If a recent report by automotive website GaadiWaadi is to be believed, Maruti Suzuki is planning to discontinue all diesel variants of the Ignis in India. This decision has reportedly been taken due to low market demand.
Maruti currently sells around 4,000 units of the Ignis every month. Out of this monthly sales figure, close to 90% come from petrol variants. As a result, the feasibility of manufacturing and running the diesel variants of the Ignis is under question.
The primary reason for the Ignis diesel’s failure in the Indian market was its relatively high price tag. Prices for the Maruti Ignis Diesel start at Rs 6.36 lakh and go up to Rs. 8.12 lakh (all prices are ex-showroom, Delhi). In this price range, there are a host of more potent products. Even Maruti’s own cars like the Baleno, Swift and Dzire fall right in this price range. It is worth noting that most of these cars are apparently more superior than the package that is on offer with the Ignis.
Another key reason for the failure of the Maruti Ignis is its unconventional looks. The car’s boxy looks haven’t really been a positive point for it in the Indian market. People have tried hard but failed to accept some out of the box design elements like the thick c-pillar, wedged tailgate, and boxy tail lights.
However, the Ignis is a fun car to drive. At the moment, it is offered with two engine options – a 1.2-litre petrol and a 1.3-litre diesel. Both these powerplants are potent enough for a car of this size and weight. A 5-speed manual and an AMT automatic are the two transmission options available with both these engines.
Maruti Suzuki hasn’t confirmed the aforementioned rumours about the discontinuation of the Ignis diesel yet. The official website is also showing prices of the diesel variants as of now. We will update this article once the said news is confirmed.