Maruti Suzuki sold 46,169 units of the Ciaz last fiscal as the facelift helped in garnering maximum volumes
The C-segment for sedans has been an interesting prospect in recent years with Maruti Suzuki Ciaz and Honda City often exchanging blows to claim the top sales status. In 2018, the Ciaz has got the better of Honda City as well as Hyundai Verna. The competition has been so intense that there was very little separating the three models in terms of volumes.
In the concluded Financial Year 2019 (between April 2018 and March 2019), the Ciaz has garnered a total of 46,169 units – 4,485 units more than the Honda City. Compared to the Hyundai Verna, the Ciaz registered 5,899 more units in the last fiscal. The Verna received a new generation in August 2017 and it led to the brand maintaining consistency and close the gap to the ace duo.
Only 1,414 units differentiated the City and Verna in FY2019. The main reason for Maruti Suzuki Ciaz bettering its main rivals was due to the introduction of the facelifted model. In August 2018, the Ciaz received a big makeover with exterior and interior changes while the 1.4-litre petrol engine made way for the new 1.5-litre four-cylinder SHVS unit.
| Month | Maruti Suzuki Ciaz | Hyundai Verna |
| Apr-18 | 5,116 | 4,077 |
| May-18 | 4,024 | 3,801 |
| Jun-18 | 1,579 | 3,901 |
| Jul-18 | 48 | 3,351 |
| Aug-18 | 7,002 | 3,361 |
| Sep-18 | 6,246 | 3,501 |
| Oct-18 | 3,892 | 3,301 |
| Nov-18 | 3,838 | 2,558 |
| Dec-18 | 4,734 | 2,001 |
| Jan-19 | 2,934 | 3,216 |
| Feb-19 | 3,084 | 4,001 |
| Mar-19 | 3,672 | 3,201 |
| Total | 46,169 | 40,270 |
*Data Source: Auto Punditz
| Month | Maruti Suzuki Ciaz | Honda city |
| Apr-18 | 5,116 | 3,366 |
| May-18 | 4,024 | 2,763 |
| Jun-18 | 1,579 | 3,882 |
| Jul-18 | 48 | 3,709 |
| Aug-18 | 7,002 | 2,790 |
| Sep-18 | 6,246 | 2,564 |
| Oct-18 | 3,892 | 3,612 |
| Nov-18 | 3,838 | 3,531 |
| Dec-18 | 4,734 | 3,295 |
| Jan-19 | 2,934 | 4,855 |
| Feb-19 | 3,084 | 3,885 |
| Mar-19 | 3,672 | 3,432 |
| Total | 46,169 | 41,684 |
The more powerful K15B mill with the dual-battery setup is good enough to produce a maximum power output of 104.7 PS and 138 Nm of peak torque. It is connected to either a five-speed manual or a four-speed torque converter automatic transmission. In the first month of its market debut, the Ciaz facelift secured 7,002 units and it stood as the best month for the sedan.
The best month for Hyundai Verna was in April 2018 with 4,077 units while surprisingly the City got past 4,000 mark only once in the whole fiscal. In the Ciaz, the long-serving 1.3-litre diesel engine has made for a newly developed 1.5-litre DDiS 225 unit recently developing 95 PS and 225 Nm and is paired with a new six-speed manual gearbox.
The Honda City will likely get a brand new generation next year and a comprehensive hybrid system is expected to arriving in 2021. The Ciaz will be supplied to Toyota as part of the Japanese brands’ flourishing partnership while Corolla will be shared with Maruti Suzuki in the near future to address MSIL’s absence in the D-segment.