With the Ignis, Maruti Suzuki played a gamble. It took the “love-it or hate-it” approach in design and that clicked well with those who wanted something small, nimble, frugal and most importantly quirky. But the hatchback had to undergo a mild refresh before it could be fit enough to pass through the stringent safety norms which will soon be enforced in India.

So, here it is. Maruti Suzuki has introduced a tinkered form of the Ignis which not only becomes dearer than before but also safer. Prices for the 2019 model start at Rs 4.79 lakh and go all the way up to Rs 7.14 lakh (both prices are ex-showroom Delhi). Before we get to the good part, let’s get the sad one out of the way. Here’s how the new price list compares to the older one.

Maruti Suzuki Ignis Price List (ex-showroom Delhi)

To justify the price hike, Maruti Suzuki has updated the standard list of features. All variants now come with more safety features such as rear parking sensors, speed alert warning system and seatbelt reminder for the front passenger. Other standard features include ABS with EBD, dual airbags, ISOFIX anchorages, front seatbelts with pretensioners and load limiters, front power windows, tilt steering adjustment and a 12V accessory socket. In the Zeta and Alpha trims, the Maruti Suzuki Ignis now gets roof rails in the package. The rest of the recipe, including the looks, remains exactly the same.

Like before, the Maruti Suzuki Ignis is available with only one engine – a 1.2-litre, 4-cylinder petrol mill that puts out 83PS/113Nm. It can be coupled to either a 5-speed manual or a 5-speed automated manual transmission (AMT). Maruti Suzuki claims that the ARAI certified mileage figure for the Ignis is 20.89kmpl.

As far as its rivals are concerned, the Maruti Suzuki Ignis locks horns with the Mahindra KUV100, Ford Freestyle and the Tata Tiago NRG. Expect Maruti Suzuki to run similar updates for more models in the coming months.