India-Bound: Maruti Suzuki Ignis Scores 3 Stars in Euro NCAP Crash Test

One of the most anticipated cars from the country’s leading carmaker Maruti Suzuki India Ltd, the Ignis compact crossover, has scored an above ordinary 3-star rating at the Euro New Car Assessment Programme (Euro NCAP) crash test, on Wednesday. 

The Ignis got a 3-star rating when tested with standard safety equipment, but managed a maximum score of five stars when tested with a safety pack, informed a press release following the assessment. The Ignis was crash tested along with the Ford Edge, the Audi Q2, the Hyundai Ioniq and the SsangYong Tivoli.

The base model of the Ignis in question comes with four airbags and ABS as standard equipment while other safety features like belt load limiter, belt pretensioner, Isofix child seat mounting points at the rear, airbag cut-off switch and seat belt reminder are also on offer. 

The passenger compartment of the Ignis remained stable in the offset deformable frontal impact test, said the report. Dummy readings indicated good protection for the knees and femurs of the driver and passenger, it added.

The top-spec SZ5 variant that was awarded five stars was equipped with Dual Camera Brake Support (DCBS) that incorporates stereo cameras mounted on each side of the rear view mirror as human eyes. It detects objects ahead and also pedestrians who could be affected in case of sudden braking. 

Given the added impetus on safety in the country these days, the India-bound version of the car could also come with dual airbags and ABS as standard but the DCBS seems like a far cry. Four airbags, like the western-spec model, could be offered in the top-end model of the car.

Talking about the car in its Indian avatar, the Ignis could be powered by the 1.2-litre motor (K12B) from the Baleno and the Swift, that churns out 84.3PS of power and 115Nm of torque. If there were a diesel motor, it would have to be the 1.3-litre DDiS190 (Fiat’s Multijet), good for 75PS and 190Nm. Transmission duties could be handled by the five-speed manual or the five-speed AMT.

The Ignis is set to be launched in Europe early next year and the crossover will make its way to India soon thereafter. It will be sold through Maruti’s Nexa outlets and is expected to carry a sticker price of around Rs 5-6 lakh.