Maruti's upcoming premium urban hatchback, the Ignis, will be launched on January 13. E-bookings start in the first week of January.
Targeting the youth here, which is a market of around 450 million millennials or trendsetters, the Ignis – in line with its target audience -- will roll out at an EDM music concert. The Ignis concept car was first shown by Maruti Suzuki India at the Auto Expo 2016, along with the new turbo 1.0L Boosterjet direct injection engine that will power the Baleno RS, the sportier version of the Baleno hatchback. Similar to the Baleno, the Ignis will be the third car to be marketed through the premium Nexa outlets. The first was the S-Cross.
The Ignis comes with auto gear shift (AGS) technology that was a runaway success in the Celerio hatchback. The second-generation AGS will be on offer in both diesel and petrol variants of the urban car. The capacity of the AGS has recently been ramped up and has been localised, said CV Raman, executive director - engineering, Maruti Suzuki India.
The Ignis gets 180mm ground clearance and will be fitted with projector headlamps with LED DRLs, fog lamps with chrome inserts, daylight opening and black alloy wheels. The interiors are spacious with the dashboard available in dual tone (black and ivory) and is equipped with both Android and iOS compatible smartphone linkage display audio system (SLDA). This is new to a premium compact car. The SLDA looks like a tablet plugged to the car.
To meet the safety regulations that kick-in in 2017-18, the Ignis will come with dual airbags and ABS with EBD and also meet regulations for pedestrian safety, side and rear and offset norms. The car also gets ISOFIX anchorage, and a child restraint system. In addition, Maruti Suzuki will offer personalisation options in roof wraps and in the interiors like seats and trims.
The Ignis will be made at the Gurgaon plant where the Vitara Brezza is currently manufactured.
Raman said that Maruti will look at exporting the Ignis to South Asia and the South East Asian countries, though the focus is on the domestic market for now. He added that the company was evaluating the option of harnessing the 1.0L turbo Boosterjet engine in other models as well.
With the carmaker’s Gujarat facility going onstream in January, the Baleno will start production there easing the pressure on the plants at Manesar and Gurgaon.
“The entire production of the Baleno will slowly be shifted to Gujarat to make space for the new models, with rejigging of model production at both the plants. The Baleno RS will also be made in Gujarat,” said RS Kalsi, executive director (sales and marketing), Maruti Suzuki India. At present, the Baleno is touching 10,000 units sales per month as is the Vitara Brezza.