Suzuki Ignis 2017 Review

Suzuki Ignis 1.2 Dualjet SHVS
International Launch
London, UK

Suzuki's Ignis nameplate is back from the dead, but instead of slapping it on the rump of a tall and gawky hatchback (which also formed the basis of Holden's original Cruze), this time around the Japanese marque has turned the Ignis into a proper micro-SUV.

Destined to act as the entry point to Suzuki’s rapidly expanding crossover and SUV line-up, the Ignis is packed full of charm and has a youthful, vibrant appeal that should see it win plenty of fans here in Australia – provided prices and specifications are pitched just right.

The worldwide explosion in popularity of the SUV means every manufacturer across the globe is expanding its rugged vehicle offering to cater for the consumer demand for off-roaders. And while that may make you think that all the car-makers can do is offer ever larger and grander 4x4 machines to try and sate the wishes of the baying hordes, some companies beg to differ.

Like Suzuki, which is bringing the Ignis nameplate last seen in 2008 back to life -- this time on the minuscule A/B-segment crossover that wears bodywork that’s not a million miles away from the iM-4 show car that debuted at the 2015 Geneva motor show.

Tiny and lightweight (the Ignis weighs as little as 810kg in front-wheel drive, 1.2-litre manual format), this is a chic machine aimed at younger clientele who don’t want to drive a hatchback.

If Suzuki’s Baleno is the pragmatic choice for the first-time car buyer in Australia, then the Ignis is the funky alternative for the fashion-conscious Millennial.

It’s incredibly dinky up close in the metal. At just 3700mm long, 1595mm tall and with a smiling 'face', macho the Ignis is not. However, it has to be one of Suzuki’s most daring and therefore alluring pieces of design.

Penned by the marque’s Centro Stile in Japan, you’ll find it takes a lot of its visual inspiration from the similarly flyweight Cervo coupe of the 1970s and ‘80s, these nods to the past most obvious in the shape of the glasshouse in profile and those three strakes on the C-pillar.

But there are further signifiers in the rake of the rear windscreen, the four-piece tail-light clusters and the front indicators set inboard towards the grille.

Coming in an eight-strong colour palette made up of some particularly vivid colours, including orange, a neon blue and light metallic gold, there’s also the option to have the Ignis’ roof in contrast black, the alloy wheels in a similar shade, and the promise of plenty more personalisation options to come once the car has launched.

Being honest, we love the look of the car from almost all angles, although the contrived back-end really does take some getting used to, especially when viewed from the rear three-quarters.

Within, Suzuki has gone to town on the natty design touches, with strong horizontal lines emphasised by a 7.0-inch touch-screen display on higher-grade models, an interesting climate-control ‘cylinder’ lower down and some neat dials and displays in the cluster.

In Europe, all models get the two-tone bisected black-and-white main colour theme, with the option of orange or silver splashes of trim lifting things; the keen-eyed will notice the three strakes of the C-pillar are repeated on the side of the transmission tunnel, as a tie-in of the exterior styling themes.

It’s all made of fairly work-a-day plastics within, but Suzuki has been clever in making it look great and putting just enough premium-feeling materials in all the vital touchpoints, a prime example of this being the leather steering wheel on top-spec cars.

So it’s a cabin built to a price, but it’s not one that feels abjectly cheap.

Behind the passengers is a boot with at least 260 litres of capacity in two-wheel drive trim (204 litres for the AWD, due to the rear diff), which can increase to 1100 litres with all seats folded.

Brilliantly, the two rear seats slide individually, so you can eke out more cargo capacity if you need it – and yes, you read that right, the Ignis is a strict four-seater because there are just two pews in the back.

There are just two motive power options at launch in Europe, although technically there’s only one engine – it’s the 1.2-litre Dualjet 16-valve four-cylinder item as seen in Europe's Swift, which is offered either with or without some mild hybrid assistance.

Opt for electrification, as tested here, and the Smart Hybrid Vehicle by Suzuki (SHVS) adds a 2.3kW Integrated Starter Generator (ISG) along with a lithium-ion battery, adding just 6.2kg to the kerb weight in total.

It helps improve fuel consumption from 4.6 to 4.3L/100km, as well as trimming CO2 emissions from 104 down to 97g/km.

Handily, it also takes more than two seconds off the 0-100kmh acceleration time, the SHVS managing an 11.4-second sprint compared to the plain 1.2’s 13.5-second time.

Transmissions are a five-speed manual on the SHVS and the 1.2-litre as standard, with a five-speed Auto Gear Shift (AGS) gearbox an option on the petrol-only Ignis.

Four-wheel drive can be specified on the SHVS variant alone, this being the Allgrip Auto set-up that can transfer torque to the rear wheels via a viscous coupling when required. It also brings in Hill Descent Control and Grip Control, which assists with traction on slippery surfaces at speeds of up to 30kmh.

It might be diminutive but Suzuki’s engineers have shoved the Ignis’ wheels right out to all four corners of the car, giving it a 2435mm wheelbase and a wide track. And that means it feels a lot bigger and more grown-up from behind the wheel than its cheeky appearance might have you believe.

It stays stable and planted at freeway speeds, with wind, engine and tyre noise suppressed brilliantly, while the ride is mostly excellent – really sharp bumps and compressions can upset it, but otherwise the Suzuki rolls across the ground in a dignified fashion.

Furthermore, it has a lively chassis, aided and abetted by the feather-light kerb weight. Turn-in is particularly keen, with the steering deserving praise for its directness, and while the 66kW engine doesn’t exactly bestow lightning pace on the Ignis, once again the crossover’s lack of mass means the SHVS has enough pep for most day-to-day motoring needs.

There’s no maximum output quoted for the hybrid system operating at full chat, but Suzuki is happy to say there’s an additional 50Nm on tap from the electric motor and that extra torque is most welcome in daily use.

Shame the brake pedal feels a bit lifeless at the top of the travel, probably due to the brake energy regeneration system at work.

Nevertheless, we’re happy to say that, dynamically, the Ignis is a pleasant delight. However, key to its success – or otherwise – here will be how it fits into an ever-growing Suzuki SUV range.

Although exact prices are yet to be announced for Australia, in other markets this is the Japanese brand’s cheapest crossover or SUV by far, with pricing equivalent to the Swift hatchback; that means it could be as little as $16,000 on our shores, maybe less.

But it’s entering a congested compact SUV segment for Suzuki.

Sure, the heavily facelifted (and now turbocharged) S-Cross might have just been jacked up by $6000 to $28,000 in order to make some wiggle room in the SUV range, yet that still leaves the venerable Jimny, refreshed Vitara and the more upmarket but ageing GV, all of which start in the $21-26K bracket.

It seems like the only way Suzuki can make this work is to offer the Ignis at a price that doesn’t seem to add up in terms of generating the car company any profits on unit sales.

However, with a gamut of upmarket toys like cruise control, twin-camera safety related systems, heated seats, full climate-control and satellite-navigation all available on the Ignis, we reckon it will be a smash hit if it does come in considerably beneath the $20,000 mark.

It’s a vibrant, well-resolved small crossover that manages to be more interesting and likeable than most compact hatchbacks on sale at this end of the market.

If you like the striking exterior looks and eye-catching interior, then you won’t find much in the way the Ignis SHVS drives to strike it from your shopping list. It’s a cracking and stylish little motor.

2017 Suzuki Ignis SHVS pricing and specifications:
Price: From under $20,000 (estimated)
Engine: 1.2-litre four-cylinder petrol plus Integrated Starter Generator (ISG) electric motor and lithium-ion battery
Output: 66kW/120Nm petrol, additional 50Nm electric motor, no system maximum output quoted
Transmission: Five-speed manual
Fuel: 4.3L/100km
CO2: 97g/km
Safety rating: Not tested

Also consider:
>> Fiat 500X (from $26,000 plus ORCs)
>> Honda HR-V (from $24,990 plus ORCs)
>> Mazda CX-3 (from $19,990 plus ORCs)