Maruti Ignis to launch on 13th?

Maruti unveiled the Ignis concept at the 2016 Delhi Auto Expo with the promise of launching the vehicle in our market later in the year. Though it was rumored to be launched in 2016, Autocar India is now reporting that the car will only be launched on the 13th of January, 2017.

The Ignis, when launched will be the cheapest offering from Maruti’s premium Nexa outlet. The Ignis will be replacing the Ritz hatchback and will be marketed as a crossover, rather than a hatchback. The reason behind that is the high 180 mm ground clearance. This will be helped by the fact that the Ignis will be getting 16″ alloys on the top of the line variant, something that is not offered on any hatch in this price bracket. Though India won’t get the AWD version, the ground clearance shall certainly be useful given how bad our road conditions are in most places. Maruti has already cut the production of the Ritz and dispatched 0 units in November 2016. Sales training for the Nexa staff has already begun across the country for the arrival of the Ignis.

The Ignis is a funky looking little hatchback that will certainly create a stir in the market for its uniqueness. Its looks, both the inisde and outside will surely make it stand out among the current crop of hatchbacks on sale. The Ignis will be well equipped as well having Apple Car play, like all other premium Maruti vehicles. Powering the Ignis will be the 1.2 liter K-Series petrol engine and the tried and tested 1.3 liter Fiat sourced diesel engine. The Ignis may also be the first Maruti to feature the SHVS (mild hybrid) technology in petrol form as well. Both manual and automatic gearboxes are expected, but what is not sure is whether Maruti will use an AMT or a regular automatic.

The Ignis will take on the Mahindra KUV 100, which happened to open up a new segment in the market for so called micro SUVs. Though you cannot call either of them a SUV, they have the stance to be considered as a cross over.

Source: Link