[landcruiser123]

Congrats SST. What a way to run-in an engine. Wishing you a great ownership experience. I love the Ciaz for the package that it is. My parents have an AT (with the 1.4 L engine) too and I agree with your observations mentioned in the review.

Coming to the point about speed breakers, they are best negotiated at a 30-degree angle to the road. Each wheel has to climb the speed breaker at a different point. We went on a 700 km trip (with 5 adults and luggage for 4 days) to Coorg and Nagarhole in Jan- the technique really helped me avoid even the nastiest speed breakers/road undulations. That's the learning curve from an Innova to a Ciaz my dad learnt from me.

https://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/s...n-lowered-cars

[SS-Traveller]

Originally Posted by jassi_jeeper

The law makers will be celebrating after reading your thread. They have made an enthusiast dump a proper 4x4 diesel guzzler in favour of an efficent pseudo hybrid petrol sedan parked in every second house. Mission Accomplished for them :(

For the lawmakers, it's only about selling new cars, that too at atrocious prices and high taxes, if you haven't figured it out already. This purchase was purposely done to meet certain requirements, and has nothing to do with giving up my enthusiasm - which extends to all kinds of vehicles.

Originally Posted by Yash98

I believe the scrapes are a part and parcel of owning a low-GC sedan. Even in the US I have seen several sedans with scraped bumpers, not due to speed breakers, but rather by brushing against the pavement while entering a driveway/parking lot.

Indeed, scrapes and scratches are a part of owning any vehicle in any Indian city.

Originally Posted by landcruiser123

Congrats SST. What a way to run-in an engine. Wishing you a great ownership experience. I love the Ciaz for the package that it is. My parents have an AT (with the 1.4 L engine) too and I agree with your observations mentioned in the review.

Thank you. Most of my cars get a similar long trip to run in the engine, right in the beginning of their lives.

[vinair]

From the current crop of limited 'proper' three piece sedans, Ciaz does make a strong case for itself. Losing out heavily on the engine section (even with the updated 1.5, the power ratings are the lowest), this car just makes it up from practicality point of view. Ample interior space, spacious boot and a decent engine. Also, I prefer the Ciaz dashboard design to the other two contenders here.

Having completed some 16K kms now, can safely say this car just about does everything I have thrown at it. Smooth roads, no roads, fully loaded, my car has seen it all and not once did the car frown and just did everything it was designed to! Talking about the ground clearance, again, apart from the really challenging ones on our roads, have had no issues with the ground clearance otherwise, this with 5 adults and boot full of luggage and cargo!

[n.devdath]

Originally Posted by SS-Traveller

After driving a diesel 4wd SUV for over 9 years, I'd grown used to some of its features. The ground clearance and go-anywhere ability for one. The torque of the diesel engine that made highway cruising so effortless.

Congratulations on the acquisition of one of the most practical sedans in India today Doc...!!!

2 questions: -

1. Why not the Scorpio 4WD again for, say, 8ish years followed by selling it off?

2. Why not an AT since you also drive within the confines of NCR 2-3 times a week?

[SS-Traveller]

Originally Posted by vinair

Losing out heavily on the engine section (even with the updated 1.5, the power ratings are the lowest)...

The on-paper figures of the Ciaz petrol engine don't include the additional torque delivery by the electric motor - that makes it great fun to drive on a congested highway. As long as the Li-ion battery has charge, the point-and-squirt effect of the car even in higher gears brings a smile to one's face.

Originally Posted by n.devdath

Congratulations on the acquisition of one of the most practical sedans in India today Doc...!!!

2 questions: -
1. Why not the Scorpio 4WD again for, say, 8ish years followed by selling it off?

Thank you, Devdath.

The new Scorpio 4wd is well beyond my affordability, and a diesel vehicle in Delhi-NCR is a far more sharply depreciating asset today than before the 10-year-old-vehicles banning / scrapping rule came in. And after 8 years of usage, it would become impossible to sell the vehicle locally; folks in other states who are aware of the situation here, already hold back on offering a good price on resale of Delhi-NCR registered diesel vehicles.

Originally Posted by n.devdath

2. Why not an AT since you also drive within the confines of NCR 2-3 times a week?

Nah, I can do without the added headache of ATs. My left foot and knee still work well. No complaints in that department. Did have an ache in the right knee for a few days a short while ago though, but no AT will solve that problem!

[SS-Traveller]

Originally Posted by SS-Traveller

...I discovered that MSM Okhla had gifted me with a few scratches on the left rear wheel arch.
...
They did own up to the damage, and I was promised a touch-up repair whenever I can give them the car for 2 days, but I am a bit worried about the quality of the paint match. Will report back here once the job is done, next week.

MSM Okhla took 3 days to do the job, but they fixed the scratches to original paint finish. In addition, they were kind enough to do up the front bumper scrape as well.





And I got a replacement vehicle (a Swift) for running my errands for the time the car was with them.

Really appreciate the approach to customer satisfaction and quality of workmanship of MSM Okhla. No wonder they are so badly crowded with hundreds of cars on any day. Special thanks go out to Mr. Manish Kumar & Mr. Rajendran for making this such a pleasurable experience despite the initial heartbreak of a big scratch on a new car.

[SS-Traveller]

Originally Posted by vigsom

Congratulations on the new ride, Doc.

A 5000km road trip commencing in just 3 days of bringing a ride home is remarkable.

How does it feel to be driving low after sitting high for 10 years and 160000kms?

That's a very pertinent question, and I am glad you asked.

Well, I started back on the highway with a hatchback a few months ago (Call of Kamakhya: Our emotional 2000 km Delhi-Guwahati Swift run). It was a revelation after spending years driving the Scorpio on the highways. The nippy performance when the engine was revved hard, was quite a contrast to the surge of power from a turbo diesel. The Ciaz of course doesn't need to be revved as hard as the Swift, and the pulling power from low revs is a reasonable match compared to the Scorpio's engine.

Riding closer to the ground didn't make a difference - the suspension of the Ciaz absorbs potholes and bumps very well, and obviously the body roll and pitching are minimal compared to the higher car. This was until I busted one tyre and alloy - after which I am certainly a lot more diffident about crossing bumps and potholes at speed! The 195/55R16 low profile tyres are no match for handling the country's bad roads, compared to the 235/70R16 ones on the Scorp. However, the Ciaz is a lot more confident when made to swerve around those tyre-killer hazards, and I have already got used to using the steering (and brakes - heck, I don't want anyone rear-ending me, even ever so gently!) in a different manner than in the Scorpio.

Times were, when being seated higher made a difference in the visibility all round when swimming in a sea of hatchbacks. Over the years, the country has transformed into an SUV-loving one, and seated high or low has no advantage visibility-wise. Add to that, the sea of SUVs are largely driven by egoistic untrained boorish maniacal drivers (accompanied by even worse drivers in app-based cabs), and one does feel a little scared about getting scratches and dents while driving in the city. On the highway, of course, that menace is far lower. I'd also say, in the last 10 years the driving standards of Indian drivers has worsened even as their preference has moved on to bigger/taller cars.

And then, truth be told, I've grown older (and just a little wiser!), and I don't get upset by people cutting me off on the road. I'm usually not in a huge rush to reach first. And for those extremely rare times when I need to go to areas where one's progress is determined by the ability to elbow out other cars from one's path, there's always the Thar - an absolute contrast to the refinement of the Ciaz, it takes me back to my Ambassador days of 30 years ago.

I'm loving the comfort of the Ciaz as opposed to the Thar or even the Scorpio.

[i_nv]

Dear SS ,

Many thanks for your detailed ownership thread .

Sharing my story on how you and your review is impacting other Bhpians ....

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/what-...ml#post4601746 (The 'Garage dilemma' thread : Buy / sell / keep / shuffle my cars)

Originally Posted by i_nv

Dear Friends ,

Here is an update on our quest for next change . Ending of this saga was the most unpredictable one . Though definitely on a happy note . Infact very happy indeed .

So here it goes ...

After going through multiple visits to many showrooms , we decided to wait for Hyundai Venue as well .

After its launch we went to check it out . My wife was super impressed with the looks but the moment we checked into the rear seat , all the excitement vanished due to cramped space . Cabin didn't look airy at all .

So Venue was also ruled out .

We also went to check out Nissan Kicks . We liked the space inside but interiors were very disappointing .

Next we went to check out Honda WRV . Ruled out due to rear space and interiors .
Loved the space inside Honda Amaze and especially the rear look . In 10L top end petrol AT was fitting perfectly in our budget . But the front look was a downer .

Offcourse we checked out City but the variant we liked was out of our budget .

Then we went for the test ride or XUV300 . My wife loved the space , looks and ride was very comfortable .

However , the test drive vehicle already was showing the interiors prone to dirt and loosing it's bright white glam looks due to it rough usage . Which got us to the question of maintenance of inferior . In India and especially in Gurgaon dust will kill all your good looks in no time .

Confused again we walked into the Nexa showroom and agreed to finalize on Baleno as it was turning out to be a no brainer .

1. Beautiful looks . The looks grow on you . Everytime we visited the showroom , it pulled us towards her again and again .

2. Really spacious . Something that she always wanted . Oodles of rear seat space and confort . Amongst all hatchbacks we had seen so far , baleno looked very airy and spacious.

3. Good interiors . Especially the top Alpha variant .

4. Low cost of maintenance . Trust of Maruti .

5. New BS VI variant that gives us peace to mind .

We decided to pay the advance and take delivery on the coming Thursday .

While I was about to swipe my card , a thought came in my mind . Top end Alpha Variant with New Engine was coming at 8.80 L on road in Gurgaon and S cross Delta was costing approx 11.40 .
If I increase my budget by another 2.5 L , I could get S Cross which I always liked because of its premium interiors , space and most importantly sturdy body . S cross no where gives you an impression of maruti .

So I decided to give myself one more day and think it through before making a final decision .

Did a quick check on Team Bhp on S cross and got to know that new petrol engine of S cross is coming in July . That meant another 2 months without a new car .

Did some comparison between Delta , Zeta and Alpha .
Alpha was I wanted but the budget was going upto 13.60.

Finally decided to control the urge and go ahead with Delta .

We went to the showroom next day to do the booking for S cross Delta .

But there was one thought that was bothering me all this while . We had loved S Cross by looking at Alpha model that was displayed in showroom . And we were going ahead with Delta purely by imagining the features that won't be there in the car .

So we decided to check out Delta model before making the payment.
Problem was that Delta model wasn't displayed at the showroom .
Our SR suggested to take us to his stock yard and show the model there and we quickly agreed.

If you thought all the twists and turns were over then hang on . It ain't over yet . The biggest twist is about to come .

Our SR took us in the latest Ciaz Alpha test drive vehicle . I was sitting in the front seat and my wife sat on the back seat .
The moment she stepped in the car , she asked me why we haven't figured this car yet and why didn't I consider this car ?

She loved the space at back . It almost felt like sitting on a couch, interirors were nice . In a nutshell she loved every thing about Ciaz .

She said that I had been giving gyan to her about all the cars and models (of course after reading on Team Bhp) but never found the right car for her . What's the point of reading so much and not choosing the right car for her .

I told her that I didn't consider it because I read about its poor ride quality , and poor quality interior etc etc . I didn't remember I read anything great about this car neither anyone in Team Bhp suggested me to look at Ciaz .

While we were having this conversation , our SR got of the main road and said that there is a 400 mtr of kaccha road that leads to the stock yard and it was in a really bad shape .

Having heard our conversation he said , just focus on the ride when he drives on those potholes .
Honestly I was also pleasantly surprised how Ciaz handled those bumps with ease .

Couldn't dare to look at my wife as she was almost going to roast me with all my borrowed gyan .
Before I could say anything , here came the command .

"This is it . I am not checking our anymore car . Let's go back as I have finalized car for myself . This car has got everything I want and you had been complicating things for last so many months unnecessarily. I don't know why you guys waste so much of your time in doing research when all that you have to do is to go to showrooms and checkout car yourselves " .

I had no answer to this . But feebly I could muster enougb courage to ask just one last favour . Can I check it's review on Team Bhp ?
She said you have 10 minutes to read as much as you want as that was time time it would take us to reach the Nexa showroom .

So we took a U turn right in front of the stock yard and headed back to the showroom .
I quickly pulled out my mobile praying for enough battery and good network to access it's review .

The moment I searched for Ciaz , there were many pages that came in search query . There was one Ciaz petrol update TBHP offical review and there was an ownership review of SS traveller who had recently bought a Ciazz .

In 10 minutes I could have not read TBhp review for sure so decided to read SS travellers ownership thread.
By the time we reached the showroom , his review had given point by point rebuttal to every wrong notion I was carrying in my mind about Ciazz .

It was definitely very reassuring . I was so engrossed in reading it that I couldn't hear my SR's voice saying that we have arrived at the showroom . Please step out .
When I looked up , I saw my wife already inside the showroom giving a final glance to Ciazz .


So Ciazz it is ...

I couldnt believe that I was charging my CC for 5L in next 10 min for a car which was not in my radar and I hadn't read it's review ever .

But let me confess , it was the best decision we took .
We just loved the car especially when you get a top end manual at 11.30 with so many bells and whistles .

Had it not been SS Travellers ownership review , I would have again delayed my decision citing one or the other reason .

At the end we are very happy with our new Nexa Blue Ciazz.
Took it's delivery on this Thursday and drove to Chandigarh next morning .

Drive was awesome , rear seat comfort unbeatable and icing on the cake 20KMPL mileage during my trip and all this in 11.40 L .
Nexa offered me 80k for 2006 Swift Lxi and 20K exchange bonus .
So the final cost was 10.40 to us .

I added rear spoiler + sunshades that costed me 9K approx.
Didn't like the sound quality of music system so took the Hertz package of amp+speakers at 18K from the showroom.
Not happy with the decision though. Sound quality hasnt changed remarkably .

Will look for better options in sometime .

Finally Blue Ciazz has arrived in our lives . We like to hold vehicle for long and I am sure this car is going to outlast the Swift in our garage .

We couldn't have asked for more . God is really kind .

Many thanks to all Bhpians for responding to my query and special thanks to SS Traveller for his ownership these that helped me sealing the deal in 10 min .

Originally Posted by i_nv View Post
Friends ,

Indian Automotive scene has seen rapid strides over last decade and as a result we have a choice of car at every 25k price point starting from 3L and all the way upto 1 cr and beyond .

Despite the plethora of choice , one problem has always persisted and infact has grown multifold over the years .

It's nothing but The Problem Of Choice .

I have a 2010 Cruze AT which I won't be able to drive after 2020 in Delhi . Chevrolet's exit from India means that the resale value would at best be assessed on the basis of metal left in the car .

I also have 2007 Swift Lxi which is chauffer driven since inception and is used by my wife for her daily office commute .

We kept on postponing the decision to upgrade as we always thought the next launch would tick all the check boxes but it never happened .

Finally I have no choice left but to seek refuge into the Takshila of Automotive - Team BHP .

I need to buy two new cars in next two years and one car needs to be purchased immediately .
I would share some pointers for you to give me your advise on how to go about my Systematic Car Acquisition Plan .

So here we go :-

1. I love Sedan as I like the planted drive . My commute is not much hence a petrol sedan cannot be ruled out . Having driven Cruze for last 8 years , I am used to linear power delivery and adrenalin rush . But having entered in 40's this can take a back seat but a more planted drive is preferred .

2. My wife loves SUV and she would not mind SUV as a family Car . Her monthly commute is 1400-1600 km in city . We would not mind a good hatch back or crossover that has a good back seat comfort with a planted drive . Good mileage and low cost of maintenance is must due to extensive driving .

3. Last week we sent to see few cars . Liked new XUV300, S cross , Baleno . S cross sales rep said that we get 15 years car registration as it's a Hybrid . We won't have to discard this car 10 years later even if govt phases out diesel car in India . This is yet to be varified .

4. My wife found back seat of S Cross more spacious then XUV 300 probably due to better under thigh support in the former .

5. We have just moved into our new house so most of the savings hav gone into it . Of course there is a big EMI burden that we already have and it would continue for next 10 years .

6. With reference to point 5 above , we can't go for both the purchase immediately . Swift needs immediate change while I have an year to wait . I can drive my Car in Gurgaon but can't take it to delhi after it turns 10 next year .

7.For Sedan/Suv max budget we have is 20L but can't do it immediately . A year later we should be able to take a call .

8. Hatchback we have a budget of 10L but if we add 3-4 L to it then we have a tempting option of S cross , XUV 300 etc .

9. With Kia and MG launches due in next few.months , we are again tempted to wait and then take a call . Loved Harrier as well .

10. We have not done a test drive of any car yet and all the likings shared are on the basis of few minutes visit to each car showroom . I m sure there are more options but we didn't go to check them out . List of cars shared is on basis of random visits and we don't mind checking out more if suggested .


I am sure I am not alone and many would be going through this situation . Unfortunately most of the time we do not plan the next upgrade well in advance due to busy life and lure of next big launch .

Would like to seek your views and suggestion on how to go about my purchases starting from this month to next year .

Thanks for your patient reading .

Regards

[chaturgaurav]

Hi Guys

Could not locate any ownership review of Maruti Ciaz Facelift Alpha AT (2018). Appreciate if you can provide the link, if there is one on T-Bhp forum.

Thanks.

[SS-Traveller]

Well, there wasn't much to update, since the Ciazzler® ran just over 4000 km in the last 10 months. But then, Maruti recalled all Smart Hybrid cars (Maruti to recall Ertiga, Ciaz & XL6 mild-hybrid petrol variants) in December 2019 for replacement of the ISG (Integrated Starter Generator) aka the MGU (Motor Generator Unit), also referred to loosely as the alternator by Maruti technicians.

So last Saturday MSM Okhla sent a technician home to check whether my MGU needed replacement. He took pictures of the serial number of the unit, and checked with the company whether it needs replacement.

And as I thought, it did indeed need replacement, and I needed to take it to the workshop. Planning to kill two birds with one stone, I decided to have the Auto Trunk Opener installed at the same visit too.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NDfgnJRYpeI

After a few phone calls to MSM, including speaking with the Accessories Manager, it was made sure that both jobs would be done at the same visit. Since this would be the first time MSM Okhla would be installing this device, I was told that a person from the vendor's end (the manufacturer of the Auto Trunk Opener), would be present and guide the MSM technicians while the installation is done.

SO the fellow from PCI was supposed to come at 12:30 pm. The MGU had been changed by then (took hardly 2 hours), and I was assured the fitment of the Auto Trunk Opener unit would not take more than an hour or two.

And I waited. And waited. And waited. The Accessories Manager said the new promised time was 2:30 pm.

By 2:30 pm, we realized the PCI fellow had done a disappearing act. Wouldn't answer the phone. When the phone was answered at 3:15 pm, someone else picked up. I was fed up. Told MSM to pack up and deliver my car, and let me go home.

It is unfortunate that I had to waste time waiting for the vendor's personnel to turn up, but what is more worrying is whether Maruti has control over its vendors or not, and in case of future problems with the accessory (though approved by Maruti), the vendor may stonewall future service issues and refuse responsibility in a similar fashion (since this is obviously not a popular accessory, as MSM Okhla is installing this for the first time, nor is it a Maruti-manufactured component).

I am in two minds now whether I should install the accessory or not, and if yes, when and how. Can I, I wonder as a customer, trust the quality of the product and integrity of the vendor?

As to the replaced MGU, there is an obvious difference in charging (the old unit was said to have charging problems). The Li-ion battery is being charged quicker, and according to the MID graphics, is being charged even when the engine is in deceleration mode at 1200 rpm. I even managed to get it to show 5 bars (fully charged) within the 20 km trip back home (never managed to do that earlier). The voltmeter I had inserted into the 12v socket did not show more than 13.7v earlier, but the new unit shows charging all the way to 14.2v. The stop-start system used to kick in at least 15 km after starting from cold, now it is operational within 6-7 km from starting. Let's see how it goes over the next few hundred km.

My 3rd free service is due by 27 February 2020 or 10,000 km - the current odo reading is at 9185 km.

[Leoshashi]

Originally Posted by SS-Traveller

I am in two minds now whether I should install the accessory or not, and if yes, when and how. Can I, I wonder as a customer, trust the quality of the product and integrity of the vendor?

The product comes with a manual with detailed instructions, and as long as a seasoned accessory installer is there who has installed other electrical accessories, it's not such a big deal.

I'd recommend you to read the instructions yourself and brief the installer how you want it to be done. Would hardly take 15 minutes but that's the way I prefer doing. Even if the installer was an experienced one, I always prefer going through the instructions myself before they start working.

I had posted pics of the installation manual, do have a look:

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/offic...ml#post4667373 (2018 Maruti Ciaz Facelift (1.5L Petrol) : Official Review)

Regards,
Shashi

[kunalsingh]

Hello SS-Traveller sir, been a long time since an update on this thread. Has your car completed its 20k/2 year service? I will be taking my car (it's a Delta in the same colour) to Nexa Rana Motors service centre tomorrow. Hoping for a quick and easy service.

[SS-Traveller]

Originally Posted by kunalsingh

Hello SS-Traveller sir, been a long time since an update on this thread. Has your car completed its 20k/2 year service? I will be taking my car (it's a Delta in the same colour) to Nexa Rana Motors service centre tomorrow. Hoping for a quick and easy service.

Indeed, it has been a long time. My 10k/1-year service was done at the end of February 2020, after which the car has only covered ~2200 km in the last 8 months. This included a 600-km roadtrip to Dehradun last week. I did read your ordeal with the bumper damage as well as the detailed description of the 20k service.

My car also picked up a little damage on the front fender courtesy the neighbourhood garbage collecting rickshaw rolling into it at the parking slot in front of my eyes. Did a bit of touching up, and it doesn't look too bad from a distance, so I'm letting it be.

[kunalsingh]

Originally Posted by SS-Traveller

My car also picked up a little damage on the front fender courtesy the neighbourhood garbage collecting rickshaw rolling into it at the parking slot in front of my eyes. Did a bit of touching up, and it doesn't look too bad from a distance, so I'm letting it be.

Attachment 2072907

Sad to see that scratch on your fender. Unfortunately, such things are unavoidable living in a city like Delhi. Even our car has a few minuscule dents on the fender and near the door handles of my car which are visible in the right lighting (courtesy of our colony neighbours who just jam their doors into our car).

I did get most of them touched up during my service but forgot a little pen-sized spot on the fender and rear right door. Could you please share details of the paint you used for the touch-up?

[SS-Traveller]

Originally Posted by kunalsingh

I... forgot a little pen-sized spot on the fender and rear right door. Could you please share details of the paint you used for the touch-up?

All right - get ready to laugh your head off.

The scratch was touched up with a combination of blue and black permanent marker pens with a sharp tip, only applying the ink to the parts that appeared white. It's been a month now, and the ink is largely still there.

A pic of the odo from yesterday: