Setting a new standard in the Indian auto market, Maruti Suzuki has just launched a hybrid version of its popular Ciaz sedan.
While hybrid vehicles are usually the forte of more premium brands and expensive cars, Maruti Suzuki has taken a big step in doing away with that dogma with the launch of a new hybrid Ciaz sedan. Rather unimaginatively named, the Ciaz SHVS, or Smart Hybrid Vehicle by Suzuki, brings to the table features such as Idle Engine Start/Stop, Power Assist, and Brake Energy Regeneration.
Not only is this car a big push from Maruti towards the Government of India’s FAME (Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Hybrid and Electric Vehicles) programme, the end result of which is to proliferate hybrid and electric vehicles to the general public, the Ciaz SHVS also offers a massive immediate benefit – unparalleled fuel economy. If Maruti’s word is to be believed, it can manage a whopping mileage of 28.09 kmpl, which would make it the most fuel efficient diesel car in the country at the moment.
But enough acronyms and numbers. Let’s take a quick look at how SHVS works. At the heart of the system is an Integrated Starter Generator and an advanced high capacity battery. Energy which would be otherwise lost during deceleration or braking is recovered by the starter-generator and stored in the high-tech battery. When any sort of assistance is needed for acceleration, whether during overtaking or going up a hill, energy stored in this battery can give a boost to the drive wheels through the starter-generator. This boost is fuel free, which means that fuel consumption during these situations is drastically reduced. When you factor in this boost together with the 1.3-litre DDiS motor’s 90 PS of power and 200Nm of torque on tap, you’re looking at a fair amount of performance increase over the standard car.
The other notable feature of the SHVS is the idle start/stop system. Whenever the car is idling, the system shuts down the engine and will start it up again only when the clutch pedal is depressed. The energy, which has been recovered from bringing the car to a halt, is used to restart the engine, and is done so using a belt drive, ensuring quick and quiet starts. The best part about the whole SHVS system is that all its functions are handled automatically, which no input required from the driver.
The Ciaz SHVS maintains all the other features that make the standard Ciaz such a popular car. And with a price range starting from Rs 8.23 lakh for the base VDi model, going on to Rs 10.17 lakh for the ZDI+ variant, Maruti has priced this hybrid sedan even cheaper than the standard Ciaz, making the SHVS phenomenal value for money. Now that’s certain to get most of us excited about hybrid cars.
Prices
| Variant |
Price (ex-showroom, New Delhi) |
| VDi |
Rs 8,23,000 |
| VDi (O) |
Rs 8.37,500 |
| VDi+ |
Rs 8,81,500 |
| ZDi |
Rs 9,52,500 |
| ZDi+ |
Rs 10,17,500 |
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