 4000rpm | 95hp at 4000rpm | 128hp at 3000rpm | 100hp at 3600rpm | 110hp at 4000rpm | 110hp at 4000rpm |
| Torque | 200Nm at 1750rpm | 225Nm at 1500-2500rpm | 260Nm at 1500-3000rpm | 200Nm at 1750rpm | 250Nm at 1500-3000rpm | 250Nm at 1500-3000rpm |
| Gearbox | 5-speed manual | 6-speed manual | 6-speed manual/automatic | 6-speed manual | 5-speed manual/7-speed automatic | 5-speed manual/7-speed automatic |
| Fuel economy (ARAI) | 28.09kpl | 26.82kpl | 24.75 kpl (MT)/21.02 kpl (AT) | 25.1kpl | 22.27kpl (MT)/22.15kpl (AT) | 21.13kpl (MT)/21.72kpl (AT) |
Despite a larger displacement engine, the Ciaz diesel remains the most fuel efficient in the segment and has an ARAI-certified mileage per litre of 26.82kpl – down from 28.09kpl for the old 1.3 diesel Ciaz – with the Honda City diesel coming in second with a fuel-efficiency rating of 25.1kpl.
The drop in Ciaz mileage compared to its predecessor is likely in part to the new engine not being equipped by the brand’s SHVS mild-hybrid system offered with the old 1.3-litre DDiS unit in its more powerful, 90hp state of tune.
It must be noted that we have not considered the smaller, less powerful Hyundai Verna 1.4 diesel in this comparison.
| Prices (ex-showroom, Delhi) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ciaz 1.3 (Old) | Ciaz 1.5 (New) | Verna | City | Vento | Rapid | |
| Manual | Rs 11.02 lakh | Rs 11.37 lakh | Rs 12.94 lakh | Rs 14.05 lakh | Rs 11.97 lakh | Rs 12.73 lakh |
| Automatic | NA | NA | Rs 13.99 lakh | NA | Rs 14.32 lakh | Rs 13.99 lakh |
While the introduction of the new diesel engine under the hood of the Maruti Ciaz has bumped up its prices, it still remains one of the more affordable models on sale in the segment. However, the Hyundai Verna, Volkswagen Vento and Skoda Rapid diesels offer the additional convenience of an automatic gearbox.
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