I have been following Autocar since the early 2000s and want to highlight what I feel is Maruti Suzuki’s stepchild treatment of some highly competent cars that suffered due to poor marketing. Models like the original Baleno sedan and Altura, Grand Vitara, Kizashi, A-Star, Ritz, and now the Ignis were strong products in their segments, yet failed commercially. I request the Autocar team to objectively highlight the strengths of the Ignis, especially when it is compared with cars like the Wagon R, Celerio, or even the new Swift with the 3-cylinder Z-series engine. From a pure product standpoint, does the Wagon R really come close to the Ignis?

Autocar India

•7w

Thank you for your comments and for being such a long-time reader. We respect your views on the various Maruti-Suzuki cars that didn’t get their due. However, it is not Maruti-Suzuki that decides the success or failure of a car, but the customer who is very demanding and has other choices and options.

The Kizashi failed because, for the price, customers didn’t see value in it. The A-Star was too small and cramped for the price. Going back to the start of this century, the Baleno sedan was overpriced, and the Baleno Altura failed because Indian customers don’t like station wagons or estates. In fact, there has never been a successful estate car yet.

The Ignis, too, though a capable car, has not clicked largely due to its design. The reason we recommend the Wagon R regularly is that it is a practical choice. It offers unmatched space and is easy to drive and live with - attributes that have made it so popular.

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