What to expect from the India bound Maruti Suzuki Ignis

Words by Yash Sunil

Maruti Suzuki is expected to launch its new crossover, the Ignis next month and will be sold via Maruti Suzuki’s exclusive Nexa showrooms. The production model of the Ignis was showcased at the 2015 Tokyo Motor Show and was originally codenamed the iM-4.

As the Ignis launches, here are four things you ought to know about it:

1. Looks

The Ignis looks rather smart with a bold front design, never seen on a Maruti Suzuki earlier along with smart, rectangular headlights with integrated DRLs, a sharper and chiselled front bumper that houses the fog lamps and a honeycomb front grille. The side profile of the vehicle maintains the masculine body line with the flared wheel arches and quirky 10- spoke 16-inch alloy rims. The massive C-pillar gets three stripes (similar to the Adidas logo?) integrated with a rear-end that reminisces of its larger sibling, the Vitara Brezza and is the only section that looks out of place on an otherwise particularly odd-looking car.

2. Engines

It is speculated that the Ignis, when it comes to India will come with the same engines that are currently available in the popular premium hatch, the Baleno. A 1.2-litre K10 petrol engine that makes 83bhp of power and 115Nm of torque and a 1.2-litre diesel engine sourced from Fiat with a fixed geometry turbo that makes 74bhp and 190Nm. The Ignis is also speculated to get a 1-litre VGT petrol engine, which is expected to power the soon-to-be-launched Baleno RS. Similar to Ford’s Ecoboost engine, the Boosterjet engine is expected to be easy on the environment with low fuel consumption. Expected figures for the engine are as follows: 112bhp and 175Nm of torque. Once launched, the Ignis Boosterjet will be one of the most powerful cars in its class.

3. Interiors

As the Ignis is going to be a premium offering, expect it to be fully loaded, just like the Baleno. The dashboard is sporty and gets minimal elements. The climate control functions are located on a spirally mounted panel that has several buttons along with the display. The gearbox console is practical, just like every other Maruti Suzuki and gets truckloads of cubbyholes. The instrument cluster is sporty, with a large speedo headlining the unit. Overall, the interiors are tuned for sportiness. Being a tallboy, expect the headroom to be decent for a car of its size.

4. Safety

The Maruti Suzuki Ignis comes with a driver and passenger airbags as standard and received a 3 star safety rating at the crash tests conducted by NCAP. The hatch also comes with an optional safety pack which includes a radar guided lane assist system and an autonomous pedestrian warning system, with the optional system fitted the car performs brilliantly receives a 5 star NCAP rating. But at the moment Maruti Suzuki haven’t disclosed if the India bound hatch will be offered with the optional safety kit.

Once launched, the Ignis will go up against the likes of Hyundai i20 Active and Fiat Avventura to a certain extent. Currently, the SUV market has been booming as the never ending demand for this muscular and more practical type of cars is in vogue. With no direct competitors, Maruti Suzuki already has a winner in its hands.