The Ciaz is more than just a new car for Maruti. It’s the company’s ticket to take its brand upscale and compete squarely with Honda, Volkswagen and Hyundai. The mid-size segment is one where Maruti has not succeeded so far and with the Ciaz, the carmaker is leaving no stone unturned to take on the competition.

Styling

The first impression is that the Ciaz is big and sits in a segment higher than its rivals. The long 2650mm wheelbase, 4490mm length and the large 16-inch wheels (only available on the Z+ trim) give it generous dimensions. In terms of styling, the Ciaz is handsome, well-proportioned and most importantly, looks reasonably upmarket too. However, it’s not a particularly exciting design and from the side looks pretty generic. The nose with the small Suzuki grille easily identifies it as one whilst at the rear, the tail-lights bear more than a passing resemblance to the Honda City.

Overall, the Ciaz has a pleasant look about it and though it's not as aggressive looking as the City, the well-planted stance and good proportions will make it attractive to many.

Interior

The Ciaz’s cabin feels more upmarket than any mid-size Suzuki before it and in terms of quality, is right up there with the likes of the Honda City. The plastics though not to German standards, have a soft touch feel to them and the dual-tone theme works well. Also, giving a premium touch are the silver accents around the air-con vents and some of the buttons.

The dashboard design itself is quite unremarkable with the controls logically laid out. The centre console in the Z+ version is dominated by the touchscreen which controls all the infotainment functions. An oversized cover that sits below the neat air-con controls flips open to reveal a pair of cup holders and charging sockets. Why these need to be concealed though is not understood.

The instrument dials are not very big but neat and easy to read whilst the steering wheel (shared with other Marutis) feels good to hold and comes with an array of controls mounted on it on the higher spec versions. There are a few cheap bits around like the power window switches which have been used in almost every Suzuki for the past ten years.

Cabin space is fantastic especially at the rear where there is generous legroom and decent head room too. The rear seat is a little short on under thigh support though. The huge, 510-litre boot (which has an electrical release) is well shaped and can swallow a fair amount of luggage.