Maruti Suzuki India has officially ventured into the sub-four meter micro SUV or crossover space with its Ignis model priced at Rs 4.59 lakh that goes straight against the Mahindra KUV100. From the perspective of pricing, it faces competition from similarly priced hatchbacks in the B segment. That said Maruti Suzuki has some credible models in that space like Celerio and Swift.
Now considering that Ignis and Baleno share the same platform and they have a close proximity in terms of pricing, we stack up both the models against each other and do a spec-based comparison.
Also Read: Maruti Ignis Vs Maruti Swift | Maruti Ignis Vs Mahindra KUV100
Maruti Ignis vs Maruti Baleno – Price
Both Maruti Ignis and Maruti Baleno belong to the premium range of cars from the carmaker retailed separately through the Nexa dealerships. In the Maruti’s product portfolio, Ignis is slotted below Baleno both in terms of pricing and positioning. This makes Ignis a more affordable offering. Talking of the pricing, new Maruti Suzuki Ignis price starts from Rs 4.59 lakh and goes up to Rs 6.69 lakh for the top-spec petrol variant. Diesel Ignis price on the other hand falls between Rs 6.39 lakh to Rs 7.80 lakh.
The larger sibling Baleno is priced slightly above Ignis with petrol variants available between Rs 5.25 lakh to Rs 7.57 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi). Baleno powered by the diesel engine is priced between Rs to Rs 6.36 lakh for the entry level Sigma variant to Rs 8.35 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi) for the range topping Alpha trim.
Maruti Ignis vs Maruti Baleno – Specification
Mechanically, both the cars are identical sourcing power from the same set of engines. Maruti has not tuned the engines and therefore, they output same power and torque on both the cars. The engine used on the petrol variants is the 1.2 litre K-Series unit making 84bhp and 115Nm. Like most of the other models in Maruti’s range, these two draw power from the Fiat sourced 1.3 litre DDiS mill good for 74bhp and 190Nm.
Coming the transmission options, Ignis is available with a five-speed manual unit and an AMT gearbox. As for Baleno, the five-speed manual transmission is standard on the carline with CVT offered on select petrol variants.
Maruti Ignis vs Maruti Baleno – Mileage
Available with 1.2 litre K-Series petrol unit and 1.3 litre DDiS oil burner, the new Maruti Ignis shares engine line-up with Baleno. In terms of mileage, Ignis is claimed to return 20.89kmpl in petrol version, while the one with diesel heart returns 26.80kmpl under ideal conditions.
Deriving power from the same set of engines, fuel economy for Maruti Baleno is rated at 21.4kmpl for the petrol version. Diesel powered Baleno is more frugal returning above 27kmpl. That said, the claimed fuel economy figure for diesel Baleno is 27.39kmpl.
Maruti Ignis vs Maruti Baleno – Dimensions
As mentioned above, Ignis and Baleno are built on the same platform yet they have different proportions. This difference is primarily because of the body-style. On one hand, Ignis is pitched as a crossover measuring under four meters, while on the other hand Baleno has carved a niche spot in the premium B segment. Slotted below Baleno the all-new Maruti Ignis measures 3,700 in length, 1,660 in breadth and 1,595mm in height. Wheelbase measuring 2,438mm implicates a compact cabin and the ground clearance of 180mm is on par with rivals in this space. Luggage storage space on the Ignis is 243 litre that can further be extended to 473 litres.
Sporting larger proportions, Baleno has a bigger stance. The hatchback measures 3,995mm long, 1,745mm wide and 1,745mm tall. Baleno has a spacious cabin thanks to the long wheelbase that measures at 2,520mm. It lags behind in terms of ground clearance at 170mm as against Ignis, but offer far more space for storing luggage at 339 litres.
Maruti Ignis vs Maruti Baleno – Features
Maruti has equipped a host of features to the exterior and interiors of new Ignis crossover. Externally, it gets a bold grille with integrated headlamp cluster in front. Additionally, it also gets the round shaped headlamps with large air-dams on the lower bumper. Side profile sports pronounced wheel arches with cladding and 15-inch steel wheels. The cabin is styled in tandem with the exterior and has a sporty appeal. In terms of equipment, it packs air conditioner & heater, 12V power outlet, front power windows with driver side auto down, driver seatbelt reminder and speed sensing wipers. Other features specific to the top-spec variants include LED projector headlamps with DRLs, puddle lamps, height adjuster for driver’s seat, reverse camera, auto climate control and SmartPlay infotainment system with remote app.
Talking of the Baleno, it has a more premium styling. The nose features a two-slat, v-shaped chrome grille that reminds of S-Cross and projector headlamps with integrated DRLs on the top-spec variant. Other key styling elements like the sloping roof, 16-inch alloy wheels, sporty rear facet and wide air-intake complete the exterior look.Step inside to be greeted by a spacious cabin crafted using decent quality material. Feature list on the Baleno range from a 7-inch SmartPlay infotainment system with Apple CarPlay to a LCD display on instrument panel and navigation system. In addition to the above mentioned features, it also sports leather seat covers, Bluetooth, automatic climate control, TFT colour screen MID, rear AC vents and automatic day/night internal mirror.
