2017 Maruti Suzuki Ignis petrol AMT long term review: After 5,185km and three months

Rahul Richard Updated: May 09, 2017, 03:38 PM IST

It's been just three months since I got the Ignis, and I've already formed an emotional connect with the car. But to be honest, I formed an emotional connect with the car in Chennai at the first drive event. I'd been travelling a fair amount these past few months, so any chance I got to drive the Ignis, I did. Driving fancy luxury cars isÂ great â" like visiting a five-star hotel â" but getting back in the Ignis is even better â" like coming back home.

Maruti Suzuki Ignis I'm almost always looking out for an empty ground or a parking lot to drive into and pull a couple of handbrake turns

However, since Bert's Brezza is going back, he's been eyeing the Ignis. And so, I've been avoiding bringing up the topic and parking the car out of his sight. Out of sight, out of mind â" or so I hope. I've managed to put in quite a few miles in the two months since my last report and they've been some very, very fun miles. I'm almost always looking out for an empty ground or a parking lot to drive into and pull a couple of handbrake turns. But don't blame me! The Ignis just begs me to do it â" the same way it begs for me to rev the engine up to the redline whenever possible. That crisp raspy note at the more exciting end of the rev counter just doesn't let me shift up early. And that tends to tear a very large hole in my pocket, because the bars on the fuel gauge drop very quickly. If I drive with a heavy foot, I get an average of around 10.5-11kmpl. But if I go easy on the throttle, the Ignis returns a decent 12.4kmpl.

Maruti Suzuki Ignis - long term (6) The Ignis begs me to rev the engine all the way to the redline

The plastics seem to be holding up fairly well, with just one or two rattles popping up every time a bass-heavy song is played. But like I'd predicted earlier, the white panels inside get pretty dirty if I don't clean them regularly with detergents. But cleaning a car yourself only builds a stronger bond with it, right? Right!

Maruti Suzuki Ignis - long term (7) The first thing I'd do if I bought an Ignis is fit wider tyres

But there is one thing I'd change if this car was my own â" the tyres. The 15-inch wheels look great, but the 175/65-section tyres not only look quite skinny from the rear but also don't inspire confidence during high-speed cornering. If I owned this car, the first thing I'd do is put a wider set of tyres. They might take a toll on efficiency, but that's a sacrifice I'd be willing to make.

With the car hitting the 5,000km mark, it's time to send it in for its second service and check-up before the monsoon hits Mumbai. The monsoon season is an important test in the life of a car, and I'm pretty sure the Ignis will come out with flying colours.