The Maruti Suzuki Ignis has been launched in India and it's Maruti's first micro SUV or urban crossover and will be available with both petrol and diesel engines unlike the Vitara Brezza sub-compact SUV that is only available with a diesel. The Ignis will also be the first Nexa product to get an AMT gearbox which we've told you about with both engines and considering the fact that it will stand right next to the S-Cross and the uber cool Baleno, which has been one of Maruti’s best selling cars in the last few months, Suzuki has pulled out all the stops to ensure the Ignis is a striking vehicle. We tell you all about the exterior design and decode some details for you to tell you everything you need to know.
Also Read - Maruti Suzuki Ignis: First Look Review
The Ignis has a polarising design. While some love the tallboy look and the almost square stance, some might prefer a more conventional look like the one on the new Swift will soon get. That said, there are elements in the Ignis that do excite everyone and remind us of some Maruti Suzuki cars of the past. The Ignis gets a very large grille that reminds us of the first generation Maruti 800. In fact even its basic contours are quite similar to the SS80 – only inverted. The fact that the headlamp cluster is inset into the grille also harks back to the first 800’s design.
Maruti Suzuki Ignis: Front Design
The new grille though does feature a honeycomb design and the headlights themselves have a U-shaped LED daytime running light along with a projector headlamp setup. This headlamp though is only available on the higher spec variants and will not be available on the lower spec cars which will get a standard halogen bulb type reflector. The front bumper on the Ignis is quite simple and has vertical slats that divide it into three distinct sections. While the central section gets the registration plates, the two air intakes on each side have a circular fog light with a chrome bezel surrounding it.
Maruti Suzuki Ignis: Profile
The Maruti Suzuki Ignis from the side looks like a mix between a conventional large SUV and a cross-hatchback but without the plastic claddings spoiling the clean design. In fact, you can even term the Ignis almost retro in its design language and while it does not hark back to some legendary British or Italian hatchback of the 60s, it does have quite a bit history attached to it. Let's start with the most obvious design element. The thick C-pillar has a triple slat design that Suzuki calls the Progressive Triad. This is an homage to the tiny but extremely fun Suzuki SC100 or Whizzkid as it was called in some markets. The angled or sloping fastback design on the rear window is also a hark back to the same car that incidentally was a small two door, rear engined and rear wheel drive hatchback.
Maruti Suzuki Ignis: The C-pillar has a triple slat design
But the Ignis also has a fair few modern touches. For example, the flared out wheel arches are muscular and yet just slightly curvy enough so as to not give the Ignis a completely boxy look. The Ignis also gets a fender accent piece and side skirts in grey plastic adding to the slightly crossover look. And one of our personal favourite design elements - the blacked out 15-inch alloy wheels, a design trend that we do hope catches on quickly!
Maruti Suzuki Ignis: Rear
The Maruti Suzuki Ignis around the rear does show its height just a little bit but Suzuki has cleverly disguised the mass by adding a plastic design element in the rear bumper. The black plastic also gets two reflectors on each side that ties up the design. The rear hatchback by itself is quite well contoured and as we mentioned earlier, the windscreen is slightly raked which makes it look quite different from the usual upright designs. The tail lamps though could certainly have been a bit more attractive with maybe a LED lighting pattern to match the headlamps but they do offer excellent illumination.
Maruti Suzuki Ignis: Customisation Options
As with the Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza and the new iCreate website that lets you customise your car, the Ignis will also get a high degree of customisation options. To start off with, the Red and Blue colours will both be offered with a black roof and ORVM option while the blue will also be offered with a white roof and ORVM option. This has proven to be extremely popular with Brezza buyers and we expect it to be extremely popular with Ignis buyers too. Of course, this will only be available on the top of the line variants and future owners can instead opt for a set of different and rather funky wraps for any other variant too. Sadly though, like with the Brezza, the Ignis does not yet get a set of option alloy wheels but we will keep you updated if Maruti does decide to offer them as a dealer option.
Also Read: Maruti Suzuki's Grand Plans for 2017
Maruti Suzuki Ignis: It will be offered with a high degree of customisation options
If you want to know more about the Ignis, you can read this here which will tell you the 10 most important things you need to know about Maruti’s brand new car. Of course, the Ignis will be getting a petrol and a diesel engine and will also get AMT gearboxes in both engine options. The Ignis will be available in a range of variants and you can click here to know all about the launch and price of the new compact crossover from Maruti Suzuki.
