Maruti Suzuki Ignis caught testing again; mini-crossover to be launched in early 2017

Maruti Suzuki showcased the Ignis concept, its first compact crossover, at Auto Expo 2016. The launch was scheduled for the festive season, but the capacity constrains have pushed the launch to early next year. In the meantime, the company continued testing prototypes on roads under camouflage. A latest spy shot was taken when the crossover was on test near Delhi.

The test mule is seen hiding under thick black camouflage. Ignis has made a number of appearances on the internet through spy shots and leaked images before and after its debut at the expo, with the last one being the model in its fully revealed form.

Ignis will be the next premium offering of Maruti Suzuki to be sold via Nexa premium dealerships. The car will feature LED daytime running lamps (DRLs), 180mm high ground-clearance, flared wheel arches and a wide C-pillar on exterior. The interior will boast of high-end Harman Kardon audio system that will offer smartphone integration, voice-recognition function and navigation. Ignis will be the first product to get this high-end system in Maruti Suzuki's stable.

Maruti Suzuki Ignis is 3,700mm long, 1,660mm wide and 1,595mm tall. It comes with 2,435mm long wheelbase. This means Ignisi is 25mm longer than its rival Mahindra KUV 100, but is less wide than KUV 100's 1,705 mm at 1,660 mm. Safety features will include dual airbags, ABS with EBD, hill descent control and reverse camera with parking sensor.

Under the hood, the crossover is likely to get a 1.2-litre VTVT petrol engine and a 1.3-litre MultiJet diesel unit. We also hear that Maruti Suzuki is considering a 1.0 BoosterJet turbo-petrol engine for Ignis that could be available with Automated Manual Transmission (AMT). Price for the crossover is expected to start from Rs 5.5 lakh.