Maruti Suzuki Ignis

When Maruti Suzuki launched the Ignis in 2017, it was brought in as a car to win over millennials. While Gen Zs now form the younger generation, the Ignis remains a unique car choice nearly a decade down the line. It’s one of the few cars that follows the typical Japanese domestic market (JDM) philosophies of car design which is as unique as it is polarising.

I’ve driven the Ignis in its different versions through the years. While it isn’t a car for everyone, it is a fun option that has some sensibility to it as well. Here’s a detailed review.

In terms of design the Ignis isn’t playing safe. What’s sure to catch everyone’s eye is how it looks from the front. The wide single frame grille that houses the headlamp units grabs attention right away. The U-shaped DRLs around the headlamps give a sense of modernity and richness complemented by a four slat front grille. There used to be a round chrome housing for the fog lamps that I wish Maruti didn’t remove while updating it.

The Ignis also appears to be born out of an SUV-hatchback marriage, after all the lines leading up to the bonnet aren’t flowing lines, instead fairly sharp. The high bonnet line and the flat hood add some more SUV-flavour to the Ignis. A small rubber strip on the bonnet reminds us of Suzuki’s SUV heritage as this detail harks back to the original Suzuki Vitara. 

Walk around, and the Ignis masks its short 3700mm length effortlessly. It’s compact, and therefore squeezes into tight parking spots easily. When viewed from the side the Ignis’ design looks well balanced and doesn’t end in an abruptly chopped rear end. 15-inch wheels fill the wheel wells beautifully.

Thankfully, Maruti Suzuki hasn’t overdone the plastic cladding to make the Ignis look butch. However, the unusually designed rear quarter will split opinions.

The Ignis is appealing and unmistakable from the front and the side, but, sadly, while the rear is distinctive it isn’t appealing. The boot is dead flat, and the boot-lid design is too busy for my liking. The plastic treatment on the rear bumper is practical, and makes a strong connection to the another controversially-styled Maruti, the Ritz.

Maruti Suzuki has been consistent in keeping things quirky, as even the interior is out of the ordinary. The tall roof and wide opening doors mean getting in and out is easy. Every switch is laid out ergonomically and you quickly feel familiarised with the cabin.

It’s intriguing how a car aimed at the tech-savvy generation is also senior citizen-friendly. The black-off white dashboard has a unique shape, and you sort of look down upon it like you would in a traditional SUV. The instrument cluster is minimalist, but informative enough and a peculiar touch is the speedometer, which looks like it’s been borrowed from a motorcycle.

A shortcoming, though, is that the cabin doesn’t feel premium. The doorpads, for example, are very thin, flex too easily and don’t belong in a car that costs over Rs 7 lakh on road at least. The quality of plastics on the dashboard also feels flimsier than we would have liked. And, while the Alpha grade gets airplane cockpit-styled switches for the automatic climate control, the Zeta only gets manual air-conditioning, the console of which awkwardly juts out of the dashboard.

The Ignis is high on style and the doors get metal-finished door handles that are chunky and funky. The doors appear heavier compared to other Maruti Suzuki hatchbacks of the Ignis’ size but don’t expect them to shut with ‘the thud’ that we love to hear on the Germans.

Front Seats

The front seats are well contoured, offer decent under-thigh support, and hug you comfortably.

View out is clear and the dashboard isn’t too sweeping as well, unlike most modern hatchbacks; so those with a shorter frame would get a decent view up-front, even on the variants that don’t offer driver seat height adjustment.

Rear Seats

The Ignis’ cabin is best suited for four people, although you can squeeze in a fifth passenger in the rear seat as well. The space available is best-suited for a 5.10ft tall passenger to sit behind someone of the same height. The seat cushioning is on the softer side which bodes well for city comfort, though, a bit more firmness would’ve made it better for inter-city trips.

Storage Options

All the door pockets can hold a 1-litre bottle while the front door pockets also have a narrow space to hold slim items like a newspaper or cleaning cloth.

There are two cupholders up front, a storage area in the centre console for your phone and a shallow tray underneath the handbrake. Rear passengers get a single bottle holder in the middle and a seatback pocket behind the front passenger’s seat.

Charging Options

The Ignis only gets a 12V socket and a USB type-A port up front.

Features

The features-list of the Ignis ticks the basics. While it does get some good tech, in today’s context, it isn’t feature-loaded nor is it bare-boned.

Opt for the range-topping Alpha variant and you have features like auto AC, LED projector headlights and the 7-inch SmartPlay Studio touchscreen infotainment system, complete with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. The infotainment system is also offered with the Zeta variant.

The 2-DIN radio of the lower variants gets Bluetooth and AUX connectivity, but the system itself feels outdated. Even the six-speaker sound system should have offered better audio quality for a car that’s aimed at young buyers, for whom, entertainment systems are of great importance.

Safety features include dual front airbags, ABS with EBD, rear parking sensors, ISOFIX child seat mounts, ESP and a rear parking camera. The Ignis was crash tested by Global NCAP in 2022 where the car scored just 1/5 stars for safety.

The rear seat doesn’t fold flat, but does split 60:40 and the 260-litre boot is standard fare for the segment, though the loading lip is quite high. The space available is adequate for 2 cabin trolley bags or one medium-sized suitcase.

The Ignis was once available with both petrol and diesel engine options but is now a petrol-only car. 

1.2-litre Petrol

City Performance

Maruti’s K-series 1.2-litre petrol engine has proven its mettle as an engine that’s refined, efficient and peppy. That nature remains fortunately untouched. Throttle response is immediate and while it is quick to rev, there’s enough performance offered to quickly get to city speeds even below 2,500rpm.

Apart from the engine’s great driveability, credit for this goes to the light weight of the car (petrol Ignis weighs no more than 865kg). The light weight, in no small part, also contributes to the great fuel efficiency. Depending on traffic you can get 14-15kmpl from this car in the city.

Credit where it’s due, Maruti has shown that it knows how to engineer its automated manual transmission equipped cars just right. The Ignis’ creep function works perfectly in bumper to bumper traffic, though, if you’re on an incline, especially while reversing, be sure to keep the handbrake handy.

The gear changes are quite smooth by AMT standards. Upshifts/downshifts are noticeable, even at low speeds, but it’s nothing unexpected. You can adapt to its behaviour quickly, even if you’re new to automatic transmissions. The driver and powertrain chemistry will form quickly. Additionally, not only is it responsive when you want a quick downshift, it also revs up/blips the engine automatically before the gear change to reduce engine wear and smoother acceleration. Even the manual mode works very well, though, the gearbox really is intuitive enough already.

Highway Performance

On the highway, the Ignis is quick till 80kmph, but from 80 to a 100kmph, the acceleration becomes slow. At cruising speeds, overtakes won’t be an issue, but beyond the speed of 80 kmph, overtakes will require some planning. Thankfully, the engine is quite rev happy and even when you have to push it, vibrations and harshness are well-controlled even when the engine gets louder.

On the upside, this engine will give you a fuel efficiency of around 20kmpl on the highways, and even more if you’re just cruising at 80 to 90 kmph.

The car’s suspension setup is quite sporty and the low speed ride quality has a stiff edge to it. Stability is never an issue and you can take most road imperfections on by simply darting right through them. Bigger potholes will make their presence felt, but even if you hit one hard, the suspension remains fairly silent. 

The steering is an absolute gem. It’s light enough for city use, but is direct, well-weighted and changes direction like a go-kart! There’s not much feedback, but it’s not an experience dampener. The brakes offer good bite and our tests saw a 100-0kmph distance of just under 44 metres. That said, panic braking at high speeds did see the car get a little unsettled, which can be attributed, in parts, to the low-roll resistance tyres.

• The Maruti Ignis comes in four variants: Sigma, Delta, Zeta, and Alpha.

• All variants except for the base get an AMT powertrain option.

Sigma

• Bare bones base variant with 15-inch steel wheels, halogen headlamps, body coloured door handles, and body coloured ORVMs.

• The cabin gets an all-black theme with dual-tone black and brown fabric upholstery, and brushed aluminium elements on the steering wheel, door grab handles and around the centre console.

• Features include front power windows, tilt adjustable steering wheel, and manual AC.

• Its safety kit has dual-front airbags, ABS with EBD, electronic stability program (ESP), ISOFIX child seat anchors, and rear parking sensors.

Delta

• This is the entry-level AMT variant.

• Gets wheel covers, roof rails, rear spoiler, and ORVM mounted indicators as part of exterior upgrade.

• The cabin becomes more premium with a dual-tone dashboard, Nexa Blue accents, and subtle chrome and carbon-fibre-like inserts.

• Feature additions include bluetooth connectivity, 2 speakers, steering mounted controls, keyless entry, electrically adjustable ORVMs, rear power windows, and rear adjustable headrests.

• The only major addition in the safety kit is hill hold assist, which is limited to the AMT variant.

Zeta

• This variant gets top-spec styling with 15-inch alloy wheels, chrome inserts on the grille, and front fog lamps.

• No cosmetic changes in the cabin.

• Gets a 7-inch touchscreen, wired Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, 6-speakers, push button start/stop, and auto folding ORVMs.

• The safety kit gets a rear defogger and a rear wiper.

Alpha

• No changes to the cabin but the exterior gets LED projector headlamps, LED DRLs, and puddle lamps.

• Only feature additions are automatic climate control, rearview camera, and a height adjustable driver seat.

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• If you’re on a budget, we’d recommend the one-above-base Delta variant as it gets all the basic features along with a more premium looking cabin. This variant also offers the option of an AMT powertrain. You can keep some money aside for an aftermarket infotainment system.

• You can go for the Zeta variant as it offers the most value for your money. It gets the styling of the top-spec variant and has a good feature package as well. Compared to the top-spec variant, it only misses out on a few features, and if you can live without them, the Zeta variant will be a good option. 

Since Maruti Suzuki is targeting younger buyers with the Ignis, the car needs to score heavily on a lot of aspects, starting with the looks. The Ignis looks certainly like no other car on the road -- it’s attention grabbing and does a great job at it until it turns its face away from you. If you can live with it, the rear design is the biggest compromise you’ll make for this car’s visual appeal. To cover up, you have a plethora of personalization options available as manufacturer accessories and the kitted-up Ignis certainly looks the part.

On the inside, things are funky and modern with exterior colour coordinated elements to jazz up the cabin. The cabin is spacious and comfortable, although maintaining it over time will require effort thanks to the light beige-black interior theme. Overall, the Ignis is a fun to drive and distinctively designed option that isn’t especially feature-loaded but can be considered by buyers who want something quirky which also happens to be sensible.

Other Cars To Consider

Maruti Suzuki Swift

Reasons to consider

• More features including safety features

• Better interior quality

Reasons to ignore

• 3-cylinder engine isn’t nearly as refined

Tata Tiago

Reasons to consider

• Better crash safety rating

• Better interior quality

• Better infotainment package

Reasons to ignore

• Cabin isn’t as spacious

• Tata’s inconsistent service experience