Maruti Suzuki Ignis likely to enter production by November end

Maruti Suzuki, the country's largest carmaker, is reportedly looking to begin the production of its upcoming crossover the Ignis in India towards the end of November this year. The Ignis was earlier expected to hit the assembly line in September.

The crossover, which was showcased at the Auto Expo 2016 in February, was expected to make its market entry during the festive season this year. However, a report of ET Auto said that the launch has been pushed to 2017 as the company has a huge backlog for its compact SUV the Vitara Brezza and the premium hatchback the Baleno.

Maruti will reportedly be looking clear the pending orders before the launch of the new Ignis. The Ignis is now expected to be launched in the country in early 2017. However, the powerful version of the Baleno -- the Baleno RS -- is believed to be on track for its launch. The Baleno RS is expected to hit the market this festive season.

The Ignis is the first compact crossover of Maruti Suzuki and is expected be priced in the range of Rs. 5 lakh to Rs. 7 lakh. Both the Ignis and the Baleno RS will be sold through Maruti's premium dealership Nexa in India. Currently Nexa has two offerings on its floors -- the S-Cross and the Baleno.

Maruti's current best-selling models like the Vitara Brezza and the Baleno has a waiting period of over eight months in the country now.