Come Jan 13, Maruti will introduce the Ignis, a premium hatchback crossover with which the carmaker plans on attracting young car buyers. Competition for Maruti’s latest comes in the form of Mahindra’s quirky little KUV100. Let’s see how the spec-boxes of these two cars compare.
Exteriors
Both the cars have distinct approaches to their stand-out looks. Where the KUV100 relies on swooping, curvy elements, the Ignis uses a more upright, crossover-like stance.
Between the two, it’s the Ignis that is longer, both in overall length, and also in the wheelbase, which should give it an advantage in terms of legroom and space.
The Mahindra, however, is taller and wider, which should translate into better headroom and more space to fit in three people in the back seat. Not to forget that the KUV also offers the option of a bench seat up front, which allows you to seat a total of six people.
With 180mm of ground clearance, the Ignis sits slightly higher off the ground than the KUV100. This should give the Maruti that wee bit of an advantage at dealing with our broken roads.
Also, these mini crossovers are meant to manoeuvre through tight city spaces. And, here too, the Ignis has an advantage of a smaller turning radius of just 4.7 metre, which is just a smidge more than the Maruti Alto’s 4.6 metre.
| Dimensions | ||
|---|---|---|
| Maruti Ignis | Mahindra KUV100 | |
| Length (mm) | 3,700 | 3,675 |
| Width (mm) | 1,660-1,690(with body cladding) | 1,705-1,715(with body cladding) |
| Height (mm) | 1,595 | 1,635 |
| Wheelbase (mm) | 2,435 | 2,385 |
| Ground Clearance (mm) | 180 | 170 |
| Wheel Size | 175/65R15 | 185/65 R14, 185/60 R15 |
| Turning Radius (m) | 4.7 | 5.05 |
Engine and gearbox
Like the KUV100, the Ignis will also offer you a choice of petrol and diesel engines. Where the KUV100 uses Mahindra’s in-house developed 1.2-litre 82hp petrol and 77hp diesel, the Ignis will use Suzuki’s 1.2-litre K-series petrol and the Fiat-sourced 1.3-litre diesel. Both cars offer a five-speed manual gearbox as standard. However, the Ignis will also come with the option of an affordable AMT gearbox on both, the petrol and the diesel variants.
| Engine and gearbox | ||
|---|---|---|
| Maruti Ignis | Mahindra KUV100 | |
| Engine | 1.2-litre petrol, 1.3-litre diesel | 1.2-litre petrol, 1.2-litre diesel |
| Gearbox | 5-speed manual/AMT | 5-speed manual |
The Ignis is the third Maruti to retail out of the carmaker’s Nexa chain of premium showrooms, and also the most affordable one at that. Despite its premium positioning, the base petrol costs nearly the same as the KUV100 at Rs 4.6 lakh(ex-sowroom, Delhi). However, at Rs 7.80 lakh (ex-showroom) its range-topping diesel 'Alpha' variant is a good Rs 70,000 costlier than the fully loaded Mahindra KUV100. That said, unlike typical Marutis, the Ignis's appeal lies in the aspirational value it offers rather than its pricing. Check out our variant-wise price comparison between the Ignis and the KUV100 here.