Maruti Suzuki has stopped production of its aging sedan offering, the SX4. It will soon be replaced by the upcoming Ciaz, which was previewed at the 2014 Auto Expo as a concept. The SX4, at the fag end of its innings could only manage less than 250 cars on an average, every month in 2014. Newer and better equipped competition in the form of the Honda City, The Hyundai Verna and compact SUV’s like the Ford Ecosport and the Renault Duster made a huge dent in the sales figures of Maruti’s mid-size offering.
The Maruti Suzuki SX4 was a hit initially and was later even offered in CNG and Diesel forms, which made it an instant hit among Fleet car owners and Radio cab service providers due to it’s spacious interiors, reliability and a large boot. The sedan will be replaced by the Ciaz sedan, which should be launched during the upcoming festive season.
The car looks aggressively stylish with its double-barrel headlamps which sweep upwards, a large chrome grille in the center and wide, sporty bumpers at both ends. The car is wider than the outgoing SX4 and promises excellent back-seat comfort. The Maruti Suzuki Ciaz will be powered by diesel and petrol powerplant options and both should be available at launch. The petrol will be the 1.4 Liter K-Series engine from the Ertiga which makes 95 ps of power and 130 Nm of torque. The diesel option will be the same old 1.3 Liter DDiS motor which will be tuned for 90 ps and 200 Nm of torque. It will be priced in the range of INR 7.5-10.5 lakhs.
Source: ET