Maruti Suzuki opens online bookings for soon-to-be-launched Ignis

Maruti Suzuki India has opened online bookings for the Ignis premium urban compact car, which is to be officially launched on January at an EDM concert on January 13.

The online booking has been introduced through the Nexa channel website www.nexaexperience.com. This is in addition to conventional booking options.

Set to go on sale as the most affordable model under the automaker’s premium Nexa dealerships, the Ignis will be available in four variants – Sigma, Delta, Zeta, Alpha – like other Nexa models and will make use of Maruti’s tried-and-tested 83hp, 1.2-litre petrol and 75hp, 1.3-litre diesel engines. Dealers are currently accepting bookings for the upcoming small premium hatchback against a payment of Rs 11,000. Most dealers are quoting a waiting period of roughly three weeks for the hatchback after its launch.

Engine details
As mentioned above, the Ignis will be powered by Maruti’s proven 1.2-litre petrol and 1.3-litre diesel engines. The petrol motor develops 83hp and 113Nm of torque and will be paired to a five-speed manual gearbox as standard with an AMT gearbox option also being available. The diesel develops 75hp and a meatier 190Nm of torque and will also be offered with the same gearbox options as the petrol.

Maruti claims ARAI fuel efficiency figures of 20.89kpl and 26.80kpl for the petrol and diesel engines respectively. Interestingly, the base Sigma will only be available with a petrol engine. The AMT gearbox option is only available on the mid-level Delta and Zeta trims.

Price and rivals
Maruti has been tight-lipped about the Ignis’ price, but considering that it will be sold through Nexa dealerships, a premium price tag of around Rs 450,000 can be expected. The Ignis will face direct competition from the Mahindra KUV100, while other indirect competitors include cross-hatchbacks such as the Mahindra KUV100, Fiat Avventura and the Hyundai i20 Active.

The launch of the Ignis, which will be manufactured at the Gurgaon plant, will be followed by that of the Baleno RS in February 2017.