Maruti finally shifts its popular Ciaz sedan to premium Nexa outlets

Under pressure from its dealers and driven by a lacklustre performance of its two models-S-Cross and Ignis-Maruti Suzuki has shifted its flagship sedan Ciaz to Nexa, its chain of plush outlets.

The Baleno hatchback has been the only successful model to live up to expectations and continues to attract a huge crowd. According to market sources, Maruti latest launch Ignis has failed to ignite customer passion.

Consequently, Maruti has put the new, upgraded Ciaz sedan in its Nexa outlets. Earlier, the car was sold through regular dealers across the country.

The company has around 250 Nexa outlets across India although its regular outlets are in many multiples of this. It also aims to take Nexa's contribution to its total sale volume to touch 115 per cent in the long term.

Post this development, regular dealers will be left with only one blockbuster new model-the Vitara Brezza compact SUV-and older offerings such as Alto and WagonR.

According to sources, Ciaz's move to Nexa coincides with the redesigned car making its way to the market. Maruti has been working on the car for long and the changes are visible as it features a new front grille, modified bumpers, LED DRLs in the headlamps and a new, premium sunroof in the top-end variants.

The company did not share much of these details, but did not deny the entry of Ciaz in the new sales network.

Ciaz has been a success with its mild hybrids, namely, the Smart Hybrid Vehicle by Suzuki (SHVS) badge, which makes it the most fuel-efficient sedan in India and take the leadership mantle from Honda City.

Maruti Suzuki earlier announced that its Smart Hybrid vehicles-Ciaz SHVS and Ertiga SHVS-had crossed cumulative sales of 100,000 units, marking the success of its efforts in hybrid and electric mobility in India.

R.S. Kalsi, Executive Director (Marketing and Sales) at Maruti Suzuki, had said, "As we move towards hybrid and electric cars, we see this as a first important step in this space. Both Ciaz SHVS and Ertiga SHVS are high on fuel efficiency, come with reduced running costs and lower levels of CO2 emission. Ciaz SHVS, with a certified fuel efficiency of 28.09km/l, tops the mileage chart in India. Ertiga SHVS, with 24.52 km/l, has set a new benchmark in fuel efficiency in its category."