The Cabin

When I first got into the Suzuki Ciaz, it was the cabin feel that got me. It felt superb. It felt like a premium place to be in compared to a whole lot of cars that I has been looking at. When you get in the front, you get a distinctly feel of European cars like the VW.

 

Before I even actually started looking at the cars, I was making a virtual choice in my mind as to what car would fit the bill. I was looking for an automatic and the Honda Jazz seemed just right.
However, many things went southwards with that car and the cabin feel was one of them. I liked it well enough the first time, but sitting in the Ciaz was being in another place all together. A more premium space. Another disadvantage was that the top variant of the Jazz with the magic seats did not come with the automatic transmission. 

 

Anyway, the Ciaz was costing me only a little more (after exchange) than the Jazz and offered a much better feel. There is no denying the bullet proof Honda gasoline engines and the superior build quality, but the buck stops there. I personally love the Honda 1.2 engine for its silky smooth refinement and quiet nature.

 

In fact, I delayed buying the Suzuki Ciaz for so long because of the size of the car. It was much too big compared to what I thought would comfortable driving in a busy, congested city. But really ran out of other options. All the first line runners like the VW Vento and Honda City fell out of the race because of some unfortunate mis-givings on my part.

I will talk more about the comparisons in the other posts where I will make head to head comparison of the Suzuki Ciaz with other sedans in the segment like the Honda City and the Volkswagen Vento as well as other cars that, although are not in the same segment, were very much in contention like the Honda Jazz, Amaze, Renault Duster and Ford Ecosport.

No touch screens... And that's a good thing

Back to the cabin of the Suzuki Ciaz. I do not like touch screens. And thankful the CIAZ ZETA, which is the one lower variant from Alfa, does not come with one. It has tactile buttons that look and feel great. They are easier to use, and give the dash a busier look which I prefer. One of the problems I have with the touch screens are that many auto makers are not getting them right. They have a poor resolution and often look like something added on from a local accessories market. I also don’t like the fact that there is a LCD screen glowing on the dashboard every time I have to play the music or the radio or connect my phone to the car bluetooth system.

The very welcome tactile buttons on the dashboard of the Ciaz as opposed to the cumbersome and in-your-face touch screens.

Dual tone dash and interiors 

A big reason why the dash of the Ciaz, and the entire cabin for that matter, looks great is the 2 tone color finish. Suzuki has managed to get the right balance between beige and black for the dashboard. To add to that, there are facsimile wood finished on the dashboard as well as the armrests. That gives a classy touch. The dual tone extends to the door panels and the upholstery. The top Alpha variant of the Ciaz gets full leather seats, whereas the Zeta gets leather and fabric mixed. The Delta gets fabric seats. But all 3 models have beige upholstery. This makes the cabin feel bright and roomy.

The dual tone of the dashboard as well as the rest of the car really goes a long way in making the Ciaz cabin a premium place to be in.

I have sat in the Sports edition of the Ciaz that has all black interiors. I can tell you now that I would not have bough this car if the interiors looked like that. The difference is that tremendous. The issue withe most of the current cars is that they have started using black as the color for dashboard as opposed to a shade of grey that was used in earlier cars. This makes the cabin look darker and often calls out for some relief.

Classy wood finish door and dashboard trims.

Glass Area 

One of the most important qualities of a car cabin is how bright it feels. I am now talking about the amount of light that enters the car. This is directly proportional to the glass area. The Suzuki Ciaz gets big windows all around. And the window sill is not too high which means that you don't feel claustrophobic. If you are sitting in the rear seat you can turn your head as far as you can to the side and you will still be looking out of the glass area. The cut glass really extends the panorama of the rear windows. Good amount of light comes from the rear windshield which also has an in-build sun blind you can pull up for extra shade.

The really long and panoramic windows for the rear passengers of the Ciaz. 

Large windows brighten up the front of cabin as well.

Seating

A great car cabin needs to have comfortable seats. Most people that get into the Suzuki Ciaz for the first time get floored by the amount of leg room available. And rightfully so. There is seriously a lot of space in this car where both the front and the rear passengers can stretch their legs out… at the same time.

 

However, the under thigh support could have definitely been better. One cannot help but feel that some extra space has been carved out by cutting down the size of the cushion squab. I think everyone appreciates the seats where the seat can support your legs right till the back of the knees. That is missing in this car.

 

The seats are on a firmer side, which some will argue is a good thing. Firmer seats are supposed to give more support to your muscles over long journeys and as a result are less tiring. However, the Honda City seats are a pleasure to sink into. I don’t think there is any issue there about them being too soft for comfort.

 

I could definitely do with more cushioning and lumbar support in the driver’s seat.

 

Overall, one of the best rear seat experience I have had in any car.

 

The aces of leg room at the rear even with the front seats pushed all the way back.

The fabric and leather seats
of the the Zeta variant.

No problems with leg room in the front.

 

Air Con

The air-conditioning unit is an effective one as they are mostly on all Suzuki cars in the country. It is quiet and effective and come with rear floor vents for the passengers at the back. All vents can be completely shut off with the know given on the side. The car is equipped with auto climate control.

The controls knobs feel good and offer a good feedback in steps. The air flow can be controlled accurately in 7 stages. The only thing is that the clutch that engages the compressor can sometimes make a loud sound when it comes on.

The auto climate control AC HVAC
right under the music player controls.

AC vents that can be completely shut.

The Lighting 

You get rear and forward map lamps in the Ciaz. And they light up the car very well. They are easy to manage. The light itself is a button that can be pushed for instant illumination and also set to switch on when the doors open.

 

I recommend that yo set them for auto on when you are expecting some people to be getting into the car for the first time. Why? Because they make the car look amazing from the inside at night. Personally, I do not switch on the the auto on because I do not wish the car interiors and everyone inside to be lit and seen from outside every time any of the doors is open.

 

Another great touch is the footwell lamps. They glow amber and illuminate the floor area in the front. I always thought this was an extra and not really required. But I am surprised at how useful this feels now. Another reason why I don’t feel the need for the car lamps to switch on during ingress and exit from the car.

 

 

The leather wrapper gear selector in the Ciaz AT is one of the most well made ones we have come across in the automatic segment cars. It feels sturdy and upmarket.