A SMALL FASHION STATEMENT (some text hidden) SECTIONED_new_suzukiignis_2017

By Jonathan Crouch

Introductionword count: 48

Suzuki knows more about Crossovers than just about any other manufacturer. In 2017, it launched its smallest one, the Ignis. It's a compact, affordable and very stylishly-formed way to make a statement in the city and cruise through the country. Let's check it out as a used buy.

Modelsword count: 14

5dr hatch (Petrol - 1.2 Dualjet 90PS / 1.2 SHVS / 1.2 SHVS ALLGRIP)

Historyword count: 326

So, what on earth is this? Is it a trendy citycar? Or some sort of rugged supermini? Perhaps it's a small Crossover - or some form of little SUV? Or maybe it's the kind of fashionable little car that, rather refreshingly, simply defies categorisation. Whatever it is, it was made by Suzuki between 2017 and 2024 and was called the Ignis. If the name sparks any sort of recognition, it's because Suzuki sold a car with the Ignis badge in our market between 2000 and 2008, a model that only aroused any sort of real interest in its peppiest 'Sport' guise. This second generation Ignis, introduced in late 2016, was a very different proposition, launched to target buyers who liked the fashionable looks of a Juke or Captur-style small Crossover, but wanted a slightly smaller, more affordable package. This model featured the same hi-tech 'TECT' platform that Suzuki used in this period in its Swift and Baleno supermini models and slotted into the brand's line-up just below them and just above the company's Celerio citycar. There was sophistication promised beneath the bonnet too. Forget diesel power (still in vogue back in 2017). Suzuki reckoned it wasn't need here because the provided 1.2-litre Dualjet petrol unit delivered comfortably over 60mpg in regular use, with carbon dioxide emissions around about the 100g/km mark, figures you can improve upon if you get the version of this powerplant that's bolstered by a clever mild hybrid system. At the top of the range, there's even a version with Suzuki's ALLGRIP 4WD set-up, creating a small car with all-round winter traction that'll cost you thousands less than almost any other 4x4 alternative you might want to consider. And it's all packaged up with funky looks that if you like, you'll really love. So, should you be tempted by what's on offer here? Let's find out. The Ignis was updated in 2020, then sold until the end of 2024 - and wasn't replaced.

What You Getword count: 412

Ever seen a small car quite like this? No, we haven't either. The idea was to strike a balance between retro and modern, while building in a selection of design cues drawn from Suzuki's brand heritage. The curious rear C-pillar slits and the unusually-shaped rear side window for example, both reference the company's famous SC100 'Whizzkid' model from the Seventies. Other influences are more subtle. The clamshell bonnet comes from the original Vitara; the blacked-out A and B-pillar design is inherited from the Swift; and the LED headlights? Well apparently, they were influenced by Johnny Depp's sunglasses. Yeah, well, whatever. Inside, it's difficult to know what to expect after the eccentricities of the exterior bodywork. Perhaps inevitably, there isn't anything quite as weird and wacky on offer in the cabin, but the designers have done their best to carry on the individualistic theme where they could. All good enough, but of course there's no real disguising the fact that this cabin has been built down to a budget. To some extent, compensation for some of these shortcomings came in Suzuki's decision to equip most Ignis models with the advanced 'Smartphone Linkage Display Audio' set-up that back at this car's launch we'd already seen in the company's Baleno and Vitara models. This gets you a 7-inch colour infotainment centre-dash touchscreen, the kind of thing that other citycar-shaped models back in 2016 either didn't offer or restricted to their priciest derivatives. In the rear, this Ignis is actually capable of doing something you might have thought a citycar could never do: namely, seat two fully-sized adults in the rear in complete comfort behind two equally hefty folks up-front. There's a caveat to this comment and it lies in the fact that you have to have the sliding rear bench to make this possible. That's something you don't get on the entry-level 'SZ3' model. Pushed right back using its full 165mm of travel, this seat base provides for better legroom than you get in some Focus-sized family hatchbacks. Last but by no means least, let's consider the boot. Suzuki seems to specialise in providing around 260-litres of trunk space to its customers, that being approximately what you get with its Celerio citycar and its Swift supermini from this period - and again here in this Ignis. What's different in this case though, is that if you've gone for a model with that sliding rear bench, you'll have much more flexibility in what you can carry.

To see the full road test text contact us on 0330 0020 227