Presentation and test drive of the Suzuki Ignis, a different proposal

The Suzuki Ignis is a small city car that has debuted a new generation, and at Highmotor we have already tested it in the Madrid mountains.

We have been able to see first-hand the good work of the Japanese brand in this segment, where it now stands out with a very original proposal.

The Japanese company is committed to completely renewing its range. If its vehicles stand out for anything, it is for their honesty and good workmanship, qualities that can be carried over to the real world, and that Suzuki has decided to promote ahead of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, where it will be one of the official sponsors.

In addition, Suzuki Ibérica has decided to support sport with a sponsorship campaign for a Spanish athlete, specifically an equestrian rider named Diana Marsá Lafarge, whom it will support over the coming years in her career towards the Olympic Games, assisting her in upcoming competitions. At Highmotor we want to support the action of Suzuki Ibérica, applauding the brand’s involvement in sport through initiatives of this kind.

Exterior design: bold and original

The bodywork of the Ignis draws attention for its compactness. This city car with SUV-inspired shapes measures just 3.7 metres long and enjoys a radically different design from everything we have today in the B segment, making the Ignis a clearly distinctive alternative.

The front features very pronounced lines, with recessed headlights and a front bumper with moulding at the ends, enhancing the sense of robustness and width. The front overhang is practically non-existent, which increases the car’s “compact” appearance and improves its off-road capabilities.

The new Ignis measures 3.7 metres long, 1.66 metres wide and 1.59 metres high
The side draws attention for its small glazed area, which ends at the rear with an upward trend completed by three marked “ribs” on the rear wing. The 16-inch alloy wheels can be painted in grey and black tones. The A-pillar, painted black, improves the visual dynamism of the whole, where we also find wheel arches marked into the sheet metal and finished with a thin black plastic moulding. There are also roof bars that reinforce the adventurous character of the little Japanese car.

At the rear the compactness is maintained again, with a very small bumper, a practically non-existent overhang and a tailgate with a very steep vertical drop, qualities that make it very usable in the city thanks to good visibility and very small proportions. It also stands out for its ground clearance of 180 mm, higher than all its rivals.

Interior design: practical and well equipped

The interior design of the Ignis is above all about practicality. Concessions to design are found only in the general lines of the dashboard, which continues the straight and minimalist trend of the bodywork. All the materials used are rigid, although they are well fitted together.

The large central screen is the element that stands out most in the Ignis cabin, from which you can control everything from the navigation to the sound system; the very compact instrumentation matches the car’s lines perfectly. Below the central screen there is a row of switches and the climate or air conditioning controls.

On-board space is surprisingly generous for a vehicle with such compact exterior dimensions. The cabin, approved for four people, offers numerous storage compartments spread across the length and width of the interior, which further improves the practicality of the small Ignis.

The rear bench is split and has longitudinal adjustment, so that the rear space can be used intelligently, depending on the circumstances, to improve passenger comfort or to increase the loading capacity of the small Ignis, whose boot varies, without folding the seats, between 227 and 370 litres, a capacity similar to that of, for example, a VW Golf VII.

Engineering and driving: a little grasshopper in the city

The Ignis shares its platform with the Suzuki Baleno, which in turn was the first to debut a new, light and compact platform. The Ignis is a great ambassador of that lightness, since the most basic version weighs around 900 kg, which translates into better performance and lower consumption.

The small 1.2 Dualjet is willing and frugal on consumption
This little Japanese car arrives in our country with two mechanical options, both sharing the 90 CV 1.2 Dualjet. This three-cylinder is available in a “traditional” version and in a mild-hybrid version called SHVS, which adds a small lithium-ion battery and a small electric motor that acts as both starter motor and generator.

Both come as standard with a 5-speed manual gearbox, although the non-hybrid version can also be paired with an automated manual gearbox called AGS. Furthermore, the version without the hybrid system can be combined with an AllGrip all-wheel drive system which also includes a hill descent assistant and a “Grip Control” system to improve traction.

In practice, both mechanical options guarantee more than sufficient performance for everyday use, with a relatively high level of mechanical refinement. On the road, the Ignis drives with ease, with consumption that under normal conditions is around 5 litres per 100 km. The SHVS mild-hybrid version also enjoys the DGT ECO label, one more advantage that may be of interest in large cities.

Range, prices and equipment: complete specification and plenty of customisation

The Ignis aims to capitalise on the sporty and trendy side of the Japanese brand. That is why it is available in 14 different paint finishes, 5 of them two-tone, as well as two interior ambiances – grey and orange – also offering an extensive range of official accessories with which to personalise the vehicle even further.

Only the two highest trim levels will arrive in Spain, the intermediate GLE and the top-of-the-range GLX. Already from the GLE we find elements such as air conditioning, 16″ alloy wheels, heated front seats, the sliding rear bench, the multifunction steering wheel and tinted rear windows. This equipment will be available from €11,200 for the 1.2 manual 2WD version.

The GLX trim adds full LED headlights, navigation, automatic climate control, a leather steering wheel, the Dual Camera Brake Support DCBS driver assistance system and keyless entry and start, and is available from €12,950 for the 1.2 manual 2WD variant.

Photography | Daniel Valdivielso