17,000 km with my Ignis Zeta AMT: Why I think its the perfect city car

This was one of the cheaper AMTs that had a 4 cylinder engine (apart from the now discontinued Santro AMT).

BHPian Mi10 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Some times we come across people who will simply seem non-existent. They come, do their job without any fuss, be functional and simple. There are no unnecessary dramas, no frills, no ups and downs, their life seems almost like a straight line. This character in the autoverse, is Ignis for you.

I brought this car for my wife during peak Covid time, but soon became the primary car for me. At that point, to be honest, i brought this car only because i wanted a Cheap AT with 4 wheels and a roof and all of the then available options were terrible. Most of them were 3 cyl AMT which mostly pathetic when it came to drivability. This was one of the cheaper AMT that had a 4 Cyl Engine (apart from now discontinued Santo AMT). Today, 3.5 Years and 17,000 kms on have to admit, its one of the most valuable purchases in my auto buying experience.

Pros:

• Extremely Agile and Nimble, literally a Point & Shoot Setup
• Peppy Engine packs some serious punch in Acceleration
• Narrow width makes this a literal Wasp (Boon in crowded places)
• Excellent, Hard Suspension for Spirited driving
• Hard Suspension + 180 mm GC means, you don't slow down for most bumps
• Reasonable High way Performance
• 0 Rattles so far - Well put together for a Maruti !
• Reasonable efficiency (~15 kmpl combined)

Cons:

• Downright Ugly (esp the Facelift with Chrome Teeths)
• 4 Seater Car, 5th Person is best avoided
• Vague and imperfect EPS Steering almost spoils the fun
• Feels Twitchy at higher speeds esp out in highway
• Should have brought an Alpha MT instead of this Zeta AMT :(

Best Suited for:

• Crowded Urban environments
• Small Family
• People who like FTD cars
• People who like Function over Form

Mods:

• Tyre upsize to 185/60/15 on stock Alloys

Wishlist:

If they give it an AWD (like in EU markets), Ignis is a potent car to drive up hills and other narrow, rocky, slithery spaces.

Read BHPian comments for more insights and information.