Friday, September 05, 2014
By Jitendra Singh
Will Maruti Suzuki Ciaz get the tag of premium car
As Maruti Suzuki, provider of their 'first car' to most of the Indians, makes yet another shot at the mid-size sedan segment with the Ciaz, analysts say one of its toughest challenges is to achieve an image makeover as premium carmaker. "Yes, the perception battle is a little tough," said the CEO of a leading advertising firm. "Maruti has done so well in the value segment for such a long time that it has been first car for many. When they move to a certain phase in life as a consumer, they want to upgrade to a brand which they perceive to be a premium brand," the person said, requesting anonymity.
Maruti Suzuki's invincible success as affordable carmaker has made it a victim of perception and despite several try in the past it has not been able establish itself in the premium segment. Can the Ciaz - which will replace SX4 and take on the likes of Honda City, Hyundai Verna and Volkswagen Vento in the C-segment sedan space - change that?
Some experts have their doubt."Looking at the specifications of Ciaz, I would say the car would turn out to be an under powered car," veteran automobile expert Murad Ali Beg said. The Ciaz is definitely not a very powerful vehicle as it comes with the 1.3-litre multijet diesel engine that powered SX4, churning out 90 PS of power against 100 PS of power in Honda City's 1.5-litre diesel engine. The Ciaz's petrol engine size is 1.4L, down from 1.6L offered in the latest SX4, churning out 95 PS against 119 PS of power in Honda City's petrol variant.
Read complete story at Economic Times.
