We do a quick comparison between the 2018 Maruti Ciaz and its competition.
The Maruti Ciaz has always been a good choice for people looking for comfort and brand value in the C-segment sedan market. It has been recently updated with new exteriors, features and even a brand new petrol engine. But do they really up the game for the Ciaz, let’s find out in this quick comparison.
Design & Looks – All the four cars here, the 2018 Maruti Ciaz, Honda City, Hyundai Verna and the Toyota Yaris look good in their own right. The Ciaz with its updated exteriors looks wider while the Verna follows the much-admired Fluidic design language. The City looks like a typical Honda car with a chrome slat running across its front grille but does have a sense of maturity to it. Yaris’s design, on the other hand, can polarise opinions with its extra-long headlights and taillights. Its 15-inch wheels, compared to the competition’s 16-inch wheels don’t help its case either.
Dimensions – The 2018 Maruti Ciaz happens to be the longest car here and that has translated into a good amount of space for the passengers. There’s good legroom and three people can be comfortably seated on the back seat which sadly misses out on a middle passenger headrest. Toyota has done a good job with the interiors of the Yaris as even after being the smallest in length here, it offers decent leg-room for the passengers. The City and the Verna have the same length at 4440 mm but the former’s cabin is better to sit in than the Verna’s which not only feels cramped for legroom but also for headroom. This is also because it has the shortest height here.
Features – All the cars here come with a touchscreen infotainment system, keyless entry and a start stop button. A multifunction steering wheel is also offered on each of them. Other creature comforts include auto headlamps and an ample amount of storage space. If you want Apple CarPlay and Android Auto support then that is only available in the Hyundai Verna and the 2018 Maruti Ciaz. The Honda City and the Toyota Yaris come with only MirrorLink support for mobile connectivity. The Verna, in addition, has some added features like front ventilated seats and a smart trunk that opens when a person with the car key stands near the boot lid.
Safety wise, ABS with EBD comes as standard in all the variants of the respective cars and ESC too is there for when the car begins to swerve around. But the Toyota Yaris gets an upper hand here with its 7-airbags compared to the Hyundai Verna and Honda City’s six. The Maruti Ciaz with only dual front airbags falls behind. It does get a new speed alert and seat belt reminder system though. Other safety systems include rear parking sensors with a reverse camera while the Yaris also has front sensors. For those of you wanting a sunroof, it is only available with the City and the Verna.
Engine – The 2018 Maruti Ciaz has gotten a new engine under the hood in the form of a 1.5-litre petrol motor which also has a mild hybrid technology. The engine is punchy in the low-end but falls flat in the mid-range. The mild hybrid technology is only present in the Ciaz. The Hyundai Verna’s 1.6-litre petrol engine has the highest power output here and has a good punch to it. Power delivery is linear and city driving is no problem. Honda City just lags behind in terms of power figures but the i-VTEC is a breeze and as always, feels eager to redline. The Toyota Yaris trails its competition in terms of performance and also happens to be the only car here without a diesel engine option.
Talking about diesel engines, the one on the Hyundai Verna is again the most powerful here and it surely is felt when you floor the pedal. The turbo lag is well contained but so is the case with the diesel engine on the Honda City. The oil burner on the Maruti Ciaz is the same as the earlier one and provides decent pulling power but pales in comparison to the others. It, however, returns a mileage of 28.09 km/l (ARAI) which is the best in this segment.
Verdict – Each car comes with its share of pros and cons here. The City, Verna and Ciaz are good looking cars while the Yaris looks quirky. If your priority is a fun-to-drive car, then the Honda City is the winner here hands down. The feel and feedback from the steering in the Ciaz are absent and the Verna lacks in it. The Toyota Yaris has so-so driving dynamics and nothing too great. If features are your priority then it has to be the Verna that has a good music system and more than enough creature comforts for the segment. However, if you want a car that costs lesser and comes with excellent space and feature while compromising a bit on performance, the Ciaz is a strong bet.
Maruti Ciaz vs Honda City vs Hyundai Verna vs Toyota Yaris
