Maruti Ignis Review
Car Tested: 2017 Maruti Ignis; Road Test No. 777; Test Location: Chennai
Price OTR Mumbai: Rs. 5.49 – 9.51 lakhs
The Maruti Ignis is a modern hatch with crossover silhouette that appeals to the youth
Maruti Suzuki had one of the hottest exhibits at the 2016 Auto Expo, where they showcased the Ignis. The off-beat styling with a crossover-esque design grabbed a lot of eye balls. After waiting for a year, the Ignis has been finally launched with a range of engine and transmission options along with highly customisable trims. The Indo-Japanese carmaker is targeting the millennial youth audience with the Ignis and retailing it via their premium NEXA dealerships across the country. What’s the hype all about? We find out in our test drive in Chennai.
Motor Quest: The Maruti Ignis is a first of its kind hatchback with crossover styling based on a new global platform of Suzuki. Although Maruti themselves have a few hatchbacks cannibalising the Ignis, the carmaker is targeting a different audience with their latest product.
The crossover inspired styling is evident from the side profile
Exteriors – The biggest USP of the Maruti Ignis is its distinct styling that immediately catches attention on the road. The crossover silhouette makes it a tall boy while the modern design language separates its identity from the regular lot of Marutis. The front profile is clean yet attractive with the wide grille extending towards the headlamps. The LED DRLs are wrapped around the projector headlamps that illuminate the road very well, there are no halogen lights. The bumper looks sporty integrating the fog lamps in chrome housing.
The rear profile of the Maruti Ignis looks quirky
The crossover styling of the Ignis stands out with unique design elements
The side profile is dominated by the pronounced wheel arches with cladding and contrasting black alloys. Furthermore, the straight bonnet along with a high roofline and flat rear profile makes it look like a pseudo SUV. The C-Pillar gets a very distinct kink with stylish indents that might remind you of the Adidas logo, it looks sporty. Now the rear profile of the Ignis has got a “love it or hate it” design. Though looks are subjective but we like the classic touches of the squared out tail lights and the heavily cladded rear bumper. The Ignis also comes with dual tone colours like the Vitara Brezza. Also, you can customise the roof with different wraps.
The flat design dashboard and the new steering wheel look fresh
Interiors – The distinct nature of the Ignis continues on the inside as well. The interiors look fresh and are not inspired with its current siblings in the lineup. The dual-tone dashboard with flat design looks very European and minimalistic. The 3-spoke steering wheel is all-new with integrated audio and Bluetooth controls, it feels good to hold. Behind the steering is a new instrument cluster which is easy to read and looks modern with neat dials and a sizeable multi-information TFT screen displaying outside temperature, time, average and instantaneous fuel efficiency, drive range, doors open/close status, trip metres, ODO metre, etc.
The infotainment system consists of a jutting out tab-like touchscreen unit that adds to the aesthetics of the interior. The user interface is the same as the other Maruti cars and it comes with a range of connectivity options including Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. There is an integrated Navigation system and the screen also doubles up as a display for the rear parking camera. Audio quality is very good and connecting via Bluetooth is an easy task. However, the tab-like screen only comes with the range topping Alpha variant. You won’t get this display with the AMT’s top variant (Zeta) that comes with a regular audio system with Bluetooth connectivity and a small screen. You also don’t get auto climate control in the Zeta variant.
The seats are comfortable and the cabin offers adequate space
The Ignis has a roomy cabin with simple yet classy design that is practical too
Another distinct touch in the centre console are the cockpit style toggle switches for the AC settings, very sleek. The switches feel tactile and the overall build quality, fit and finish is good. There are a lot of storage spaces in the cabin. All doors get bottle holders including rear that have half litre bottle storage. The driving position is good, outward visibility is great and confidence inspiring while the ergonomics are spot on.
The tight boot space is a bit of a compromise in the Ignis
The cabin feels roomier than the Swift since it has a flat dashboard that scoops out some space up front. The rear passengers get adequate legroom while head room is excellent even for the tall passengers since it has a tallboy design. The under-thigh support is lacking though for tall passengers and three adults at the rear is a tight fit. The boot space at 260-litres is much more spacious than the Maruti Swift. Some of the other features include keyless entry with push button start, reverse parking sensors with camera, power folding ORVMs, projector headlights with LED DRLs, etc.
The 1.2-litre petrol engine is peppy and loves to redline
Performance – Powering the Maruti Ignis are the tried and tested 1.2-litre K-Series petrol and 1.3-litre DDIS diesel engines. The petrol engine is quite fun to drive and loves to be revved. The 81 HP motor offers strong mid and high-end performance making it a peppy car to drive. The diesel engine has relatively less turbo lag compared to the Swift. It is very practical in city traffic conditions and once you hit the mid-range, the strong pulling performance is very much evident. The torquey oil burner with a light clutch makes it a tractable engine. The diesel engine feels very refined as NVH levels are excellent.
The diesel engine has controlled lag and strong performance
The petrol engine loves to be revved while the diesel offers strong performance
Maruti is offering 5-speed AMT with both the petrol and diesel engine options. We drove the diesel AMT. Yes there is that typical AMT lag between shifts but it’s not bad at all at this price for automatic transmission convenience. If you switch to the manual mode, you can extract better performance from the engine if the shifts are timed well. Maruti claims 20.89 km/l for the petrol and 26.80 km/l for the diesel engine, you can expect around 16 km/l and 20 km/l respectively in real world conditions.
The handling is predictable and the Ignis feels eager to corner
Driving Dynamics – The ride and handling balance of the Ignis is well matched. The slow speed ride is good and comfortable but as you speed up, the rear tends to get a bit bouncy on undulations. However, the high speed stability is excellent and even with a light body, you don’t feel nervous doing triple digit speeds. The steering is too light and doesn’t provide enough feedback. The Ignis takes the corners decently well but if you push it hard around the bends, the tyres tend to screech. Braking performance is good with the ideal pedal bite and the Ignis comes with ABS and EBD as standard across all the trims.
Maruti is offering safety features as standard across all trims
Safety and After Sales Service – Maruti Suzuki has taken a step forward in terms of safety. The carmaker is offering ABS, EBD and dual front airbags as standard across all the trims of the Ignis. The Ignis is being retailed through the premium network of NEXA dealership which is rapidly growing across the country. The after sales service of Maruti is known to be the best in the business with low cost of maintenance and the same is expected with the new Maruti Ignis.
The Ignis comes with an attractive package that appeals to the youth
Verdict – After driving the Ignis we got to see a new dimension of Maruti. Usually the carmaker plays it safe when it comes to styling or interiors. The Ignis has come across as a distinct car after a long time that looks quirky, feels fresh from the inside and offers a different experience to the Indian customer in terms of customisation for a car that’s meant for masses. At this price point you get many cars from Maruti itself but what really defends Ignis is its crossover style and the premium experience of NEXA. The well rounded packaged of the Ignis actually appeals to more people than the millennials.
You can customise the Ignis with a range of roof wrap options
What’s Cool
* Quirky and modern styling offers good presence on the road
* Highly customisable exteriors with an array of roof wrap options
* Classy interior design, flat dashboard looks neat and premium
* The tab-like touchscreen infotainment system is the party piece
* Both diesel and petrol engines offer strong performance while being fuel efficient
* Standard ABS and dual front airbags across all variants
What’s Not So Cool
* No touchscreen infotainment unit in the AMT variants
* Not very aggressively priced
Alternatives: Hyundai Grand i10, Ford Figo, Tata Tiago, Mahindra KUV100
The Ignis is being retailed via the premium NEXA dealerships
2017 Maruti Ignis Specifications
* Engine: 1197cc, VVT, 16V, 4-cylinder | 1248cc, DDIS, 16V, 4-cylinder, Turbocharged
* Power: 83 PS @ 6000 RPM | 75 PS @ 4000 RPM
* Torque: 113 Nm @ 4200 RPM | 190 Nm @ 2000 RPM
* Transmission: 5-speed MT, 5-speed AMT
* Fuel Consumption: 16 km/l | 20 km/l
* Fuel Type: Petrol | Diesel
* Suspension: McPherson Struts (Front), Torsion Beam (Rear)
* Tyres: 175/65/15
* Brakes: Discs (Front), Drum (Rear), ABS
* Safety: Dual front airbags, ABS, EBD
2017 Maruti Ignis Dimensions
* Overall length x width x height: 3700 mm X 1690 mm X 1595 mm
* Wheelbase: 2435 mm
* Ground clearance: 180 mm
* Turning radius: 4.7-metres
* Fuel Tank Capacity: 32-litres
The Ignis offers a unique experience, unlike any Maruti