The Maruti Suzuki Ignis was launched in India in January 2017 and has since been a popular especially amongst an urban audience. The Ignis was also the first offering by Maruti Suzuki to get petrol and diesel engines and both a manual and automatic gearbox on both engine options. That said, with premium pricing and the fact that it was available only at the Nexa showrooms meant that sales figures were not as high as expected. And now, according to Nexa dealers across the country, Maruti Suzuki has officially discontinued the diesel variant of the Ignis in India due to high prices and low demand. When contacted, a spokesperson at Maruti Suzuki said "The Ignis is country’s first premium urban compact vehicle for the millennials. Maruti Suzuki listens to customers’ demand and accordingly makes efforts to meet their evolving aspirations. Therefore, it is business prudence to keep the number of variants in line with customers’ requirements. IGNIS is retailed through Company’s premium NEXA channel and helps Maruti Suzuki in expanding its range and presence, with an eye on the future."
(The Maruti Suzuki Ignis won the Hatchback Of The Year award at NDTV Carandbike Awards 2018)
A dealer in Mumbai said, "We are not taking any bookings for the Ignis diesel model and this is essentially because of the low demand of the car with that fuel type." Similarly, a dealer in Chennai stated, "The diesel version of the Ignis costs close to 8 lakhs and that's a lot of money for a small diesel car. Hence, more customers are opting for the petrol variant as it has all the features." We also reached out to major dealers in cities like Delhi, Chandigarh, Kolkata, Pune and Bangalore and all have confirmed that the Ignis diesel has in fact been axed.
Also Read: 2018 NDTV Carandbike Awards: Maruti Suzuki Ignis Is The Hatchback Of The Year
Although it is uncertain as to whether the Ignis has been discontinued permanently or temporarily, the fact that the new Swift is now in the market and has been scorching sales charts could be one of the reasons Maruti has decided to pull the car from the market. Until now, the Ignis had offered a great alternative to buyers who wanted a fully loaded hatchback but did not want to buy something as large as the Maruti Suzuki Baleno. With the Swift taking up its rightful spot as the leader of the pack (and smaller than the Baleno) while offering as much tech as offered on the Ignis combined with the more palatable exterior design and more interior space, the Ignis now seems just a little pointless.
(The Ignis continues to be one of the nicest cars in the Maruti Suzuki stable)
Also Read: Maruti Suzuki Sells 4,830 Units Of The Ignis In January, 2017
That said, the Ignis continues to be one of the nicest cars in the Maruti Suzuki stable and offers funky crossover like looks along with a host of customization through the Maruti iCreate program. It also offers great dynamics and impressed our jury members last year at the 2018 NDTV Car And Bike Awards jury round and went on to win the '2018 NDTV Car And Bike Hatchback Of The Year Award'. Now would also be a good time to consider an Ignis diesel if you can get your hands on one as most mechanicals between the likes of the Ignis and other Maruti products are the same and Maruti still sells nearly 4500 units of the compact hatchback every month!
