It has been about 9 months since we purchased our new car and we are enjoying it. I was curious about the mileage figure published by ARAI for Ignis. So I decided to check out the real life mileage. Of course everything is an approximation, so take what I say with a grain of salt. Your mileage (pun intended) may vary, yada yada disclaimers apply here. Going back to the point, the ARAI number for Ignis is about 21 KMs per liter. The testing is done under laboratory conditions with different speeds under simulated road conditions. No air conditioner is used, there are no traffic signals etc. So you can think of it as ideal conditions. You should also keep in mind that they test various speeds simulating city and highway drives.


Now, coming to the actual mileage I got, you need to know that I barely drive in the city and most of our driving has been on the highway. One reason is that we already live at the edge of the city, so any time we are traveling out, we hit the highway pretty quickly, especially if we are traveling north or west. The other reason is that we practically pretty much always use scooter or walking for most errands big and small to all nearby places. So our car does about 95% highway miles and about 5% in city traffic.


The best mileage I could eke out of the car (not intentionally though), in a trip was 27 km/L. Yeah I know, that is insane :). What happened was that I was driving cautiously during that time because I was still running-in the car. For those of you who might not know, a new engine is expected to be run-in. Some believe it is not required with the modern engines, but I am still old style. You can read more on the internet, like team-bhp. I was basically following the running-in procedure as described in the car owner’s manual for Ignis, also reproduced below for reference. The owner’s manual recommends a run in of 960 KMs which is precisely what I did. Who would know better than the manufacturers themselves?



As a result, even while I was driving on the highway, I was driving slightly below 80 kmph which is usually the sweet spot for best mileage. I don’t remember exactly how many kms I drove in that particular trip which gave me 27 km/L but it was certainly not short and certainly at highway speeds with negligible traffic. I was never able to reproduce that kind of performance any other time.



For an overall trip of 227 kms, I got an average of 26.5 km/L which is pretty good. As I mentioned before, this was during the run-in period when I was not doing any hard acceleration or braking and was driving super conservatively. About 95% of the drive was in highway traffic. We did not have to use AC too. Again, I was never able to reproduce that kind of numbers after the run-in period :).



Currently we are averaging about 23 kmpl with mostly highway driving, but with AC on for about 50% of the drive and highway speed of about 90 kmph. The mileage is between 21 to 24 km/L range for most of our long drives which is not bad. That was one of the reasons for choosing a Maruti car. And the main reason is of course the engine refinement. But no matter what, even the new 2022 Maruti Ignis engine could not match the refinement and smoothness of my old 2011 Honda City car’s engine. Honda engines are a class apart.



My car also records the mileage figure between refueling. So if you look at those figures, you know the car is giving out about 22 or so km/L.



Of course, nothing is ever complete without asking the same question to generative AI now is it? So when I asked Bard about the best mileage anyone has achieved on Ignis, this is what I got.


The best mileage anyone has ever gotten in a Maruti Ignis is 28 kmpl. This was achieved by a driver who was driving on a highway in good weather conditions. The driver was also driving smoothly and avoiding sudden acceleration or braking.


It is important to note that the mileage of a Maruti Ignis will vary depending on a number of factors, including driving conditions, traffic, and the weight of the car. In general, you can expect to get around 20 kmpl in the city and 25 kmpl on the highway.


Here are some tips to improve the mileage of your Maruti Ignis:

  • Drive smoothly and avoid sudden acceleration or braking.
  • Accelerate gradually and maintain a steady speed.
  • Avoid driving in heavy traffic.
  • Keep your tires properly inflated.
  • Service your car regularly.
  • Remove excess weight from the car.


By following these tips, you can improve the mileage of your Maruti Ignis and save money on fuel costs.

Here are some of the user reviews about the mileage of Maruti Ignis:

  • “I’ve been driving my Maruti Ignis for a year now and I’m really happy with the mileage I’m getting. I’m averaging around 22 kmpl in the city and 25 kmpl on the highway.” - [User 1]
  • “I’ve been driving my Maruti Ignis for 6 months now and I’m really impressed with the mileage. I’m averaging around 20 kmpl in the city and 24 kmpl on the highway.” - [User 2]
  • “I’ve been driving my Maruti Ignis for 3 months now and I’m really happy with the mileage. I’m averaging around 18 kmpl in the city and 23 kmpl on the highway.” - [User 3]


Overall, the Maruti Ignis is a fuel-efficient car that can get you good mileage in a variety of driving conditions. By following the tips above, you can improve the mileage of your Ignis and save money on fuel costs.


In my own experience, driving the car at a speed of 60 to 80 kmph gives the most fuel efficiency. But that is rarely possible when going on long trips. On certain highways where there is a 80 kmph speed restriction, I have seen it perform quite well. Not using AC and keeping all windows closed to reduce drag is another major contributor. Again, this is rarely possible unless you are driving in the winter season here in Bangalore. Finally, accelerating and braking smoothly also contributed quite a bit. Unfortunately Ignis is the kind of car that begs to be driven aggressively, so there goes my mileage :). Accelerating is exhilarating to say the least when driving this peppy car and I enjoy it that way.


So far, in the 9 months, we have driven only 5000 kms and the car still isn’t due for it’s 3rd service which is at the 1 year mark or 10,000 kms. Engine oil will be changed in the 3rd service as opposed to the top-up that happened in the last 2 services. I am hoping the performance and mileage to improve once that is done. The engine oil on the dipstick is a bit dark brown for my comfort already, and I am so looking forward to the oil change.