Maruti Suzuki Ignis vs Hyundai Grand i10 vs KUV100: Spec Comparison

Maruti Suzuki Ignis

Dimensions

Launched in 2013, the Hyundai Grand i10 is the oldest offering in this comparison and the longest as well measuring 3765 mm. The Maruti Suzuki Ignis, on the other hand, comes close at 3700 mm, while the Mahindra KUV100 finishes third at 3675 mm. Mahindra's KUV100 arrived last year and sits the tallest between all three cars at 1655 mm, while the Ignis being the tallboy it is, comes in second with a height of 1595 mm. The Grand i10 is the shortest here measuring 1520 mm.

The KUV is also the widest of all three at 1715 mm, followed by the Ignis at 1690 mm, whereas the Grand i10 is the smallest here at 1660 mm. Clearly, the Ignis is positioned to slot between the other two models but benefits from a bigger wheelbase measuring 2435 mm. The Hyundai offering follows closely at 2425 mm, just 10 mm shorter; whereas the KUV's wheelbase measures the longest at 2835 mm. The Ignis turns out to be more consistent here as far as the dimensions are concerned, followed closely by the Grand i10. Read everything that you need to know about the Ignis car.

When it comes to the boot capacity, the Maruti Suzuki Ignis despite its compact size packs in a decent 260 litre space, while the Grand i10 is only marginally larger at 265 litres. The KUV100 comes in third with a size of 243 litres. All three cars get foldable rear seats that liberate more cargo space.

Maruti Suzuki Grand i10

Features

The Maruti Suzuki Ignis benefits from being sold from Nexa outlets, and boasts of a host of features including projector lamps, LED DRLs, alloy wheels, dual-tone colour options and much more. The premium looking cabin is amplified further with body coloured highlights, while there interesting bits like the colour changing instrument cluster, toggle switches and a segment first touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

In comparison, the Mahindra KUV100 gets similar features including the DRLs, but misses out on the touchscreen system. The Mahindra boasts of nifty storage spaces and also that the armrest/third seat at the front. Meanwhile, the Grand i10 was one of the most equipped cars when launched but now feels dated over rivals. It misses out on auto climate control, touchscreen system and the body coloured highlights as well. The facelift will get it perhaps.

Maruti Suzuki Ignis Rear

Engines and Transmissions

Frugal powertrain with just the right amount of power are important in this segment and all cars here manage to offer the same in both petrol and diesel options. All three cars make use of 1.2 litre petrol engines, that produces 82 bhp of power. However, while the Maruti Suzuki Ignis and Grand i10 use four-cylinder units, the KUV gets a three-cylinder mill. Torque, on the other hand, stands at 113 Nm for the Ignis, 114 Nm for the Grand i10 and 115 Nm for the KUV.

Diesel engines vary though with the Maruti Suzuki Ignis getting the biggest of all with a 1.3 litre motor producing 74 bhp and 190 Nm of torque. The KUV uses a 1.2-litre oil burner that belts out 77 bhp and a 190 Nm of torque; whereas the Grand i10 gets a 1.1 litre diesel unit that produces 70 bhp and 160 Nm of torque.

While the power outputs are similar, the engine response is completely different on all three models. The Ignis with its lighter weight should be more responsive to its powertrain that remains tried and tested in Maruti's line-up, while the Grand i10 offers healthy low-end power, that makes it a breeze when driving in the city. The KUV despite making enough juice, loses out on sluggish power delivery. The diesel though is still responsive and also benefits from a better gearbox that is receptive to inputs.

Speaking of which, all three cars use a 5-speed manual transmission, paired to both petrol and diesel mills. As far as automatic variants are concerned, the Grand i10 and Ignis get an auto box on offer. While the Grand i10 uses a torque converter unit paired to the petrol motor, the Maruti Suzuki Ignis gets an AMT unit paired to petrol and diesel mills, a segment first. That is certainly going to be a big plus for the hatchback, as far as volumes are concerned. The KUV is expected to get an AMT too, but the launch is some time away.

Mahindra KUV100

Safety

Being sold under the Nexa banner, Maruti Suzuki has made dual front airbags and ABS with EBD as standard across all variants on the Ignis along with ISOFIX. Meanwhile, Mahindra offers the same features as optional on base variants, while it is offered as standard on top variants. The Hyundai Grand i10, on the other hand, gets the driver side airbag as standard on the base trims, while the passenger side airbag is available on the top trims only. ABS too are reserved for the top Asta variant, which is disappointing but is likely to change once the facelift arrives later this year.

Both the Grand i10 and KUV100 miss out on the touchscreen system

Price

Maruti clearly understands the market well and that is evident in the fantastic pricing of the Ignis. While prices are introductory, the Maruti Suzuki Ignis starts at Rs. 4.59 lakh for the base Sigma petrol variant, which brings it on par with the Mahindra KUV100 that is priced at Rs. 4.58 lakh. In comparison, the Hyundai Grand i10 is more expensive than the Ignis by Rs. 32,000, priced at Rs. 4.91 lakh (all prices, ex-showroom, Delhi).