Maruti Suzuki Ignis Long Term Report: December 2017

Cold Winter Starts

As winter arrives, and I head down to my basement to drive to work, my day begins with a cold start followed by a judder and hesitation from the automatic gearbox. But it is only the initial step which acts like a wake-up call as once you get going, the rest of the day isn’t as eventful with the Ignis. Though there is no feedback from the EPAS system, the Ignis’ with Its compact size is just perfect for the city and with its light steering it is very quick to change direction. The 1.2-litre engine, however, is extremely lively and free revving. But it is the AMT gearbox that acts as a leash.

Once you get the throttle modulation worked out, even if you plant your foot down, the Ignis isn’t really that thirsty because the transmission is tuned to save as much fuel as possible. Having said that, it does upshift even when you don’t want it to, which does get annoying. Driving in stop and go traffic, the gearbox works fairly well, but at high speeds on the highway, the gearbox takes a while to respond. The Ignis scores its points with its funky looks, peppy petrol motor and most importantly it is extremely fun to drive. I just wish it was the manual option though.