There are two things that Suzuki knows well; how to build an unbeatable small car, and making 4×4 last forever. With the Suzuki Ignis, they combined both into a unique micro-SUV that simply oozes character.
Famed for their off-road wunderkind that is the Jimny, Suzuki has baked some of the Jimny goodness into the Ignis, while maintaining its road-bias as a compact city car.
The Ignis also sticks to Suzuki’s usual traits of offering lots of standard equipment for not lots of money and, despite its dimensions, it is surprisingly versatile and spacious. On top of that, it is light, feels agile around town, and looks quirky enough to get the heads turning your way.
HISTORY
If the Ignis name rings a bell, it’s because the name was also used on another small Suzuki sold internationally between 2000 and 2008. Although the current Ignis shares a badge with the older car, under the skin it is based on the same platform as the equally brilliant Suzuki Baleno.
Like the Baleno (or any Suzuki for that matter) Ignis has a distinctive look about it. Combining the dimensions of a city car, the styling of a coupé and the height of a crossover, it gets full marks for standing out from the crowd.
The rear end is the main focal point of the styling, and takes its inspiration from the Suzuki SC100 Whizzkid from the late 1970s. The rest of the car is funky, too, with big headlights, small windows, and optional roof rails outside, and colour coded trim in the cabin.
THE RANGE
As Suzuki offers such a variety of small cars in the South African market, it can be quite a task understanding where the Ignis fits in.
Being the smallest car in the Suzuki range the Celerio offers value at the entry point to the market. The Swift is the conventional A-segment hatch of the range, while the Baleno is a slighty larger supermini at an affordable price. In this mix, the Ignis is a sporty crossover alternative to the Swift that is marginally smaller, but its upright lines make for good use of cabin space.
To keep costs to a minimum, Suzuki South Africa has brought the Ignis to local shores with only their standard 1.2 petrol that also does duty in the Swift. Although other markets have both a diesel and a semi-hybrid option, we believe the engine choice to be ideal for local conditions.
Although not mind-blowing, the 61 kW at 6,000 r/min, and 113 Nm at 4,200 r/min generated by the 1,197 cc normally aspirated mill delivered sufficient power during our launch test drive. Whether the same could be said with four adults and some luggage on-board remains to be seen, so look out for our on-road evaluation later in the year.
Offered in GL and range-topping GLX versions, the Ignis features a modern, surprisingly spacious, and well-equipped interior. Despite its compact size, there is no shortage of front legroom or headroom, while the luggage compartment offers 260 litres of cargo space, expandable to 469 litres with the rear seatback folded flat.
Standard items across all models include electric windows, remote central locking, air-conditioning, electric power steering, and an MP3-compatible CD sound system with USB port and 12V accessory power socket.
Safety is equally comprehensively addressed via dual front airbags, ABS anti-lock brakes, side impact protection beams, Isofix child seat anchors and child-proof rear door locks.
Both derivatives can be had with a five-speed manual gearbox as standard, while the GLX can be equipped with a five-speed auto at a R15,000 premium.
LAST WORD
The Suzuki Ignis might pretend to be a shrunken SUV, but it’s actually one of the lightest cars you can buy, and feels agile and nimble as a result. It is a delight to drive around town, with the small size, upright driving position, and great visibility making it perfect for grabbing tight gaps and narrow parking spots.
The Ignis is covered by a standard 3-year/100,000 km warranty, as well as a 2-year/30,000 km service plan. Services are at 15,000 km/12 month intervals.