Maruti Ignis Discontinued In India, To Be Replaced By New Micro-SUV
Maruti Suzuki has silently discontinued the Ignis in India. The move follows a period of slow sales and low demand. Priced in the range of Rs 5.35 lakh- Rs 7.55 lakh, ex-showroom, the Ignis was sold through the carmaker’s NEXA premium retailer network. Maruti Suzuki is reportedly readying a new small SUV- a Punch-rival, which would possibly replace the Ignis in the near term.
Our dealer sources have confirmed that Maruti Suzuki has stopped the production of Ignis and that the car has been discontinued. It has, in fact, been over a month since the production officially came to an end. Dealers have stopped taking bookings for the car. Maruti Suzuki hasn’t, however, announced it officially and the model is still listed on the official NEXA website.
Maruti Suzuki first launched the Ignis in India in early 2017. It even got a facelift in 2020 which brought notable design updates to the tallboy hatchback. Of late, the facelift used to be offered in three broad trims- Delta, Zeta and Alpha. The Sigma variant which was previously available, was discontinued over time.
The Ignis used to offer a lot of features. You used to get the like sof a 7-inch ‘Smart Play’ touchscreen infotainment system with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, six-speaker audio, climate control, electric adjustment for ORVM and push-button start on the higher trims. Aircraft-styled ‘toggle type’ switches was a major highlight of this design.
Even the safety suite was quite decent. It used to come with ABS, EBD, ISOFIX mounts and airbags.
This hatchback used to be underpinned by the lightweight 5th generation Heartect platform. Powering it was a 1.2L naturally aspirated petrol engine, making 83hp and 113 Nm. This block did not have the ‘Dualjet technology’. Two transmission options were on offer- five-speed manual and five-speed AMT automatic (AGS, as Suzuki calls it).
The Ignis was quite fun to drive, offered good fuel efficiency, and was loved by many for its ‘unusual visual’ appeal. It had a polarising design. The last version that was on sale, used to come in seven colour options.
In the not-so distant past, Maruti Suzuki had rolled out multiple cosmetic updates and special editions (Radiance and Black) on the Ignis, which we now believe, may have been to clear the inventory.
Maruti Suzuki is working on a B-segment SUV, likely to arrive later this year or early next year. Currently codenamed Y43, the production form of this SUV will compete with models like the Hyundai Exter and the Tata Punch. The Punch currently has a strong foothold in this segment and will thus be its strongest opponent. Previously, Maruti Suzuki used the Ignis (essentially a high-riding hatchback) to compete with the Punch. The Y43’s production form will thus take the place of the now-discontinued Ignis, when launched.
The production-spec Y43 is expected to come with a 1.2L petrol engine, likely Dualjet equipped, and will sit below the Brezza in Maruti Suzuki’s portfolio. It will most likely be sold through NEXA dealerships.
Beating the Punch is now tougher than what it used to be a year ago. The recent facelift has given this micro-SUV a peppier turbo-petrol engine, addressing one of its biggest weaknesses- lack of proper punch! It is now much fun to drive and comes with a wide range of powertrain choices- naturally aspirated petrol, turbocharged petrol, electric and CNG. The powertrain direction that Maruti Suzuki would take with the Y43 remains unclear for now.