Confirming the company's committment to the environment, Kenichi Ayukawa, MD and CEO of Maruti Suzuki, had outlined the manufacturer's focus on environment-friendly products for the future earlier.
In line with the strategy, Suzuki Motor Corporation, the parent company of Maruti Suzuki, showcased three new products at the 85th Geneva Motor Show held in March this year, comprising a new-generation light weight platform, a new downsized direct-injection turbo petrol engine called BOOSTERJET and the SHVS mild hybrid system.
Folks at GaadiWaadi.com snapped pictures of the Ciaz with SHVS badging, making it clear the Suzuki's Indian subsidiary is serious about its commitment to environment.
The SHVS stands for Smart Hybrid Vehicle. It makes use of lithium ion battery that gets charged with the help of regenerative braking. The system converts the kinetic energy of the rolling wheels into electricity for charging up the battery and a start-stop system to boost mileage.
The 'VDI+' nomenclature in the picture also indicates that the technology will be using in tandem with the tried-and-tested 1.3-liter DDiS diesel engine paired to a 5-speed manual gearbox. The SVHS badging would be the sole differentiator on appearance over the regular model.
The Ciaz already boasts of a segment leading, ARAI claimed fuel efficiency of 26.21kmpl, making it one of the most fuel efficient cars in the country.
With the SHVS mild hybrid system in place, the Ciaz hybrid is expected to breach the 30kmpl-mark.
The hybrid model is expected to be costlier than the ZDI model and the launch is likely to happen in September 2015.
