The facelifted Maruti Suzuki Ignis is expected to be launched soon in India with notable cosmetic updates and BSVI petrol engine
Maruti Suzuki India Limited (MSIL) has been selling the Ignis since January 2017 and it arrived as a replacement to the Ritz with a more premium appeal and retailed from Nexa dealerships. Earlier this year, the largest carmaker in the country updated the Ignis with the inclusion of new safety features and other subtle revisions.
Currently priced from Rs. 4.79 lakh for the base Sigma variant, the range extends to Rs. 7.14 lakh (ex-showroom, New Delhi) for the top-of-the-line Alpha AMT in the Ignis. Compared to the previous model, Maruti Suzuki increased the prices between Rs. 9,000 and Rs. 13,000 in the domestic market.
Since late February 2019, the Ignis is retailed with a host of standard safety features such as dual front airbags, ABS (Anti-lock Braking System) with EBD (Electronic Brake-force Distribution), front seatbelt reminder, speed alert function, and reverse parking sensors. Additionally, the Alpha grade gained the new SmartPlay Studio infotainment system and was part of minor feature changes elsewhere.
The Ignis achieved one lakh unit sales in April 2019 and Maruti Suzuki has intentions to push it further as a brand new update is in the pipeline. This time around, the Ignis will get several notable cosmetic revisions. As per our sources, the facelift will feature a redesigned front grille section that has been showcased in the rendering.
In a similar fashion to the Vitara Brezza, the Ignis facelift will likely adorn U-shaped four ring design and it definitely improves the overall appeal of what is called as the urban hatchback. It will be accompanied by a modified lower bumper with silver skid plate and it could also be found on the rear. Other minor exterior changes cannot be ruled out either.
More importantly, the Indo-Japanese brand is expected to update the existing 1.2-litre VVT petrol engine producing a maximum of 82 bhp at 6,000 rpm and 113 Nm of peak torque delivered at 4,200 rpm to meet BSVI emission standards. It will be paired with a five-speed manual or a five-speed AMT.
It is worth noting that Maruti Suzuki has already upgraded the Alto 800 and Baleno to stick by BSVI norms, and recently the Swift and Wagon R using the same 1.2-litre petrol unit as the Ignis received similar compliance.