Suzuki Ignis GLX: Small wonder

What is it?

Suzuki Ignis first went on sale in Australia as a tall, three- or five-door hatchback.

It was discontinued in 2005 before returning in 2016 with a similar shape but now with the very popular SUV acronym.

At just 3.7 metres long and just under 1.7 metres wide, Ignis is the smallest SUV on the Australian market where it competes against larger SUVs such as Kia Stonic and Hyundai Venue.

If we accept that Ignis is really a tall hatchback there’s also the Kia Picanto which is marginally smaller and significantly cheaper.

What’s it cost?

Two Ignis variants are offered: GL and GLX.

Both have the same 1.2-litre naturally-aspirated petrol engine.

GL has the option of a five-speed manual or continuously variable automatic, while the GLX is CVT only.

The manual GL is priced from $21,490, with the CVT at $22,490.

GLX sells from $24,490. On-road costs have to be added.

Our test car was the GLX.

Although both variants are 1.7 metres wide, the GL manages to squeeze in seating for three in the rear. GLX is a more practical four-seater.

Standard features for the GL include 15-inch steel wheels, front fog lights, roof rails, 7.0-inch multimedia touchscreen, satellite navigation, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, reversing camera, keyed ignition

GLX adds 16-inch alloys, digital climate control, keyless entry and push button ignition, automatic LED headlights, daytime running lights and rear privacy glass.

There are no claims the GLX will seat five, but four occupants have little to complain about as far as living room goes, with its sliding and reclining 50:50 split-fold rear seats.

The test vehicle had ample leg room all round for the average-size adult.

We had to correct one passer-by who spotted the large grille with its Suzuki styled “S” flanked by two U-shaped symbols on either side and asked if it was an Isuzu. Easy mistake to make – apart from the size.

Although the current Ignis has been here since 2016, its styling remains fresh.

Despite having a typically boxy SUV shape its designers have managed to make it stand out from many of its sleeker coupe-like rivals.

Structural elements, such as lines, surfaces and curves are neat and simple, but with bold auto-levelling LED headlights with LED daytime running lights give Ignis a distinctive look.

Another area where the age of the Ignis shows up is its very basic infotainment features.

The centrally-mounted touchscreen is just seven inches in diameter and not particularly responsive.

It does have embedded satellite navigation, wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and voice recognition and an audio system with six speakers.

One of the biggest drawbacks with the Ignis is its very limited range of safety equipment.

It does come with six airbags, basic cruise control, enhanced ABS brakes, stability and traction control, hill-start assist, reversing camera and ISOFix child seat anchors.

The important features that it doesn’t have include autonomous emergency braking and rear cross traffic alert.

Unusually, it’s one of the few current new vehicles that doesn’t have parking sensors either front or rear, although its size and shape together with excellent visibility does offset this to a certain extent.

Like all Suzukis, the Ignis is covered by the maker’s 5-year unlimited kilometre warranty.

What’s it go like?

Despite being just 3.7 metres long and 1.7 metres wide, the upright stance provides surprisingly good interior space.

There’s enough headroom to allow the driver’s seat to be ramped up to a reasonably high driving position.

There’s even good shoulder space at the front and for the two rear passengers.

GL has seating for three rear-seat passengers while the four seat set-up in GLX consists of firm yet comfortable positions up front and a manual slide-and-recline second row.

The passenger-side occupant can take advantage of a seat back pocket.

Interior accents depend on the exterior colour, with white, grey and black getting dark blue tones on the centre console, door grips and seat stitching; red, ivory get silver.

Standard appointments include cruise control with speed limiter, tinted windows, leather covered three-spoke sports-style steering wheel with audio and cruise controls and hands-free phone operation.

A bold contrast of black and white on the instrument panel and door trim creates a powerful impression, while dark blue and silver highlights on the centre console and door handles attract attention.

Climate control air-conditioning extends to the rear.

Boot space is from 264 litres with four seats in operation to 515 litres with backs folded and 1104 litres of maximum volume.

A space saver spare wheel lurks beneath the floor.

The 1.2-litre Dualjet four-cylinder engine puts out 66kW of power at 6000 rpm, while maximum torque of 120Nm is on tap from a low 1500 to 4000 revs, so it’s easy to see its advantages as a town car.

That is balanced out by a kerb weight of just 865kg

Suzuki claims the Ignis GLX uses 4.9L/100km on the combined city/highway cycle, while putting out 114g of CO2.

We managed an average of 5.6L/100km during our test.

Suzuki is a small car specialist so it doesn’t come as a major surprise that, despite its boxy body, Ignis is an impressive vehicle to drive.

The combination of its tight dimensions, relatively high driving position, excellent all-round visibility and a skinny 9.4-metre turning circle make it just about the best urban vehicle on the Australian market.

The combination of 180mm ground clearance and doors that open to almost 90 degrees provide excellent access to both front and rear seats.

The impressive ground clearance and generous approach and departure angles make it suitable for some minor adventures off road.

Harnessed through a new and improved engine, the Ignis is a willing drive under varying conditions as it balances power and fuel efficiency.

Our first check of fuel economy came as a shock when the number 16.8 appeared, however on further investigation that proved to be kilometres per litre rather than the usual litres per 100 kilometres. So, the bigger the number the better.

With its 32-litre fuel tank, it should be able to travel more than 600km on a full tank.

A more rigid, yet lighter suspension smooths out shocks and enables more responsive and controlled handling.

A new generation, stronger-but-lighter chassis provides a stable framework while reducing drag.

What we like?

• More practical four-seater
• Surprisingly good interior space
• Ample leg room all round
• Climate control air conditioning extends to rear
• Low fuel consumption

What we don’t like?

• Very basic infotainment features
• 7.0-inch touchscreen not particularly responsive
• Limited range of safety equipment
• Lacks autonomous emergency braking
• No parking sensors front or back

The bottom line?

Although its prices have risen sharply in recent years, at the mid $20k Ignis still offers good value for money.

We’ve referred to the lack of advanced active safety features and that’s sure to be a major deterrent for many potential buyers.

Others, like us, hate the persistent warnings, distractions and interventions that are increasingly being added to current vehicles.

So rather than spending a couple of minutes cancelling those that you don’t want you can hop into the Ignis, drive away and concentrate entirely on driving.

 

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