Maruti Ciaz 3 Times More Popular Than Skoda Rapid

Maruti Ciaz is the most popular car in its segment, beating rivals like Honda City, Hyundai Verna, and also the Skoda Rapid. That last one was recently updated to meet the BSVI compliance, but the projected sales of the new model aren’t significantly more than before. Previously, Skoda Rapid had seen a somewhat disappointing sales performance in India, especially compared to the segment leader.

During FY2019-20, Skoda was only able to sell 8,995 units of the Rapid. This is quite a disappointing number, especially since Skoda has always been considered to be a premium car brand, and a lot of customers actually love its vehicles. In comparison, Maruti Suzuki was able to sell 25,258 units of the Ciaz, which is a little shy of three times the sales volume generated by the Rapid. Of course, Maruti’s brand name has always been associated with affordable, fuel-efficient cars that are both easy and cheap to maintain. These factors combined helped makes the Ciaz the best-seller in its segment.

As stated above, Skoda Rapid was recently updated to meet the BSVI emission norms. It is now powered by a 1.0-litre, turbocharged, inline-3, TSI petrol engine, capable of generating 110 PS and 175 Nm of peak power and torque, respectively. It only comes mated to a 5-speed manual transmission at the moment, and a torque-converter automatic is slated for a launch soon. The previous engine options – the 1.6-litre naturally aspirated petrol and 1.5-litre turbocharged diesel units – have been discontinued now, along with the dual-clutch gearbox option.

As for the Maruti Ciaz, it is also currently being offered with a single engine option. Its 1.5-litre, naturally aspirated, inline-4, ‘K-series’ engine can produce a maximum power of 105 PS and a peak torque of 138 Nm. It comes paired to a 5-speed manual gearbox as standard, and a 4-speed automatic is offered as an option. Previously, diesel engine options were also available with the Ciaz – initially a 1.3-litre engine, and later a 1.5-litre unit. The former was discontinued last year, and the latter in February of this year, just before the BSVI norms came into effect.