Ignis: A Game Changer for Maruti

Few cars have been awaited for with such anticipation as the Maruti Suzuki Ignis. Although nearly every single car ever sold by this manufacturer has met with success, the company left no stone unturned in its mission to ensure that the Ignis would go on to become a huge hit in the Indian vehicle market. The marketing and promotions for the Ignis before its launch was extensive and aggressive as well, with the launch itself being accompanied by an EDM concert performed by famed artist Axwell. And from the way things are going, it would seem as though things are working in their favour.

Maruti Ignis: Should you buy?

Let us face it. Cars like the Ignis are the future and the compact crossover is something that will only blow up within the next few years. Everyone wants an SUV or atleast something that looks like one. The Ignis then is a very important car and also one that is aimed at millennials (do not worry If you are not one, you can buy too..) . Understandably Maruti has gone big with this car with a huge EDM concert at its launch and what not but beneath the hype, how good is the Ignis? We drove both the petrol and diesel to find out.

For starters, the Ignis looks very funky and futuristic. The target audience for this car are youngsters, mainly millennials, and the Ignis seems to be tailor-made for a young age bracket. Details such as the contemporary headlight clusters with integrated LED daytime running lamps and the Suzuki progressive triad (a set of three diagonal gashes on the C-pillar and on the centre console inside the car) and sporty alloy wheels give the car a very modern and up-to-date appearance. Moreover, the Ignis does not serve as a replacement for any car, which is something Maruti is very keen to point out. Instead, they maintain that it is an entirely new vehicle from the ground up.

The Ignis is also extremely well built. The quality of materials used is far better than pretty much any other vehicle in its segment; and it feels upmarket as well, thanks to the excellent fit and finish. You do not come across any shared components from the Maruti parts bin inside the Ignis either. For an added level of personalisation that no other rival can offer, Maruti Suzuki will provide Ignis buyers with lots of different options and combinations to choose from, including roof wraps, interior accents, tailgate spoiler, and much more.

Best of all, prospective Ignis customers have a lot of flexibility as this hatchback comes in both petrol/diesel and manual/automatic options. As we mentioned earlier, the Ignis has the youthful customer in its crosshairs; and to appeal more to them, Maruti Suzuki has enabled the car to be booked even via a smartphone app.

It is not every day that you come across a car launch with such pomp and circumstance and with so much of a buzz surrounding it. As a result, this vehicle is nearly causing the Nexa dealership chain to burst at the seams with interested customers swarming in and has already received in excess of 10,000 bookings in the short duration it has been on sale. Prices for the car range between INR 4.59-7.80 lakhs (ex-showroom) and we feel that if you are in the lookout for a new car at this price point, you would be hard pressed to get a better package than the new Ignis.