Maruti Suzuki Ignis review. Funky, youthful new addition to Maruti’s family of hatches

It takes some doing to be at the top of the heap in the fifth largest automobile market of the world with a claim over nearly half the passenger car market. Maruti Suzuki's continued domination is partly due to the depth and variety of choice that is available in its portfolio. And much of that choice continues to be centred around small cars, the largest segment of passenger car market.

Like a consumer products company, Maruti Suzuki already has a range of small cars whose prices are set so close to each other that it confuses some buyers. But a wide choice never fails to draw more buyers into the fold. Joining that crowded portfolio of cars in the Rs 3 lakh to Rs 7 lakh price range is the new Ignis. That is one more Maruti small car with both petrol and diesel engine options.

Design The new Ignis is a global car from Suzuki built on a brand new modular platform. Evident even from the first glance, what is undeniable about the new Ignis is its unique character that really sets it apart from all the other cars in Maruti’s stable. But make no mistake; this is a small car from every angle. Despite any claims about its SUV-like nature, the Ignis is only a small hatch with tall-boy design. Yes, its stance is unique, sporty and practical.

Two features contribute to the crossover-like design and the larger-than-it-actually-is looks of the Ignis. The single frame grille and the over-sized wheel arches with extra cladding and wheels that look like they have literally stepped out of the side of the car. The thick C-pillar design with the curved tail-gate and stalked door mirrors also add that bit of crossover style to the Ignis. The front of the Ignis is the most expressive with the single frame grille outlined in chrome really elevating the first impression. Expressive LED headlamps with LED daytime running lights (DRLs) are enough to give this small car a perch at the top. A blacked-out A-pillar and a lightly curved roofline that is almost parallel to the road captures the Ignis’ tall-boy design, even though the side profile of the car is not the most flattering.

The rear of the Ignis is the most quirky part of its design. The thick C-pillar with the triangular section of the panel queers the design a bit. The shoulder line rises rapidly past the quarter glass and the panel also features the signature Suzuki Progressive Triad mark, which is basically a trio of stripes that break the monotony of the broad panel section. From a distance, the tail-gate seems like a two-piece unit with the rear glass seemingly sporting its own hinge, but it is actually a single combined unit. The tail-lamps are large split units, so replacement should be a relatively less expensive affair.

Cabin The funky, youthful design of the exterior gets carried into the cabin of the Ignis. Maruti Suzuki has gone to town with the Ignis’ millennials focus so much that the only recognisable trim in the car’s cabin is the familiar 3-spoke steering wheel. The rest of the cabin gets a unique new treatment that has been missing in previous Maruti cars. The dashboard is a lean, horizontal singular unit with multiple layers, giving it the floating dash concept. The dash also gets a dual tone – black and ivory – theme. The most dominant bits in the cabin are the steering wheel and the tablet-like infotainment system screen.

Depending on the trim variant, there are funky inserts and elements like the door grab handle in body paint colour, the carbon-fibre texture on aircon louvers and chrome surrounds and touches to some of the knobs and handles. The centre console in the top trim also gets the body colour finish and also carries forward the Triad design from the rear panel into the cabin. Top trim also gets push button start, phone connectivity through Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and Mirror Link, and a multi-function steering wheel. Despite the funky bits, the dashboard is still fairly Spartan overall. There is also a lot of plastic all around, though the impact is lessened by the fact that the quality and finish of material used is better than other Maruti’s older generation models. Seat squabs are soft and though they may be comfy during the commute in the city, it may get a bit tiring during long rides.

The space available in the cabin is better than in the Celerio and Wagon-R, but only by a small margin. The Ignis’ track is wider than the shoulder room in the cabin, due to its spread out stance. The tightly packed engine in the bonnet and the wheel at the extremes still allows the Ignis to offer a decent amount of legroom even for the rear passengers. Otherwise, it is dimensionally only marginally bigger than the Wagon-R. Boot space in the Ignis is about 260 litres with the parcel tray in place.

Performance The Ignis is offered with the same petrol and diesel engines that are currently on offer in the Suzuki Swift and some of the other models. So, the Ignis gets the same 1.2-litre K12 petrol engine and the same 1.3-litre DDiS 190 diesel engine. There are some minor variations to the state of tune. The petrol engine generates 61kW of peak power and 113Nm of peak torque. The engine feels much peppier in the Ignis than in other cars thanks largely to the lower kerb weight of this new model. Linear acceleration is excellent and the amount of low-end torque available should enable fairly comfortable slow speed driving in the city too.

The tried and tested DDiS 190 diesel engine offers 55.2kW of peak power and 190Nm of peak torque from a low 2,000rpm. Again there is a lot of low-end torque to work with right past 1,500rpm. The diesel is a tad bit noisier in the cabin, but in both powertrain versions, the NVH levels are really low. But, the diesel somehow feels more restrained than the petrol in the Ignis. Both the engines are offered with both a manual and an automated gear shift (AGS) transmission option. Gear shifts are smooth and clean in the manual and though there is mild shift shock based on demand in the AGS it is not too distracting. This the first instance of Maruti using AGS in the K12 engine.

The drivability of the Ignis is good for a small car. The suspension is very similar to the Baleno’s in terms of on-road feel and the steering is better than the over-light unit in the Celerio, though the Ignis is still not the most ideal. There are some more tech bits like intelligent battery management and low-rolling resistance tyres. But the most impressive addition to the Ignis is the call to make safety features like dual airbags, ABS and pedestrian protection as standard across variants.

Bottomline Starting off slowly with the Baleno, Maruti Suzuki has gone on to usurp and literally own the whole customisation/ personalisation trend in the affordable cars category. The Vitara Brezza that came last year and the new Ignis now are also perfectly suited to benefit from this trend. The contrast roof, the blacked out pillars, the sporty decals, the coloured alloys and the myriad variations for the cabin trim have altered the landscape of the premium small car and the Ignis looks set to extend the gains for Maruti. Inherently, Indian buyers seek individuality even more than buyers in other markets and so, the Ignis could ignite the trend all over again.

It certainly is going to only help that Maruti Suzuki has also decided to offer the Ignis at an extremely competitive (albeit introductory) starting price of ₹4.59 lakh.

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