Saar: The dealers are asking for a token amount of Rs 11,000, which is completely refundable.

You have been waiting for this, haven’t you?! Well, although unofficially but several Nexa dealers are now entertaining bookings for the Maruti Suzuki Ciaz facelift. The minimum booking amount is Rs 11,000 and it will be totally refundable. The dealers have also pointed out that the launch date will be around August 15 and not towards the end of next month as earlier predicted. Most of them also said that the waiting list on the refreshed Ciaz is already gaining speed, although that could be the tried-and-tested sales technique.

A few days ago, Maruti Suzuki released a video on its Nexa range of cars. And in that video, we saw a few glimpses of the Ciaz facelift. From the screenshots, which are also included in this story, we can confirm that the mid-life update of the Ciaz will get a sleeker front grille with a lot of chrome to flaunt. It will be flanked by redesigned headlamp enclosures with integrated LED DRLs and projector units. The video didn’t show any shots of the rear, side or the interior of the refreshed Ciaz. However, it is safe to say that the taillamps will have LED elements and the rear bumper, just like the front one, will be tweaked in design. The only other change expected on the outside is a set of new alloy wheels.

The interior will have some subtle design changes too with a few extra features like cruise control and an upgraded infotainment system with support for Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. The biggest change, however, will be for customers who want a petrol-powered Ciaz. Maruti Suzuki will introduce an all-new engine in India with the Ciaz facelift and it will be a 1.5-litre petrol unit. It will have 104PS of power on tap and with the SHVS tech, it is expected to be the most fuel-efficient powerplants amongst all petrol-powered sedans in the segment. This very same engine will also come in the second-gen Ertiga, which will launch around the festive period of this year. Diesel lovers will have to make do with the same, Fiat-sourced, 1.3-litre engine which produces 90PS/200Nm.

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Once launched, the Ciaz facelift will renew its rivalry with the Honda City, Toyota Yaris, Skoda Rapid, Volkswagen Vento and the Hyundai Verna. The Maruti Suzuki Ciaz has always been the least expensive offering amongst its rivals. Even with the expected bump in prices by about Rs 40,000 on each trim, the Ciaz facelift should end up worrying every other car in the same segment.