2017 Suzuki Ignis new car review

Like David Warner this summer Suzuki has hit a rich vein of form.

The Japanese car brand, so often overlooked in favour of bigger rivals like Toyota and Mazda, has been producing a steady stream of quality cars.

After forgettable machines, such as the Kizashi mid-size sedan, the brand is once again focused on the key segments of the market and producing simple but effective cars.

The new Vitara was the first to get the brand back on the right path, taking a deserved Drive Car of the Year award for Best City SUV in 2015 and '16, and has been followed by the impressive new Baleno.

Now comes the brand's latest new model, the reborn Ignis. While Suzuki is billing it as a 'Light SUV' to compete with the likes of the Mazda CX-3 and Toyota C-HR, in reality it is more car than SUV. Either way, it makes a positive impression

What do you get?

Suzuki is taking a simple two model approach with the Ignis with the sharply priced GL and the well equipped GLX.

We're testing the latter, which is still keenly priced at $19,990 drive-away, and comes with plenty of standard gear. Included in the price are 16-inch alloy wheels, daytime running lights, navigation, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, Bluetooth, USB port, steering-wheel audio controls, keyless entry and ignition, cruise control and power windows.

Both models also get a reversing camera as standard along with six airbags, stability control, anti-lock brakes and electronic brakeforce distribution. Autonomous emergency braking, lane keeping and similar active safety features are not available

What Suzuki does offer as an option is the chance to customise the looks to suit your taste. In a clear nod to Mini and a sign Suzuki is chasing younger, trendier buyers there are a number of style elements to add to the car.

These include five choices of mirror colours (black, red, orange, blue or white), colour accents for the front grille and the front fog lights (in red, blue, white or orange) and decals for the alloy wheels (in blue, red, orange or black). It is a nice touch that brings a level of personalisation rarely seen at this price range.

On the downside, services are required every six months/10,000km, instead of annually like most rivals. So despite relatively cheap costs ($175 for the minor intervals and $359 at 24 months) they add up to a pricey $1234 after three years.

What's inside?

The clever exterior design carries over to the cabin, with a stylish layout and smart use of materials.

The dashboard is two-tone with black plastic on top and white on the bottom half. The door pockets are shiny white plastic, adding another design embellishment. The customisation also continues inside, with the choice of blue, red, orange or black trim elements for the centre console and door handles.

Thanks to good quality switchgear and a tablet-style 7.0-inch colour infotainment touchscreen mounted in the centre of the dash it doesn't look or feel like a cut-price city car.

The only covered storage is the glovebox but there is plenty of spots to keep small items secure in the console between the front seats.

Space is surprisingly good for such a compact car. Headroom is excellent front and rear thanks to the tall, boxy roofline which makes it feel spacious inside.

Rear space is respectable for a car this size, helped by the fact the rear seats slide forwards or backwards so you can trade-off space between passengers and luggage depending on your needs.

The boot is relatively small at 264-litres but the rear seats fold 50:50 to increase luggage space. With both folded down the space increases to a claimed 516-litres.

Under the bonnet

Motivation for the Ignis comes from a 1.2-litre four-cylinder petrol - dubbed 'Dualjet' by Suzuki.

It is the only engine option available, but while the cheaper GL gets the choice of a five-speed manual or continuously variable automatic transmission, the GLX gets the two-pedal layout as standard.

The Dualjet produces a modest 66kW of power and 120Nm of torque, which provides adequate performance thanks to the Ignis tipping the scales at a relatively light 865kg (by way of comparison a Mazda2 weighs 160kg more). The combination of the CVT and the engine's modest outputs means the Ignis can feel sluggish at times, particularly when it is loaded up with people.

But the light weight and small engine means fuel economy is reasonable at 4.9-litres per 100km, which makes it a frugal machine.

On the road

Suzuki argues the Ignis is an SUV based on its greater ground clearance (it sits 180mm above the road compared to 152mm for a Mazda2) and subsequent higher driving position.

While that argument has merit on paper, in the real world the Ignis looks like a city car, drives like a city car and rides like a city car.

The Ignis is only available with front-wheel drive, another dent in the SUV claim but perfectly acceptable for an around-town runabout. The Ignis is most at home in the urban jungle, small and agile in city traffic and easy to park thanks to the rear camera, which is needed to compensate for the large blind spot caused by the huge rear window pillars.

It rides well for the most part, given its humble underpinnings and sharp price, but the suspension can crash sharply over bigger bumps. Overall it lacks the ride and handling quality of the Mazda2 and locally-tuned Holden Spark, but it does a good job of being a compact and pleasant to drive city car.

Verdict

With the Ignis, Suzuki has injected some fun and personality into the compact car market. Whether you think of it as an SUV or a car it is a well-made and cleverly designed little machine.

Not only does it do the driving fundamentals well but the design, packaging and customisation give it an X factor that will appeal to younger buyers, or anyone who loves the idea of personalising their car.

Add to those factors a sharp drive-away price and plenty of standard equipment and you have another high quality offering from a resurgent Suzuki.

2017 Suzuki Ignis GLX pricing and specifications

Price: From $19,990 drive-away

Engine: 1.2-litre four-cylinder petrol

Power: 66kW at 6000rpm

Torque: 120Nm at 4400rpm

Transmission: CVT automatic, front-wheel drive

Fuel use: 4.9L/100km

The Competitors

Mazda2 Genki

Price: From $20,690 plus on-road costs

Engine: 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol

Power: 81kW at 6000rpm

Torque: 141Nm at 4000rpm

Transmission: Six-speed manual or automatic, FWD

Fuel use: 4.9L/100km

Our score: 7/10

Holden Spark LT

Price: From $18,990 plus on-road costs

Engine: 1.4-litre four-cylinder petrol

Power: 73kW at 6200rpm

Torque: 128Nm at 4400rpm

Transmission: CVT automatic, FWD

Fuel use: 5.5L/100km

Our score: 6.5/10

Skoda Fabia 66TSI

Price: From $15,990 plus on-road costs

Engine: 1.2-litre four-cylinder turbo petrol

Power: 66kW at 440-5400rpm

Torque: 160Nm at 1400-3500rpm

Transmission: Five-speed manual, FWD

Fuel use: 4.8L/100km

Our score: 6.5/10

• For all the latest information, visit our Suzuki showroom.