JOIN USCiaz gets the smarts in hybrid avatar
India’s largest car manufacturer Maruti Suzuki is known to set benchmarks and create new segments. With the launch of the new mild hybrid Ciaz, Maruti has marked its foray into the new eco-friendly technology segment, creating a new example for other car companies to follow.
A year earlier, on October 6, 2014, the company celebrated a comeback of sorts when it announced the launch of a premium sedan, and the mid-sized Ciaz took to the stage. The car created ripples in the market and has sold over 68,000 units till date, both in the domestic market and abroad, giving tough competition to its rivals. DH Wheels reviewed the Ciaz on November, 19, 2014.
Now, Deccan Herald’s car test team has its hands over a Ciaz wheel, but with a pleasant surprise.
While the exterior espouses the familiar pretty, sleek gait, it’s the engine and a few relevant drive features that raises some fresh air, in the new Ciaz.
The all-new Maruti Suzuki Ciaz SHVS (smart hybrid vehicle by Suzuki) for a first, will be available only in the diesel version that is powered by a 1.3-litre engine (89 bhp).
It has DDiS 200 variable geometry turbocharger super combo, paired with the ISG for enhancing its performance and fuel efficiency.
Not a parallel hybrid
Not much seems new on the Ciaz SHVS. The variant that we drive — the top-end diesel ZDI+ — has all the comforts and state-of-the-art conveniences as the regular Ciaz would. A push-button start brings the engine to life, and with first gear, the large car gets down to business. On the whole, the Ciaz SHVS drives the same as a regular Ciaz diesel car, but its hybrid switch-over takes place in specific situations.
Before understanding the ‘hybridisation’ of Ciaz, let’s get one thing right! The new Maruti Suzuki Ciaz SHVS is not a hybrid vehicle akin to the Toyota Prius or the Toyota Camry Hybrid. While the latter are parallel hybrid vehicles (and far more expensive), the Ciaz is termed a ‘mild hybrid’, making it far more affordable. Confused? To put in perspective, in parallel hybrids, the ignition uses battery, rather than gasolene, in the startup phase. One drives it like a normal car, and it seamlessly switches back and forth between battery power and gasoline. Just the braking power and the motion keeps recharging the battery.
Also, the driver gets the indication of the type of power used on the dashboard. There’s an engine control unit, a sort of mini-computer, under the dashboard. So it calculates the amount of battery power remaining.
In the case of the Ciaz, the ‘mild hybrid’ sense is got through SHVS (smart hybrid vehicle by Suzuki) technology that uses an ISG (integrated starter generator) and an advanced high capacity battery. This system supplements the engine’s power, making it more efficient than the conventional set-up.
The energy saved while decelerating or braking, which is otherwise lost, is stored in the advance high capacity battery and assists during acceleration (for example, gradient climbing). This combination results in a peppy, powerful and fuel-efficient vehicle.
Simply put, the new Ciaz SHVS is a very reliable affordable sedan, which also offers the purpose and feel of a hybrid car. This new car has added yet another feather to Maruti’s cap, which has heralded many firsts in the market, and the competition must move extra fast to catch up.
Hybrid from the get-go
While on the drive, the hybrid elements are put to the test. And yes! In all smartness, the car reacts with full realisation of its fuel saving sensibilities.
Foremost among the car’s smart hybrid features includes the idle engine start-stop function, which turns off the engine automatically when the car is idling.
But for it to work, the car needs to come to a standstill, and the driver has to shift into neutral gear and take your left foot off the clutch. The engine restarts as soon as you press the clutch.
To restart the engine, the system uses the stored energy. Restart is by belt-driven ISG, thereby assuring a quick and silent start. The Ciaz SHVS also gets a Deceleration Energy
Regenerating Function, which activates when the vehicle is being decelerated.
This function feeds the energy back into the vehicle’s electrical system during deceleration and improves efficiency. A green SHVS indicator at the centre of the instrument cluster lights up when this system is running.
After bringing the car to complete stop, the Idle engine start-stop function gets activated in 4-5 seconds. The power-assist function aids in getting the stored energy into the advanced high capacity battery, and assists engine power during acceleration. This results in improved engine efficiency and prevents unnecessary loss of fuel.
The brake energy regeneration of the kinetic energy makes the Ciaz a true smart hybrid diesel car. The ISG converts the energy from braking and deceleration of the car and stores it in the battery.
This stored energy is later used to drive the ISG, to assist the engine’s idle start-stop function and assists the engine during acceleration.
The car has also put on board a gear-shift indicator, which prompts the driver to change the gears at correct speeds, resulting in enhanced fuel efficiency.
Honestly speaking, the turbo takes time to kick in initially, but once active, the Ciaz makes it roll in the city driving. Even while we drive through various sections of road around Bengaluru’s international airport periphery, including the inclines of Nandi Hills, the power-packed car doesn’t disappoint. It can simply cruise at higher speeds, though the Ciaz diesel cries for a sixth gear.
Timed just right
The company’s move to launch the Ciaz SHVS comes in the wake of the government launching FAME (faster adoption and manufacturing of hybrid and electric vehicles) India scheme in April, to promote eco-friendly vehicles that envisages providing Rs 795 crore support till 2020 for the manufacture and sale of electric and hybrid vehicles.
The scheme offers incentives to electric and hybrid vehicles — from two-wheelers to buses — in the range of Rs 1,800 to Rs 66 lakh. In four-wheelers, incentives range from Rs 13,000 to Rs 1.38 lakh.
By virtue of being in the hybrid category, the Ciaz SHVS will get reduced excise benefit of 12.5 per cent, instead of 24 per cent in the normal version. Moreover, it will also get Rs 13,000 benefit under the FAME scheme. As per the company, the car would offer a fuel efficiency of 28.09 km/litre.
In all humility, the ‘affordable’ hybrid auto, from the house of one of the world’s legendary ‘affordable’ car manufacturing champions, is yet another successful experiment in the mammoth car market lab called India.
Ciaz Diesel
SHVS Smart Specifications
Engine: DDiS 200 (1.3 litre)
Power: 89 bhp@4000rpm
Torque: 200Nm@ 1750rpm
Mileage: 28.09 km/l
Acceleration:
0-100 km/hr in 13.2 secs
Transmission: 5 MT
Ex-showroom price
(Bengaluru): Rs 8,62,000