DAMIEN O'CAROLL/FOOTAGE SUPPLIED
The Suzuki Ignis gets a refresh for 2020, but did you know where it got its looks from in the first place?
- SUZUKI IGNIX LTD
- Base price: $24,490
- Powertrain and economy: 1.2-litrepetrol four-cylinder, 66kW/120Nm, continuously variable transmission, FWD, combined economy 4.9L/100km, CO2 113g/km (source: RightCar).
- Vital statistics: 3700mm long, 1690mm wide, 1595mm high, 2435mm wheelbase, luggage capacity 264 litres, 16-inch alloy wheels.
- We like: Brilliant retro-inspired styling, impressive ride quality, excellent value for money.
- We don't like: Seats are flat and unsupportive, Android Auto connection is flaky, facelift has toned down the interior.
Suzuki has always insisted the tiny Ignis is an SUV, and with a remarkably straight face too. But now it has given the little fella a refresh for 2020 and leaned even further into that claim with more SUV styling cues. Presumably to see just how far it can push the joke.
So you think the Ignis is a joke then?
Damien O'Carroll/Stuff
The Ignis is a happy throwback to Suzuki’s Kei cars from the 1970s.
Oh, no – far from it. While the whole SUV claim is frankly laughable, the Ignis is a thoroughly superb small car that is relentlessly perfect for an urban commuter, yet – very surprisingly- is also an extremely capable open road cruiser that would be perfectly comfortable to do long distances in.
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Okay, so let’s put all that cards on the table up front – I am a massive, unashamed fan of the quirky Ignis and always have been. It’s cheeky styling nods to the fantastic Giugiaro-designed Suzuki Fronte coupe Kei car from 1971 (and its successor, the Cervo) won me over immediately and the fact that it is actually a very good thing to drive just sealed the deal. Plus, it is also the closest thing you can get to a new Kei car in New Zealand, and I have a weird obsession with them...
Damien O'Carroll/Stuff
A tiny turning circle and an excellent ride make the Ignis a perfect city car.
And, yes, the Ignis is a very good little thing to drive – although that should come as no real surprise, as it is based on the same ‘Heartect’ (okay, so Suzuki isn’t that great at names) platform that sits under the superb Swift.
It has the same joyously direct feel as the Swift and, just like the Swift, is a delight to throw around, even at low speeds.
Which, admittedly, is just as well, because the Ignis packs the same 1.2-litre four-cylinder engine as the entry Swift, which means with 66kW and 120Nm, it isn’t exactly a performance powerhouse. But the fact it only has 905kg to haul around (in LTD guise, the lower spec cars are even lighter) means it isn’t simply a mobile chicane either.
So it’s the perfect city car?
Damien O'Carroll/Stuff
‘Look! I’ve got roof rails and pretend underbody protection, so I must be an SUV!’
I would absolutely make that bold and possibly rose-tinted claim. The Ignis is simply a brilliant little thing around town.
Even that most-hated of transmissions, the continuously variable kind, isn’t actually terrible here – the Ignis’s torque is nicely stacked down low, meaning perfectly acceptable round-town performance can be attained without the need for flaring and high revs.
Hard acceleration or passing on the open road is another story however, but even there it isn’t anywhere near as awful as some and the engine even has an amusingly characterful growl that makes it far easier to bear.
Adding to the nicely matched engine and transmission is the remarkable turning circle of just 4.7 metres that helps make the Ignis pretty much the easiest thing to park this side of a scooter.
So what about out on the open road then?
Damien O'Carroll/Stuff
Suzuki toned down the interior with the facelift, so it isn’t quite as interesting as it used to be.
This is where the Ignis truly surprises – it has a deeply impressive ride that irons out road irregularities in a way you would expect from a car several times bigger, but not necessarily from a tiny city car.
The mature and surprisingly refined ride is nicely complimented by the Heartect platform’s admirable handling qualities, although that is not even remotely the Ignis’ purpose in life.
Which is just as well, because the engine and transmission do conspire to put you off thrashing it on a winding road anyway. But it is more than capable of tackling one, if you can put up with all the revving and groaning that full throttle inspires in the paring that is.
If Suzuki would put the Swift RS’s superb three-cylinder engine and six-speed auto into the Ignis, it would be utterly fantastic. Of course, the Swift Sport’s 103kW 1.4-litre turbo engine and manual transmission would be even better...
Are they really serious about it being an SUV?
Damien O'Carroll/Stuff
The 1.2-litre engine only produces 66kW, but then it only has 905kg to haul around.
It’s a shame you can’t type an audible sigh, because that would sum up my feelings on that perfectly, but yes, Suzuki is actually deadly serious about the Ignis being an SUV. Hell, it even lists it next to the Jimny in the SUV section of its website.
To be fair, the Ignis is offered in AWD guise in overseas markets, lending fractionally more credence to the SUV claim and Suzuki have upped the SUV looks on this facelift.
The Ignis now gets a new grille, black plastic wheel arch and sill mouldings, roof rails and reshaped bumpers that add a hint of fake underbody protection for that SUV look.
Damien O'Carroll/Stuff
Android Auto and Apple CarPlay are standard, but the connection is flaky at times.
The LTD we drove here also got 16-inch smoked alloy wheels, LED projector headlamps with automatic levelling and automatic light-sensing, along with DRLs in the latest refresh.
But, no, none of that in any way makes it an SUV. No matter how hard Suzuki wants it to.
But does that matter? Because the Ignis is a fantastic small car with heaps of attitude that is great to drive – who cares if it wants to be an SUV when it grows up? I love it regardless of its lifestyle choices.
Damien O'Carroll/Stuff
The Ignis bristles with design cues from the Suzuki Fronte coupe from 1971. It wasn’t an SUV either.
Any other cars I should consider?
Nah. “Just buy an Ignis” is always my recommendation to anyone looking for a compact city car.
Sure, Kia’s $23,990 Picanto GT Line and X Line pretend SUV are slightly cheaper than an Ignis LTD, but both are cursed with an awful four-speed automatic transmission which is actually far worse than a CVT. The same goes for Hyundai’s awful $26,990 i20 hatch.
Toyota’s new Yaris could be a strong option, with the entry level GX starting the range at $25,990, but thanks to Covid-19 we have yet to drive it.
Stuff
The Link LonkAugust 17, 2020 at 08:58AM
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Road test review: Suzuki Ignis LTD - Stuff.co.nz
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