Maruti Ciaz will be discontinued next month

The future of CIAZ appears to be due to multiple factors such as low sales, narrowing sedan segments and better equipped competitor products

Launched in 2014, Maruti Ciaz was once the best-selling sedan in the class. However, those numbers have fallen, and CIAZ is now ranked eighth on the list of best-selling sedans in India. The latest report shows that CIAZ can be phased out by April 2025. However, there is no official confirmation for Maruti Suzuki.

Prefer SUVs over sedans

In the sedan space, most sales are generated by entry-level sedans such as Maruti Dzire, Hyundai Aura, Honda Amaze and Tata Tigor/EV. These accounted for nearly 80% of the sedan market in January 2025. The remaining sales are mainly from the premium sedan space, which is the field and its competitors and its competitors, such as the Volkswagen Virtus, Skoda Slavia, Hyundai Verna and Honda City.

About a decade later, sedans once contributed about 20% to overall car sales in India. The figure fell to below 10% in 2024. More and more users choose SUVs, currently accounting for more than 50% of overall car sales.

In addition to the shrinking sedan market, Ciaz faces fierce competition like Virtus, Slavia and Verna. Ciaz has relatively few updates compared to its competitors. The last major update for CIAZ was in 2018. Competitive equipment is now better, offering features like sunroof, ADA and enhanced digital cockpit experience.

Discontinued diesel variants

Many automakers, including Maruti, have moved to a gasoline-only roadmap, thanks to stricter BS6 emission norms. The Ciaz Diesel variant is discontinued in 2020. It comes with a 1.5-liter turbodiesel engine that generates 94 bhp and 225 nm. It is paired with a 6-speed manual transmission. The engine was developed in-house, but is not feasible for BS6 compliance. Diesel Ciaz is a popular choice, accounting for about 30% of total sedan sales. Its disruption had a negative impact at that time.

As of now, all midsize cars are available with gasoline engines. Competitors like Virtus, Slavia and Verna have an advantage because these competitors offer the option of a turbo refueling engine. By comparison, the Maruti Ciaz offers a 1.5-liter NA petrol engine. It generates 104.6 PS/138 and is paired with 5-speed manual or 4AT transmission.

Not official yet

Although it seems possible that the deactivation of CIAZ due to a variety of factors, no official confirmation has been provided. Similarly, there are speculations about potential disabling of CIAZ. Despite the negative impact around CIAZ, there are also some positive aspects to see.

For example, CIAZ’s sales in January 2025 saw an impressive 111.57%. Even if the sales number is still in three digits. Ciaz leads Honda in January sales. Ciaz also performs well in the export sector. The cars are exported to Egypt, South Africa and other regions.

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