Maruti Suzuki will be launching the Ignis crossover and Baleno RS hot hatch in 2016, around the festive season. Both the cars were showcased at the 2016 Auto Expo.
There were quite a few rumours that Maruti Suzuki has postponed the launch of both the Ignis and Baleno RS to next year as the waiting period of the Vitara Brezza and Baleno has swelled to such a level that the waiting period extends to over six months for certain variants. But India’s largest car maker will go ahead with the launch of both the Ignis and Baleno RS later this year, putting them on sale around the festive season.
The Maruti Ignis will rival a slew of vehicles as the crossover market is seeing a huge growth in demand. On the lower side, there is the Mahindra KUV100 and Toyota Etios Cross while on the upper-end, the Hyundai i20 Active, Volkswagen Cross Polo, and Fiat Avventura would be its competitors. The vehicle will be powered by a 1.0-litre BoosterJet engine which outputs 110 BHP of power while the 1.3-litre diesel motor too will do duty in the Maruti Ignis, producing 75 HP. Transmission options will be a 5-speed manual and AMT automatic.
India will be second country in the world to get the Ignis, the first is Suzuki’s home market Japan. The Baleno RS too will employ the 1.0-litre BoosterJet petrol powertrain and will be launched before the Ignis. It will lure enthusiasts to Maruti’s stable as currently the company doesn’t have a single performance variant on offer (the Ciaz RS only gets a body kit with no changes to the mechanicals). Both these models will be sold via the premium NEXA retail channel.
To address the high waiting period on its new cars, Maruti Suzuki will start rolling out vehicles from its Gujarat plant as early as next year. The Ignis will be priced between Rs. 6-8 lakhs while the Baleno RS will be the costliest variant in the Baleno line-up.
Maruti Ignis Launch
– Maruti Ignis will be launched post the Baleno RS
– Both the NEXA offerings will go on sale in 2016
– The Ignis will rival the i20 Active and Fiat Avventura
– The Baleno RS will compete with the Punto Abarth and VW Polo GT TSI
