Maruti Suzuki Ignis - Which variant suits you?

The youngest member of the Nexa clan - the Ignis, is all set for a January 13 launch. Maruti Suzuki is aiming for the millennials with the hatch, which also explains why the launch will officially break cover with EDM artist Hardwell dishing out his biggest hits.

The hatch will be positioned below the Baleno, making it the most affordable car in the swanky Nexa showrooms. Let's take a closer look at the variants, and, more importantly, figure out which one suits YOU the best.

The Basics
To give you an idea of the proportions of the Ignis, let's compare it to the current Swift. It is exactly as wide as its sibling, is 65mm taller in height, but a full 90mm shorter in overall length. However, the wheelbase is slightly longer (by 5mm) compared to the Swift, which tells you how well Maruti Suzuki have packaged the Ignis.

Engines
Just like the Baleno, the Ignis gets Maruti Suzuki's tried-and-tested 1.2-litre (P) and 1.3-litre (D) engines. However, unlike its cousin that gets a CVT paired with the petrol engine, it gets a more cost-effective AMT. Notably, the Ignis is the first Maruti hatch to get a diesel automatic combination.

What's standard?
What do you get irrespective of the variant you choose? Well, first and foremost you get anti-lock brakes, dual airbags and ISOFIX mounts for the child seat across all trims. Other standard features include air conditioning, front two power windows, a 12V socket and tilt-adjust for the steering.

Sigma
The base-spec Sigma variant packs just the standard features, and is available with the petrol engine only. While it ticks the bare essentials, it misses out on a few good-to-have features such as remote locking, night-and-day internal rear-view mirror and 60:40 split for the rear bench. It won't look as snazzy as the Ignis you've been seeing in pictures either, as it will skip out on projector headlamps and DRLs, and have steel pressed rims (without wheelcaps) instead of alloy wheels.

Delta
The Delta variant lets you choose between the petrol and diesel engines, and manual/automatic transmissions. Over and above the Sigma, the Delta gets some added goodies that include ORVM-mounted indicators, dual-tone interiors, an audio system paired with two speakers, and steering-mounted controls for the calls and music.

Zeta
Just like the Delta, the Zeta variant can be had with both engine and transmission options. This variant is a healthy mix of the must-haves and feel-good features. Equipment list on the Zeta variant includes an additional 2 speakers and 2 tweeters, push-button start, electrically folding ORVMs and alloy wheels.

Alpha
The top-spec variant of course packs in all the bells and whistles imaginable. Features exclusive to the Alpha variant include LED projector headlamps with daytime running lamps, reverse camera, 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Android Auto, Apple CarPlay and Navigation, and automatic climate control.

What's the best bet for me?
We would have to wait for the official prices to be certain. However, let's revisit each to figure out which one makes the most sense for you.

For starters, the base-spec Sigma variant is tad too bare bones, and is sadly not available with the frugal diesel engine. It also misses out on a music system, which means you will have to shell out some more cash to listen to your favourite tunes. The Delta variant should be the one to pick if you need nothing more than a point-A to point-B commuter. The upside with this variant is the availability of both engine and transmission options. However, on the face of it, the Zeta variant does tick all the right boxes. The missing features aren't deal-breakers in any manner whatsoever. It is likely to be the value-for-money pick of the lot. That said, the Alpha variant does have a lot of special touches that make it quite a tempting package. What we aren't too pleased about, is the fact that the top-spec variant isn't available with an automatic transmission.

What's it going to cost?
Prices for the Ignis are likely to start around the Rs 4.5 lakh mark, and go all the way up to Rs 7 lakh. With that kind of pricing, the Maruti Suzuki Ignis will go up against the Mahindra KUV100. Bookings have commenced online as well as at Nexa dealerships. The variants look well-thought, and if priced right, the Ignis might just be the next big small thing from Maruti Suzuki.

Read Full Article On: www.cardekho.com