Ciaz

Overview

The Ciaz is the car to buy when the passenger matters more than the driver. At 4,545 mm it is the longest sedan Maruti sells and the 2,650 mm wheelbase translates into genuine second-row knee room that nothing else in this price band can match; an adult can sit behind their own driving position without contorting, and the flat-ish floor makes the middle seat usable for one person rather than an apology.

On the move the 1.5-litre petrol with 103 bhp and 137 Nm suits the car’s temperament exactly. It is unhurried but never short of breath at legal speeds, the gearing is tall enough to keep revs low on the expressway where the claimed 22 kmpl actually happens, and the suspension is set to iron out broken tarmac rather than to hold the car level in a corner. Six airbags are standard across every variant here, and the top trims add a CNG option that makes a high-mileage taxi or fleet life far cheaper.

The trade-offs are image and involvement. The Ciaz looks and drives like sensible transport, not an enthusiast’s sedan; the automatic is an older four-speed unit rather than the smoother stepless boxes rivals use, and the three-star Global NCAP adult score is adequate rather than class-leading. If you want the rear-seat passenger to arrive relaxed and the running costs to stay low, the mid-spec manual is one of the quiet bargains in the catalogue.

• Class-leading rear-seat legroom
• Six airbags standard across the range
• Relaxed 1.5-litre petrol with a CNG option