India's largest car maker Maruti Suzuki is inching closer to the launch of its first compact crossover, Ignis. The urban car is scheduled for launch on January 13 and the company has started a teaser campaign on Nexa's website, which is dedicated for premium cars. Though there was no information on the powertrain so far, emerging reports confirm that there would be a diesel engine coupled with Automated Manual Transmission (AMT).
Ignis will debut in India with the 1.3-litre diesel engine developing 74bhp of power and 190Nm peak torque, reports Gaadiwaadi citing sources at Maruti Suzuki. The diesel mill will be mated to the choice of either five-speed manual transmission or a five-speed AMT box, the report adds.
Ignis' petrol variants are expected to draw power from in-line, four-cylinder 1197cc K-Series engine that also does duty in Swift hatchback. The mill is expected to churn out power output of 84bhp and 115Nm of peak torque mated to five-speed manual transmission.
Ignis features a boxy design yet it looks distinct from other small cars in India. It comes with rectangular headlights with integrated DRLs, a sharper front bumper that houses fog lamps and a honeycomb front grille. The flared wheel arches and 10-spoke 16-inch alloy rims with dark colour treatment add sportiness on the side profile. The massive C-pillar gets three stripes.
The compact crossover is expected to feature high-end Harman Kardon audio system and safety features such as ABS with EBD, airbags and hill descent control.
Maruti Suzuki Ignis is 3,700mm long, 1,660mm wide and 1,595mm tall. It comes with 2,435mm long wheelbase. This means Ignis is 25mm longer than rival Mahindra's KUV 100. Ignis is expected to get a price tag starting at Rs 5.5 lakh and bookings are expected to start from January 1.
