The hotly anticipated Maruti Suzuki Ciaz facelift for 2018 was launched in India today. At a starting price of Rs 8.19 lakh, the car is being offered in 11 different variants with prices all the way up to Rs 10.97 lakh (both prices ex-showroom), reports NDTV Car and Bike, from the live event. At the outset, the new 2018 upgrade gets an attractive and sharper-looking premium design at the front. However, the all-new 1.5-litre K-series petrol engine is the biggest upgrade here.

The new engine replaces the 1.4-litre unit on the outgoing model. And while the 1.3-litre diesel engine has been carried forward, both engines now come with Suzuki’s mild hybrid technology, which allows the engine to be turned off whenever the car is coasting, braking, or stopped, yet to restart quickly when needed.

A popular offering from the manufacturer, the new Maruti Ciaz car gets LED projector auto headlamps with prominent brow-shaped DRLs. At the rear, the car looks largely similar to the existing model but gets minor tweaks to the tail lamps. It gets LED rear lamps with dynamic flow design. From the sides, the Ciaz facelift continues to sport 16-inch multi-spoke alloy wheels.

At the launch event, it was revealed that Maruti Suzuki has sold 2.2 lakh units of the Ciaz since its launch in 2014. R. S. Kalsi, Senior Executive Director, Marketing and Sales, Maruti Suzuki India, talking about the dominance of the Ciaz in the compact sedan segment, showcased how the Ciaz enjoys 34% of the market share.

An additional safety feature called the ‘speed alert system’ is available on the Ciaz, which prompts the driver to maintain a safe driving speed, keeping the vehicle within city and highway speed limits. The system is designed to alert the driver with 2 beeps every 60 seconds if the driver exceeds 80 kmph. The system will make a continuous beeping sound if the car’s speed exceeds 120 kmph.

The new 1.5-litre petrol engine produces 103bhp of maximum power and churns out 138Nm of peak torque while the 1.3-litre diesel engine delivers 89bhp of power and 200Nm of peak torque. The latest model has been made available in four each petrol and diesel trims - Sigma, Delta, Zeta, and Alpha. Also, three automatic trims are on offer – all excluding Sigma. The Suzuki Connect telematics system as standard feature and interiors remain the same on the new facelift Ciaz.