Suzuki shelving Ciaz in India by April as sales slide

Its flagship sedan in most export markets since the discontinuation of the sized-up Kizashi more than a decade ago, a new report from India has alleged that Maruti Suzuki will be putting an end to the Ciaz next month without the introduction of a replacement.

Stagnant since 2018 update

Set to end production in March, whereby sales officially stop in April, the now 11-year old Ciaz received its one-and-only update in 2018, which saw the 1.4-litre petrol engine being replaced by the stalwart 1.5-litre K15B with added mild-hybrid assistance.

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Briefly offered with an in-house developed turbodiesel engine that disappeared after less than a year following the implementation of India’s strict BS6 emissions regulations in 2020, the Ciaz has consistently been one of Maruti Suzuki’s slowest sellers with offset last year of 97 466 in India.

Citing reported inside sources, branded as “incorrect” by Maruti Suzuki upon asking, Autocar India states the Ciaz now accounts for 11% of the compact sedan market compared to 40% between 2017 and 2018.

A segment now topped by the locally-made Volkswagen Virtus, imported to South Africa as the Polo Sedan, the publication cites the short-lived availability of the diesel engine and lack of updates post-2018 as the main reasons for the Ciaz having fallen out of favour compared not only its to rivals, but the smaller DZire that underwent a generation change last year.

Attributing the slump in sales further to segment comparative SUVs, a lack of marketing has also been blamed on the Ciaz’s cooling sales, with markets of Thailand, the Philippines and Indonesia having already bid it farewell.

South Africa next?

Introduced as the rebadged Toyota Belta in select African and Middle Eastern markets four years ago, the Ciaz has been a relatively strong seller for Suzuki Auto South Africa in spite of the success of the Polo Sedan, the long-since discontinued Nissan Almera and its DZire sibling.

Seldom out of the top 50 best-selling marques, Ciaz sales totalled 2 364 units in 2024, with a best of 527 in October.

Spanning four models, GL and GLX, differentiated by spec and the option of a five-speed manual or four-speed automatic gearbox, pricing kicks-off at R286 900 for the GL manual and ends at R347 900 for the self-shifting GLX.

The Citizen has been in contact with Suzuki about the Ciaz and will update accordingly once feedback is given.

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