It looks like the fight for India’s top mid-range sedan is not over yet, with Maruti Suzuki Ciaz back with a bang in the reckoning, according to January numbers.
The company sold a total of around 6,000 Ciaz in January, close to the record hit in the first month of 6,345 units sold in October. In that month, Ciaz had beaten Honda City, ending the Japanese model’s reign as the undisputed top mid-range sedan.
However, Honda City roared back into
the ring over November and December, selling 7,252 units in November alone. Meanwhile, monthly sales of Maruti Suzuki Ciaz fell to the 3500-4000 range.
Many auto observers dismissed Ciaz’s performance in October as the result of euphoria in the launch month.
However, with January also proving to have been a great month for Ciaz, Honda may have cause for worry.
“It will be very close this time. 6,000 is not an easy number to beat,” pointed out an industry official.
Two of the reasons working in favour of Ciaz are the styling and the cost factor.
In terms of looks, Ciaz looks as elegant as the Honda City — no mean achievement as the City is one of the best looking cars on Indian roads. The major difference in looks is that the City looks taller/slimmer, while the Ciaz looks more grounded.
The second factor that works in favour of the Ciaz is Maruti Suzuki’s reputation for providing cheap and affordable after-sales support, including components and spare parts.
Honda parts tend to be considerably more expensive that Maruti Suzuki parts, though we are not sure whether that also applies in case of the City vs Ciaz comparison.
In terms of price, the Ciaz is priced at Rs 7.2 lakhs in Delhi ex-showroom, while the City will set you back by 7.5 lakhs ex-showroom.
For now, the fight has been joined, and it promises to be an exciting few months ahead for auto buffs as the two auto giants fight it out for the kind of top mid-range sedan in India. [socialpoll id=”2250690″]