BMW ups the game with the 8 Series Concept

Concept cars are great mediums for car manufacturers to showcase their R&D efforts towards the various aspects of producing a car. The various aspects of car production or the various departments aiding toward final deliverance of a production ready car are – Design, Technology, Mechanical expertise (engine, powertrain related), alternative fuel based systems (hybrid, electric etc.). Many a time a concept car does not completely materialise as a finished product offered for purchase to the customers. But that’s is a given, as the objective of a concept car is not to increase sales but to showcase a future path for the car manufacturer and to act as a statement of intent by showcasing its manufacturing capabilities. Concept cars have throughout pushed boundaries of various car design aspects. Most of the times a concept car will be a precursor to the other future range of cars for the market or as an evolution of design language.

  BMW recently unveiled its 8 Series concept car. Hold on…. the 8 Series has not been launched yet this is again just a concept! There are many cars which bring to light the notion of love at first sight. The BMW 8 Series concept is one of them! To sum up the car in a few words – an illustration of sheer excellence and beauty. Concept cars are designed in a very radical, unorthodox and futuristic manner. They come across as bold, energetic, evolutionary, advanced and years ahead in the future. But the 8 Series concept is not your regular concept car. At first glance, it is a very clean car with respect to sculpture and design. There are very few lines on the car and clearly, BMW has emphasised more on car sculpture. The Mercedes-Benz S-Class; arch rival of the BMW 7 Series already has a coupe and a cabriolet variant. Since a long time, BMW has been searching for a good coupe and cabriolet car in the mould of the flagship 7 Series. They seem to have found a superb solution with the 8 Series. The 8 Series is in all essence going to be the coupe variant of the 8 Series. The official confirmation will have to wait until the unveiling of the production version of the 8 Series in September. BMW has done a fabulous job of integrating styling cues and elements from within its model ranges. Styling cues from the 6 Series, i8 and the all-important Vision Next 100 concept car are quite evident. The L-shaped tail lamps are just the icing on the cake! Well, no BMW can be completed without its distinctive kidney grille. The 8 Series gets a beautifully designed, large, conjoined kidney grille – a first for any BMW car. Being a car to continue the flagship heritage, the 8 Series will share a lot of engine and powertrain options as well as features with the current 7 Series. Expect the car to have a lot of space for both passengers as well as their luggage. Though BMW has not given any information on technical and mechanical details for the 8 Series, it is safe to assume that there will be a hybrid or electric variant of the car.

Yes, it did take BMW 19 years to revive the 8 Series, but it has been surely worth the wait. They have gone on to showcase one of the most spectacular concept cars in recent memory. BMW has certainly upped the game with the 8 Series!  

2017 Maruti Suzuki Dzire - The Urban Legend Is Back In a New Avatar

The Maruti Suzuki Swift D-Zire was a very popular car when introduced. It was based on the Maruti Suzuki Swift, the ever-popular hatchback was a very good value for money packaged product, economical, reliable, overall easy on the pocket Another important factor to the great success of the Swift D-Zire was it enjoyed a first mover advantage in the compact sedan market of India. A first mover advantage is an advantage a product enjoys for being the first-of-its-kind product in a niche market. Maruti Suzuki was very quick and decisive to enter the compact sedan segment. When the Swift D-Zire was launched, no one had imagined the need for a compact sedan, however, the emergence of the cab aggregators such as Uber, Ola and the customers wanting a practical car in the urban environment, spurred the Swift D-Zire to glory. Being successful in the market is a feat but, sustaining the position of the undisputed leader for quite a few years is a whole other level of achievement. Sustaining the position of the undisputed market leader is something Maruti Suzuki knows a lot about, and the Swift D-Zire is evidence of that.

Well, Maruti has brought the undisputed market leader back in an all new avatar. Off late there seems to be a design revolution at Maruti Suzuki, both on exteriors and interiors of their recent cars. There was a time a few years ago where it seemed Maruti was not prepared to break the trend of designing trendy and more youthfully appealing cars. The likes of the Baleno, Ciaz, Ignis are some of their best-designed cars on the market today. The transition towards a more youthfully appealing style is a step in the correct direction. This most importantly highlights their plans for the Indian market. As recently as yesterday, Maruti brought back the Dzire in a swanky new avatar, fueling a life a modernism and excitement! The external design of the Dzire is more rounded and curvy than ever before, gone are the lines and sharp edges. Oh and yes……. the has been a change in the name of the car, it is no longer called the Swift D-Zire it is now the Maruti Suzuki Dzire. This has been done because Maruti wants to break the association of this car from the Swift hatchback, creating a new identity for the car. The large front grille surrounded with chrome makes the car look youthful and bold. The headlamps are now LED projectors with DRLs. The car is made on a new design architecture – HEARTECT. This as Maruti says has made the car safer, stronger, more rigid and most importantly a whole 105 kg lighter. Moving inside the cabin has been made more modern and contemporary. There is a new dashboard design and a new steering wheel which gives a sporty look. The old Swift D-Zire had championed space and practicality……the new Dzire continues the legacy. There is now even a rear passenger AC vent. With respect to the technology on offer, Android Auto & Apple CarPlay, and a push button Start-Stop option are now made available. For an upmarket feel – wood and chrome inserts are also available. The same 1.2 L VTVT petrol and 1.3 L DDiS diesel engines do duty on the 2017 Dzire. Hence, offering assured fuel efficiency. These will be mated to a manual and automatic gear options. However, the automatic will be only offered on variants V upwards.

With prices beginning at 5.45 Lakh the new Dzire is quite competitive and more than capable of sustaining the competition. It should prove to be very crucial to the success of Maruti’s new age vehicles. 

Jeep Sends the Compass to India

Indians love their SUVs. This love affair has been going on for quite some time. Countrywide the number of SUV users is huge. Over the past 5-7 years, the number of SUVs used in the urban Indian environment has never been higher. This can be advocated our road conditions, higher disposable income, the need for a bigger family car etc. Nevertheless, an SUV has been a sort of statement of intent or a statement of achievement for a few in the society. When SUVs were introduced in India they did not have a great impression in the Indian market. This was mainly because they were diesel only cars, cumbersome to drive, lacked efficiency and maintenance a costly affair. Car manufacturers have managed to shed this image by offering vehicles easy to drive, efficient and easy on the maintenance. The major SUV manufacturers in India are – Mahindra, Tata, Toyota etc. (for passenger vehicles). The car manufacturers in the luxury segment are Mercedes-Benz, Audi, BMW, JLR etc. The newest entrant to the Indian SUV scenario is Jeep. Jeep’s Indian journey began in 2016. The oldest manufacturer 4X4 utility vehicles had finally entered India. Jeep’s legacy of producing 4X4 vehicles extremely capable of taking you anywhere dates to 1941. The only brand capable of giving Jeep a run for its money with respect to 4X4 vehicles is – Land Rover. Both the Jeep Grand Cherokee & the Jeep Wrangler are excellent vehicles. However, they did not quite make a good first impression on the Indian market. This was mainly due to the pricing of both the cars with the Grand Cherokee & the Wrangler priced at an upwards of Rs.95,00,000 and Rs.70,00,000 respectively.

   12^th April 2017 – Jeep launched its third offering for India, the Jeep Compass. Jeep’s most affordable model yet! Promises to be a game changer for the brand in India. Based on its elder sibling – the Grand Cherokee, the Compass is a compact SUV perfect for the urban environment. What is more exciting is that the Compass comes with the world-renowned Active Drive Mode, Jeep’s own 4X4 management system. The Compass comes with a 4X4 option, but will also be offered with 4X2. On the exterior, the Compass has a bold, aggressive look with a modern flair to it. With a decent 178mm ground clearance, the Compass can take on our roads with ease. The iconic 7 slat Jeep grille gives the car a unique identity. The rear of the vehicle is designed well too with a beautiful integration of the tail lamps with the overall design of the car. The large wheel arches and the big wheels give the car a rugged look. Moving inside the cabin is large and spacious giving passengers an airy feel. The layout is practical, you will find the buttons, knobs, and switches exactly where you would want them to be. The rear of the cabin has generous space too, comfortable for 3 passengers to sit comfortably on long journeys too. The Compass will be powered by 2 engine options – the 1.4 L Multi-Air petrol engine producing 160 bhp & a 2.0 L ECO diesel engine producing 170 bhp. Both these engines will be mated to a 6-speed manual and a 7-speed automatic gearbox. The Jeep Compass comes with the Select 4X4 Management System – enabling the driver to select the condition of the terrain and environment the car is being driven in. This system has 4 modes: Auto, Snow, Sand and Mud. Each mode can change the power delivery to the front and rear wheels thus making the car very efficient in the respective driving conditions. The Compass will come with a whole host of safety features; ABS, EBD, Electronic Stability Control, Hill Start Assist, Hill Hold Assist, Airbags etc. The Jeep Compass is the first vehicle from the brand to be made in India. With heavy localization, the Compass is expected to be priced very competitively. We expect the price to begin at an upwards of Rs.17 lakh with the top end going till about Rs.26 lakh. With production at the new Ranjangaon facility expected to begin by June, the Compass shall hit the Indian roads by August.

   A great looking car, practical layout, good engine and powertrain, a world class 4X4 system and an offering form a legendary brand, finally, an excellent price – the Jeep Compass has all the requirements to be a superstar in the Indian car market. It will surely give competitors such as the Renault Duster, Nissan Terrano, Hyundai Tucson, Mahindra XUV 500 a run for its money. This should be a real game-changer for Jeep in India. 

Lexus Begins Indian Journey

Over the years, the word ‘Lexus’ in India is most commonly associated with the Toyota Land Cruiser. Quite a few Indians would have remembered seeing the word ‘Lexus’ or the L logo encircled on a Toyota Land Cruiser. Well, not many people in India know that Lexus is the luxury division of Japanese car giant Toyota. Toyota began work in 1983, on developing a new premium sedan code-named F1. In 1989 this led to the inception of the first Lexus product – the Lexus LS. Back in 2014 there was talk about Lexus entering India, however this did not materialize as the import duty and other taxes were too high. The wait is finally over! Lexus has entered India with a 3-model lineup which includes the RX 450h, ES 300h, LX 450d.

   The Indian luxury car market is dominated by the German auto giants – Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Audi with Mercedes-Benz leading the way. There are other players as well such as Jaguar Land Rover and Volvo. The luxury segment in the Indian market has been one where there is cut throat competition where car manufacturers are continuously pushing the boundaries of excellence with respect to technology, comfort, driving pleasure and last but not the least luxury. In such a competitive market, it is very difficult for any player to be it an existing or new to sustain and make a lasting impression. On the other hand, the Indian market is a very exciting prospect for luxury car buyers looking to have a slice of the market, because the Indian car buyer is becoming younger and at the same time more affluent. In the Indian scenario, Lexus’ competitors have been on the market for the considerably longer period this is a major advantage for the competition as they know exactly what the Indian customer is looking for. The Indian customers have been accustomed to cars which deliver both great luxuries and at the same time are great driving machines with a good balance of leisure and enthusiasm. Whereas Lexus is more inclined towards providing with comfort and efficiency. In the Indian luxury segment, there is a great demand for diesel cars, as most of the units sold are diesel powered; Lexus has a very limited range of diesel engines and the cars which are going to be offered here are going to be hybrids. Most of the German cars, JLR etc. are locally assembled, manufactured, Whereas Lexus will initially sell their cars only as a full import unit, making the cars considerably expensive. The RX450h is a crossover SUV powered by a 3.5L V6 direct injection petrol engine paired to an electric motor producing 305 bhp. The ES300h is the flagship sedan of Lexus-powered by a 2.5L petrol engine paired to an electric motor generating about 200 bhp.

  Toyota has never really intended to create a cash cow out of Lexus but to build and enhance its brand image, We shall have to wait and watch how the Indian journey of Lexus unfolds. 

Range Rover Velar - On Par With Excellence

Range Rover have been one of the most popular brands in the automotive world. Always striving to be on par with excellence. A sub-brand of Land Rover, Range Rover has been pushing the boundaries of luxury, technology and overall capability for the better half of 5 decades. The Range Rover has been known as the ultimate luxury vehicle to take you anywhere, and rightly so! The Land Rover brand as a whole has been a pioneer in the off-roading segment. The first Range Rover launched in 1970, left the world amazed by its off-road capabilities, even on the harshest terrain. Over since the years the Range Rover has evolved but has keenly continued the tradition of beautifully integrating luxury and driving capability. The world renowned and Land Rover patented Terrain Response system (off-road terrain management system) does duty on all Range Rovers. This system has won many accolades as the best all terrain or 4X4 (AWD) systems ever since its debut on the Land Rover Discovery 3. In 2005, Land Rover extended the Range Rover family with the Range Rover Sport. A mid-sized SUV positioned below the Range Rover, continued the same pedigree of the Range Rover with a sportier flair to it. The range topping Range Rover Sport SVR holds the distinction of being the most capable SUV of 2017. In 2011, to meet the demand for a compact SUV capable in the urban environment targeted towards the youth and the luxury car buyer Land Rover introduced the Range Rover Evoque. The design of this SUV was an awe inspiring one. Though it was a crossover it had the roofline of a coupe and the ruggedness of an SUV. This was one of Range Rover’s most loved products. The powertrain though subsided mainly for tax benefits, was unmistakably Range Rover. It still remains one of the best designed SUVs.

  All right enough of the glorious Range Rover history! Let us put that away for a while and dive straight into where the thick of the action is. Yesterday, Land Rover unveiled the curtains on the latest addition to the Range Rover family. At an event in London, the crowds gathered for witnessing a spectacle of automotive design, technology and innovation. This event was also streamed live across the world. The moment the curtains were lifted an epitome of automotive innovation and design was showcased, the Range Rover Velar was introduced! On stage Gerry McGovern - Chief Designer, JLR came on to give the crowd and worldwide viewers a brief about the car. McGovern, described how emotionally enriching and enchanting a car can be, and how important the collaboration of the design and engineering departments of a car manufacturer is to creation of an overall balanced product. The name, Velar is derived from a Latin word which means sail or veiled. The first 26 prototypes of the Range Rover were named Velar.  At a first glance the Velar is a very striking and appealing proposition. A completely new design for an SUV. The silhouette coupe inspired roofline flows beautifully over the car, giving it a very sleek and modern look. It is by far the sleekest Range Rovers of all time. The intricate matrix LED headlamps give the car a very futuristic, bold and aggressive look. The traditional honeycomb grille gives it a distinct Range Rover identity. There is a lot of attention to detail given to the car and this is evident in the fog lamp cluster as well as the front light bay. Aerodynamics play a huge role in the design of the Velar, with a drag coefficient of 0.32 it is the most aerodynamic Land Rover ever produced. The detailed copper inserts on the bonnet, and simple yet sophisticated character lines running across the body of the car all away to the rear. They beautifully integrate into the LED tail lamps. These tail lamps are to die for! The short overhangs in the front and a long tail section give the car a flair of elegance and stature. On the first glance you notice something peculiar……. where are the door handles gone?! Well the answer to this is quite simply innovation. The Velar uses flush door handles, which slide outside when in use and slide inside, camouflaging in to the body of the car when not in use.  The simplistic and modern nature of the design continues on the inside as well. You are welcomed by a brilliantly laid out cabin which is reminiscent of other Range Rovers, but with a burst of innovation and new technology. When you enter any car you tend to first get greeted by the familiar knobs, dials on the center console. But, in the Velar you do not! The center console has been replaced by 2 large touchscreens, one on the dashboard and another below traditionally where the gear is placed. There are 2 rotary dials on either side of the touchscreen below. What is more exciting is that when you enter the vehicle, the touchscreen at the top tilts in front towards the driver. Awesomeness personified. The new dual touchscreen system called the ‘Touch Pro Duo’ by Land Rover, aims to minimize switchgear and maximize a sense of engagement and personalization between the car and the driver. The touchscreen at the top is the primary infotainment center of the cars housing controls for the telephone, Bluetooth, music, SATNAV. The touchscreen at the bottom houses controls for car related systems, such as air conditioning, Terrain Response system, Seat controls, overall vehicle diagnostic settings. The steering wheel gets touchscreen buttons too. Both the touchscreens can be individually configured as the driver wishes to. There is a large panoramic sunroof which runs across both at the front and rear. The overall quality of the seats are top notch. This car can fit 5 people very comfortably. The boot space is a large 673 Liters with the added functionality of a 60/40 split. The Velar comes with a complete air suspension setup, rides quality is just brilliant. Another great innovation of this car is that it allows for the body to be lowered, so that the passengers can enter and exit the vehicle with ease.

One could argue that the Jaguar F-Pace and the Range Rover Velar are very similar cars, well apart from sharing the same platform and a few engine options the cars are radically different. While the F-Pace is a performance oriented SUV, the Range Rover Velar is still a family vehicle with a charm unlike any other. One thing is for sure there is quite a gap in price as well as size between the Range Rover Evoque & the Range Rover Sport. The gap is not too big any more, the Velar has come in to fill the void. An all-aluminum construction gives the Velar a light, safe and strong structure. The Velar will come with 6 engine options, 2 diesels and 4 petrol. All these will be mated to an 8 speed automatic transmission. There is no confirmation of a range topping SVR/SVO model. The Range Rover Velar will go up against more traditional SUV rivals like the Audi Q7, BMW Q5, Mercedes GLS, Volvo XC90 and also the performance powerhouse from Stuttgart – Porsche Macan.  The Range Rover Velar is a brilliant proposition unlike any other and has all the underpinnings to be a market mover. The search for excellence is often an impossible one, but it is not every day that we come across cars that are marvels of engineering, a treasure trove technology, ignited with innovation and last but not the least a masterpiece of design. Car manufacturers have always banked on such products for keeping them on top of the industry and being a canvas of inspiration for others to follow. Well Range Rover seemed to have found that in the Velar – a product that should keep them on par with excellence.  

5 Reasons Why A Mercedes Benz is One Of The Safest Cars On The Road

Safety is paramount to all living beings. No matter who you interact with, where you go, what you use for daily activities, how you travel and so on, safety or being in a safe ecosystem while carrying out any of these actions is a common denominator. Safety in a broader aspect of the term is a condition of being safe or protected from any harm or other undesirable outcomes. What safety also refers to is the recognition or awareness of various hazards which can cause the risk of harm or injury.  We live in a world where there is a lot of reliance or dependency for support and assistance on machines and technology for enabling us to carry out various activities/tasks. Cars are a very common means of travel for humans. The risks and hazards involved with car travel are infamous and common knowledge. While driving a car concentration and awareness of the one’s surroundings is imperative, the loss of attention even for a split second can lead to major consequences such as life-threating injuries and or death. With more and more cars being driven on the road and an influx of latest technology (for e.g. faster cars) the importance and emphasis on car safety has never been more important. With the advancement of technology cars are getting faster, more luxurious, smarter, more efficient and most importantly much safer. Though there is a lot more technology keeping us safe in cars than what was about half a decade ago, it is extremely crucial that we not only respect our other fellow drivers on the roads; but also that we respect our car equally.

Mercedes Benz has been a car manufacturer that has been admired and loved across the world ever since its inception in 1926. In the automobile world Mercedes has been an epitome for quality, luxury, cutting edge technology and unwavering reliability. Mercedes Benz has also been one of the pioneers for vehicle safety, striving for excellence in passenger and vehicle safety. As per their official website, with Mercedes Benz being inventors and innovators of the car, they claim to have a huge role and responsibility towards road and passenger safety. With over 80000 patents filled for safety innovations one can be rest assured that Mercedes Benz is playing a huge role in road and passenger safety. With many firsts in automobile safety such as the first company to perform Crash Tests to analyze the performance of cars in accident situations in 1958, the inventors of Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS) along with Bosch in 1978 Mercedes Benz has been at the forefront of passenger and vehicle safety. Let us now look into the other safety and passenger protection systems developed by Mercedes Benz.

• PRE-SAFE:                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                Collision Avoidance Systems are very crucial to car safety. They are automobile systems designed to reduce the severity of a collision. PRE-SAFE is the collision avoidance system from Mercedes Benz. First introduced during the Paris Motor Show in 2003, this revolutionary system works with the assistance of a host of other systems such as the Electronic Stability Control (ECS), sensors measuring steering angle, acceleration and brake assist sensors (BAS) for detecting emergency braking and cameras placed around the vehicle. On anticipation and detection of a possible collision the PRE-SAFE system actively prepares the car, passenger by taking safety and preventive measures such as tensioning the seatbelts, raising the headrests forward to enable better support during impact, rolling up of the windows before an impending accident, closing the sunroof in case of a roll over situation. The PRE-SAFE Brake was later added to this system, this allows the car to monitor the traffic ahead with sensors and cameras and warn the driver 2.5 seconds prior to an impending collision and also waning the vehicle behind via the hazard lights. In case the driver does not react the car engages autonomous emergency braking.                                                                                                                                                                                              
• DISTRONIC PLUS WITH PRE-SAFE BRAKE:                                                                                                                                                                                                                Distronic Plus with PRE-SAFE Brake is a radar based adaptive cruise control system. An adaptive cruise control system which can be deployed from 20-120 mph, equipped with infrared sensors and cameras the Distronic Plus system actively scans the traffic ahead for possible collisions. As quite a few road accidents are rear collisions, Distronic Plus with PRE-SAFE brake aims to prevent them. The system actively monitors the distance between the vehicle ahead and itself till up to 650 feet. If the gap between the 2 vehicles reduces by more than 650 feet the Distronic Plus warns the driver by emitting audible and visual alerts. In case the driver fails to react the PRE-SAFE brake engages autonomous braking by calculating the braking force required to prevent the collision. Once the distance between the 2 cars is safe (>650 feet) the car again goes into cruise control mode at the desired speed set by the driver.                                                                                                                      

• ATTENTION ASSIST:                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              Driving can often be a tiring exercise often leading to driver fatigue, often experienced during long drives. This has led to numerous major accidents. Ever wondered if a system could warn you about fatigue whilst driving? Well…..Mercedes Benz has got you covered. The Attention Assist system, monitors the driving pattern of a driver and warns him of fatigue, sleep, tiredness symptoms. Within the first few minutes of driving the Attention Assist system makes an individual profile of the driver analyzing his driving pattern. Over 70 parameters actively monitor the driver over the duration of driving. When the system detects the signs of driver fatigue, sleep etc. it uses audible and visual signs to warn the driver. At the same time considering external conditions such as cross-winds, road surface etc.                                                                                                                    
•  ACTIVE LANE KEEPING ASSIST:                                                                                                                                                                                                                               Maintaining lane discipline is a very crucial element of safe driving. Accidents often occur when a driver fails to respect the lanes. In order to avoid this Mercedes Benz has developed the Active Lane Keeping Assist. This system continuously monitors the road ahead by a camera mounted on the windscreen. Many a times due to driver fatigue or loss of concentration the driver unintentionally lets the car drift outside his lane causing accidents. In order to prevent this the Active Lane Keeping Assist monitors the driving conditions looking out for signs where the driver has unintentionally let the car drift away from his lane. In case this happens the system warns the driver by vibrating the steering wheel. If the driver fails to react the system automatically breaks the wheels away from the road markers, bringing the vehicle back in its lane; hence avoiding an accident.                                                                                                                                                                                                           
• PEDESTRIAN PROTECTION:

The Mercedes Benz Pedestrian Protection system is designed to protect the pedestrians. It is noted that in most cases a head on collision can be fatal for a pedestrian. The Pedestrian Protection system uses an Active Bonnet. On impact with a pedestrian the rear of the bonnet is raised by about 50 mm. This raising of the bonnet reduces the injury impact on the pedestrian. 

This certainly reiterates the fact that Mercedes cars are among the safest on the road. Mercedes has been a guiding light for other car manufacturers and their safety innovations often continue to serve as a benchmark for the industry. 

MARUTI IGNIS - The Modern Urban Car For The 'New Age' Indian

By 2022, India is set to be the most populous nation in the world. With close to 60% of the population below the age 35 years, India is on track to become the youngest nation in the world. Firms in the Indian market are keeping a watchful eye, particularly on the millennial generation. Generation Y as they are more popularly known, refer to the people who are born between 1980s to the early 2000s. Currently India has about 356 million people who are in the age bracket 20-35 years. All the players in the Indian automobile market are just waiting in the wings to capitalize on this segment. Maruti  Suzuki has been a pioneer in the Indian market since a long time and is amongst the very few brands in the Indian market who know exactly what the Indian customers want and they seem to get their products spot on most of the times!

The Ignis, Maruti Suzuki’s latest offering for India is one of the most anticipated cars of 2017. Car manufacturers the world over are very keenly following the trend of crossovers or crossover inspired styling. A crossover with respect to cars is a car platform made by combining the features of an SUV (Sport Utility Vehicle) with the features of a passenger vehicle. Being a hatchback crossover, the Ignis has an upright stance and looks all set to take on all the Indian roads can throw at it! The first impression of the Ignis it seems the design team at Maruti, has taken the Wagon-R back to the drawing board and made a more modern avatar of it. Though it may resemble the Wagon-R…….it is huge leap in design from Maruti Suzuki. The front grille is bold and the neatly integrated LED headlamp with DRLs encompassing them is a beautiful piece of car design. The cladding at the front bumper, fenders and on the sides gives the car an SUV like look. The slightly slanted roofline of the car integrated with the boot looks a bit unorthodox to be honest especially for the Indian market. Nevertheless, it gives the car a good character. The design of the Ignis is quite revolutionary for Indian customers in this particular segment as they are quite used to more traditionally designed cars. The Ignis is a real good blend of retro and modern car design. The Maruti Suzuki Ignis ticks all the correct boxes to be a real head turner. Also a unique and neat touch is the 3 inclined lines in descending order at the C-pillar, giving the Ignis a distinctive identity. Step inside and one is welcomed by the Ignis nameplate, giving the car a premium touch. The cabin is modern and quite spacious, like all Maruti cars the Ignis is very practical. The Ignis is loaded with tech and features such as Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, MirrorLink system etc. The new sporty steering wheel, switch controls for the AC, infotainment touchscreen are just a few elements which make the cabin feel a funky and nice place to be. The car is clearly designed keeping the millennial in mind. Maruti has been quite generous with the space in the backseat, the bench seat will allow for 3 passengers to sit comfortably. The boot is decent as well, allowing for good vertical luggage storage. The black alloy wheels also give a nice appeal to the car. The Igins is powered by the 1.2L K Series petrol unit and the Fiat sourced 1.3L Multijet diesel engine. These 2 units have been very reliable and are widely used across the Maruti range. Maruti could possibly introduce a 1.0L Boosterjet petrol engine for the Ignis. The transmission options will be a manual and an AMT (Automated Manual Technology) for both petrol as well as diesel. There are options to customize the interiors with an option of coloured door handles and different material for surrounding the AC vents.

       Having a wide price range starting from Rs.4.59 lac – Rs.7 lac, Maruti has priced the Ignis very aggressively. With the Mahindra KUV 100 and the Hyundai Grand i10 the closest competition the Ignis looks all set to take the market by storm! The Ignis is just one of those cars which either you love or you hate but you can definitely not ignore. It will take some time for the Indian car buyer to warm up to the revolutionary Ignis, but eventually it will be successful. With the introduction of the Ignis, Maruti has set the tone for the new age of cars for the urban modern Indian. We are extremely excited by the Maruti Suzuki Ignis are you?