Maruti Ignis looks quirky, feels fresh and offers a distinct experience

Maruti Suzuki launched the Ignis targeting the youth in India with a design approach that lures millennials.

The USP of the Ignis is its funky styling inside out which is a love it or hate it design.

Maruti has introduced it through their premium NEXA chain to give it a special positioning amongst the sea of hatchbacks that they offer. The Maruti Ignis is an off-beat hatch which is positioned for a unique set of audience, writes Indian automobile website MotorBeam.com.

The Maruti Ignis comes with distinct styling that immediately catches attention, the crossover silhouette makes it a tall boy and the modern design language separates its identity from the regular Marutis.

It comes with LED DRLs and projector headlamps in the range-topping variant.

The side profile gets pronounced wheel arches with cladding and black alloys.

The C-Pillar gets a distinct kink with stylish indents to make it look sporty.

The interiors look fresh and won't remind you of its current siblings in the lineup.

The dual-tone dashboard with flat design looks European.

The infotainment system is a jutting out tab-like touchscreen unit and it comes with a range of connectivity options including Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

There is an integrated Navigation system too and it doubles up as a rear parking camera display.

There are cockpit style toggle switches for the AC settings.

Rear passengers get adequate legroom while headroom is very good even for tall passengers.

The boot space at 260-litres is quite spacious compared to the Maruti Swift.

Other features of the Ignis include keyless entry with push-button start, reverse parking sensors with camera, power folding ORVMs, projector headlights with LED DRLs, etc.

The Maruti Ignis is powered by 1.2-litre petrol and 1.3-litre diesel engines.

The petrol motor is quite fun to drive and the 81 HP unit offers strong mid and high-end performance making it a peppy car to drive.

The diesel powertrain has relatively less turbo lag compared to the Swift.

It is quite practical in traffic conditions but once you hit the mid-range, the strong performance is evident.

The diesel engine feels refined as NVH levels are excellent. Maruti offers 5-speed AMT with both petrol and diesel engine options.

They claim 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 in real-world conditions.

The Ignis offers well-matched ride and handling balance.

At slow speeds, the ride is good and comfortable but as you pick pace, the rear tends to bounce on undulations.

The high speed stability is excellent though and you don't feel nervous doing triple digit speeds.

The steering is light and doesn't provide accurate feedback.

The Ignis takes corners well but if you push hard around the corners, the tyres screech. Braking performance is good with ideal bite and it comes with ABS and EBD as standard across all the trims. You also get dual front airbags as standard.

The Ignis comes across as a unique car that looks quirky, feels fresh and offers a distinct 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 the Ignis is its crossover style and the premium experience of NEXA.

With a compelling package of design, practicality, feature loaded cabin and Maruti's renowned after sales, the Ignis makes a lot of sense to buy.

Powered by