It is probably one of the worst kept secrets that Maruti Suzuki, the country's largest carmaker, is working on a facelift of its premium sedan-the Ciaz, which is expected to enter the market in 2017.
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Ciaz, which is now being sold in India through Maruti's regular dealers, is expected to make its Nexa debut with the facelift. The car will be updated with top features to stay true to its premium tag. According to the latest reports, the Ciaz facelift will feature an upgraded engine as well. While the company has not confirmed this yet, rumour has it that the Ciaz will now get Suzuki's M15 1.5 litre petrol engine for its new avatar.
Currently, the Ciaz is powered by the 1,373cc petrol unit that develops 91bhp at 6,000rpm and 130Nm of torque at 4,000rpm mated to five-speed manual transmission. The petrol variant is also available with four-speed automatic transmission. The diesel unit comes equipped with a small hybrid system with 1,248cc displacement and develops 89bhp at 4,000rpm and 200Nm of torque at 1,750rpm. The engine is paired with a five-speed manual transmission. If the rumoured petrol engine makes it to the sedan, it is expected to dish out 100bhp of power at 5,900rpm and 133Nm of torque at 4,100rpm.
Other changes expected in the facelift include; reworked front and rear bumpers, new front grille, newly-designed alloy wheels, electronic sunroof and updated infotainment system with Apple CarPlay. The Ciaz is also likely to go premium in its price tag with the facelift.
