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 77 kW (104.6 PS) of maximum power at 6000 rpm, and 138Nm 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.
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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.
[Source - Autocar India]
