It is not long before the year’s most anticipated launch would take place. Yes, I am talking about the Ciaz sedan from the hub of country’s largest automaker Maruti Suzuki. As official advance bookings kick start from today at a token amount of Rs. 21,000, the excitement has started to build up rapidly. As evident, the Ciaz sedan would be launched in both petrol and diesel guises with both the power mills being directly sourced from the Ertiga MPV. It would be at loggerheads against the likes of 2014 Nissan Sunny and Volkswagen Vento which are having a gala time in the C+ segment currently. Let’s have a look at the diesel variants of all the three mentioned sedans and know which one is superior. [Also Read- Maruti Suzuki Ciaz Vs Honda City]
Dimensionally, Ciaz is the longest car in its segment as it measures 4490mm in length as compared to the 4425mm and 4384mm of Nissan Sunny and Volkswagen Vento, respectively. As far as width is concerned, Ciaz has the best width in form of 1730mm against the 1699mm of Vento and 1695mm of Sunny. The extended width carves in more shoulder room inside the cabin in Ciaz sedan. Talking about the height, Ciaz measures 1485mm in height which is better than 1466mm of Vento but Sunny is the best in this aspect as it measures a best-in-class 1505mm in height. However, 1485mm can’t be said bad as still can provide a lot of head room, even for the taller persons. Now, looking upon the wheelbase of these sedans, Maruti Ciaz is the undisputed winner in this aspect and both Sunny and Vento are nowhere closer to it. Maruti has presented the Ciaz with a best-in-class wheelbase of 2650mm while the Sunny and Vento have wheelbase of 2600mm and 2552mm, respectively. This clearly states that Ciaz is the most spacious sedan in the entire segment with loads of legroom even for the rear seat occupants. [Read More- Maruti Ciaz Vs Hyundai Verna]
Coming to the fuel economy, which is an indispensable factor in a country like India and turns out to be one of the main reasons behind the success of a car. Maruti Ciaz diesel variants would offer a fuel economy of 26.21kmpl, thereby dethroning Honda City from the top and snatching the tag of India’s most fuel efficient diesel sedan. 2014 Nissan Sunny, despite improved powertrains, could only offer 22.71kmpl with Vento following at 20.5kmpl. Hence, Ciaz is all set to become India’s most fuel efficient sedan when it launches in the country. Last but by no means the least, the boot space section, which has also gained significance now days cannot be just ignored for sake nothing. Ciaz again tops the charts in this as it has a class leading 510L of boot space against the 490L of Sunny and 460L of Vento.
| Technical Specifications | Maruti Suzuki Ciaz | Nissan Sunny | Volkswagen Vento |
| Petrol Engine | 1.4-litre K-Series | 1.5-litre | 1.6-litre in-line |
| Diesel Engine | 1.3-litre Multi-jet motor | 1.5-litre dCi | 1.6-litre CRDi |
| Power Output Petrol | 91bhp @6000rpm | 98bhp | 103bhp @5250rpm |
| Power Output Diesel | 89bhp @4000rpm | 84bhp | 103bhp @4400rpm |
| Torque Petrol | 130Nm @4000rpm | 134Nm | 153Nm@3800rpm |
| Torque Diesel | 200Nm @1750rpm | 200Nm | 250Nm@1500-2500rpm |
| Mileage/Fuel Economy | 20.73kmpl petrol & 26.21kmpl diesel | 16.9kmpl petrol & 22.7kmpl diesel | 15kmpl petrol & 20kmpl diesel |
| Transmission/Gearbox | 5-speed manual & CVT | 5-speed manual & auto and 5-speed manual | 5-speed manual & 7-speed auto and 5-speed manual |
| Overall Dimensions | |||
| Length | 4490mm | 4425mm | 4384mm |
| Width | 1730mm | 1695mm | 1699mm |
| Height | 1485mm | 1505mm | 1466mm |
| Wheelbase | 2685mm | 2600mm | 2552mm |
| Fuel Tank | 45-50-litres | 41-litres | 55-litres |
| Ground Clearance | 165-170mm | 165mm | 168mm |
| Suspension | |||
| Front | McPherson strut with stabilizer,coil spring | McPherson strut front axle | McPherson Strut With StabiliSer Bar |
| Rear | Torsion beam axle with stabilizer, coil spring | Torsion beam rear axle | Semi-independent Trailing Arm |
| Brakes | |||
| Front | Disc | Disc | Disc |
| Rear | Drum | Drum | Drum |
| Price | Rs. 8-12 lakh | 6.3-9.5 lakh | 7.4-10 lakh |
