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The Steering

The steering is a very important component, not just for the obvious reasons. It affects the driving experience of the car a great deal. It makes a lot of difference to things like whether the car feel sluggish or agile. And a sharp, responsive steering is always a lot more fun to drive than a dull one.

Feel

The steering is not as light as the Honda city. The Honda city steering is very light that makes manoeuvring in the city and traffic easier. The Suzuki Ciaz steering is a little heavier and while independently it might not be an issue, if you ever compare it, you might feel a little dis-gruntled.
The  steering wheel is slim. Most people will want to put a cover on it. In fact the Ciaz’s kit comes with one. I typically don’t like the steering covers as they make the grip too big for my liking, perhaps because I have small hands.
I found the thickness of the Suzuki SWIFT steering to be just right. But the Ciaz steering wheel is slimmer than that. If your hands are anything other than perfectly dry the grip on the wheel will be a problem. However, with the kit steering wheel cover that they stitch on it before delivering the car to you, makes the grip becomes remarkably better.

Handling

This is where most people will have something to be dis-gruntled about. The steering is one of the most non-feeling one that I have ever driven. It feels numb. It takes away a lot from the excitement of driving this car. I think the manoeuvring would have been a lot more fun if the steering felt sharper and more responsive.

I don’t have a major problem with this but it is one of the TWO major changes I would like in the Suzuki Ciaz. One is the improvement in seat cushioning and lumbar support, and the other one is the STEERING. My impression of driving this car is effected a lot by how the steering feels. And that is sad. It is not the most agile steering you will find. I prefer the steering of the Honda City, Honda Brio, Suzuki SWIFT and Suzuki S-Cross. The S-Cross here deserves a mention. Try that car if only to know what a sharp and responsive steering should feel like. It’s a pity that the Suzuki engineers did not replicate the same here.
Many people will wonder why I bought this car when I praise many aspects of other cars as being better. It’s because of the overall package and the priority that I set on different aspects. We will get more in to that when we do a head to head comparison between the CIAZ and other cars.
The steering wheel makes a noise. I am not talking about noise from outside but somewhere in the steering assembly within the dashboard. It sounds like a rustling. I hope that this is normal. I guess I will find out during the first service, which is due now.
Overall, it’s not much of a deal breaker for regular driving. But I do miss a more active feel during driving. It adds a lot to the driving experience. People who drive a Suzuki SWIFT will know what I am talking about and what they are missing.

Ease Of Use

The design of the steering wheel is good. It has the right buttons in the right places, and the horn is not too far away from reach. You can even depress it with your forearm with the driving hand, if you know that trick. The buttons for the music control are good, and easy to manage without having to search for the right button.
The buttons for telephony are under the spokes and they too are easy to handle. The call receiving button is on the middle and slightly raised from the other two, so again, you know instantly just by the feel which button to press for taking a call and closing a phone call. Good job by Suzuki here.

The very practical and well designed steering wheel of Suzuki Ciaz. The audio and telephony buttons are well placed and easy to use.

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