Maruti Suzuki Ignis: What to expect

Marurti Suzuki Ignis, the compact crossover from the house of the country's largest carmaker, is believed to be in its final stages of preparation ahead of the launch in India. Maruti is expected to break the cover off Ignis in India early next year.

Ignis has been making headlines for quite some time now. The compact crossover, which made its India debut at the Auto Expo 2016, was initially expected to come to the market during the festive season. However, Maruti had to push the launch to 2017 as there are production constraints on current models like Vitara Brezza and Baleno. And to add to this, the latest we hear is that Ritz, the hatchback that was part of Maruti's line-up in India since 2009, has been taken off the assembly line to accommodate the new models. It is also being said that Ignis will show the doors to Ritz.

The upcoming Ignis will be sold through Nexa premium dealerships in India. Ignis will be the third model to go on sale through Nexa after S-Cross and Baleno. In India, Ignis will be pitted against Mahindra KUV100. The compact crossover will also challenge the likes of Ford EcoSport, Fiat Urban Cross and Hyundai i20 Active.

In terms of dimensions, Maruti Ignis is 3,700mm long, 1,660mm wide and 1,595mm tall. It comes with 2,435mm long wheelbase and offers a ground clearance of 180mm. As for features, expect it to pack high-end Harman Kardon audio system with Apple Carplay, smartphone connectivity and safety features such as ABS with EBD, airbags and hill descent control.

Expected to be priced starting at Rs 5.5 lakh, under the hood Ignis is likely to get 1.2-litre VTVT petrol engine and a 1.3-litre MultiJet diesel unit. Maruti is also said to be considering 1.0 BoosterJet turbo-petrol engine for Ignis and could also be available with Automated Manual Transmission (AMT) box. We also hear that Maruti may also introduce SHVS (Smart Hybrid Vehicle by Suzuki) technology for Ignis.

If Maruti launches Ignis with mild hybrid system, the crossover would benefit from Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of hybrid and Electric vehicles (FAME) scheme launched by the Narendra Modi government, which is offering incentives on electric and hybrid vehicles.