Maruti Suzuki
introduced the facelifted Ciaz in August last year, and the car came along with
quite a few cosmetic updates and a brand-new, K15B 1.5-litre petrol motor.
Another update the car received was in the form of an in-house developed,
1.5-litre, DDiS 225 diesel engine which was introduced to it in March this
year.
Now with the
stricter emission norms kicking in from 1 April 2020, Maruti has already
started testing the BS-VI Ciaz which has been recently caught on camera during
its road testing. The test mule which was spotted wearing the ‘Smart Hybrid’ badging
on its boot lid, indicating it will also have a mild-hybrid setup.
This mild-hybrid
system comprises an integrated starter generator and a dual-battery setup which
is also seen on the current BS-IV Ciaz with the K15B engine. This engine
delivers 104 PS of maximum power at 6000 rpm, and 138 Nm of torque at
4400rpm. The engine comes mated to a 5-speed manual or a 4-speed automatic
gearbox. In the current specifications, the engine is rated to deliver 21.56
(MT) / 20.28 (AT) of fuel efficiency. This hybrid system works by enabling the
brake energy recuperation, torque assist and an idle start-stop function.
Other than this,
the car also comes with two engine options, the DDis 225 engine and the DDis
220 Smart Hybrid engine. Maruti has previously announced the withdrawal of its
diesel line-up from 1 April 2020, and so, it will only have a petrol line-up
available in its portfolio from 1st of April next year.
Maruti Suzuki has
already introduced the BS-VI ready vehicles in the market in the form of Alto
and the Baleno. Maruti is expected to utilize the same BS-VI 1.5-litre petrol
powertrain from the Ciaz in the Ertiga, S-Cross and the Vitara Brezza.
