Maruti is understood to be betting big on the Ciaz, its all-new mid-size sedan, which will go on sale this month. According to dealers, bookings for the Ciaz open on September 3.

Maruti has carefully benchmarked against the Honda City, with the aim of wresting sales away from the undisputed segment leader by offering a mix of features, space and value with the Ciaz. In fact, some of the styling elements of the Maruti Ciaz, like the rear tail-lights, bear a striking resemblance to the City's whilst interior room is also expected to be similar to the Honda. Maruti has also packed the Ciaz with a long list of features to pamper mid-size buyers who now expect the same level of equipment as in bigger cars.

With the Ciaz, Maruti is pulling out all stops to crack the mid-size segment, which has long eluded the company. Maruti’s first mid-sizer, the Baleno failed to set the sales charts on fire; its successor the SX4 didn’t make any impact either.Success in the mid-size segment is crucial for Maruti, which has been desperately trying to position its brand as upmarket and break away from its middle-class roots.

More on the Maruti Ciaz

Maruti Ciaz bookings starting on September 3, 2014