Suzuki Ignis gets 3 stars in Euro NCAP crash test; safety pack version gets 5 stars

Japanese carmaker Suzuki's compact crossover Ignis received 3-star rating in the Euro New Car Assessment Programme (Euro NCAP) crash test. The vehicle got 3 stars when tested with standard safety equipment while it got the maximum score of 5 stars when tested with a safety pack.

The base of the Ignis that was tested comes with four airbags and ABS as standard. It also gets seat belt load limiter, belt pretensioner, Isofix child seat mounting points at the rear, airbag cut-off switch and seat belt reminder. Euro NCAP report describes that the passenger compartment of the Ignis remained stable in the offset deformable frontal impact test. Dummy readings indicated good protection of the knees and femurs of the driver and passenger.

The top-spec SZ5 model with Dual Camera Brake Support (DCBS) has been awarded a five star rating in the tests. DCBS incorporates stereo cameras mounted on each side of the rear view mirror that function in a similar way to the human eye. The system can detect objects ahead, including pedestrians, and alert the driver, with full braking automatically applied, if necessary.

Ignis is one of the most anticipated small cars in India, which is expected make its market entry in early 2017. In India, the Ignis is expected without DCBS while airbags and ABS will be offered as standard. Under the hood, the Ignis is likely to get 1.2-litre VTVT petrol engine and a 1.3-litre MultiJet diesel unit. Maruti Suzuki is also said to be considering 1.0 BoosterJet turbo-petrol engine mated to an Automated Manual Transmission (AMT) box. The company may introduce SHVS (Smart Hybrid Vehicle by Suzuki) technology for Ignis.

The Ignis will be sold through Nexa premium dealerships in India. It will be the third model to go on sale through Nexa, after the S-Cross and Baleno. The Ignis is expected to get a price tag starting at Rs 5.5 lakh and it will be pitted against Mahindra KUV100.