Dynamite comes in small package
Don’t let petite size of Ignis fool you – it’s a beast within
SHE’s a feisty-looking, headturning beauty and is fast becoming known as an ideal city companion due to her dainty sipping habits and easy manoeuvrability.
It is no wonder the Suzuki Ignis, specifically the 1.2 GLX manual version, has been nominated among the top 10 finalists in the Wesbank 2018 Car of the Year competition.
With fewer than 10 Ignis models having been sold in East London to date, it was all eyes on this funkylooking car as I drove it around East London streets in a bid to suss out what it has to offer. Needless to say, I was not disappointed.
As a mother, safety is a priority and I was impressed with the vehicle’s dual airbags, ISOFIX child restraint system and front seatbelts with pretensioners and force limiters.
The Japanese-manufactured car, which was launched in South Africa in August this year, exudes much character and attitude with rectangularheadlights with angel eyes, LED finish, an aggressive-looking grille, and a deep, integrated front bumper, which is home to large air intakes, as well as front fog lamps on the GLX models.
The rear treatment is tidy, thanks to a neatly integrated rear bumper, together with large, trapezoidal tail light clusters and a smooth, fullwidth rear screen.
Do not be fooled by the petite size of the car – the boot space is fairly generous for this ultracompact crossover that combines the benefits of a lightweight hatchback with the stance and clearance of an all-terrainer.
A 260-litre luggage capacity puts the Ignis in the lead compared with its competitors, which on average offer a 253-litre luggage capacity. This is expandable to 469 litres with the rear seat folded flat.
If you thought the Suzuki Swift was impressive, then you have an idea of what to expect with Suzuki’s newest kid on the block, which at first glance may look queer, until you learn to appreciate the unique design.
This compact crossover is likely to have lots of appeal to women due to its charismatic flair, and the fact that the front and rear doors of the vehicle are extra wide-opening, making fitting in that baby-carrier and all that shopping an absolute breeze.
The car comes in three derivatives all featuring a 1.2-litre engine.
The GL derivative employs a fivespeed manual gearbox, while the better-equipped GLX is available with the same gearbox or a five-speed automatic.
At first glance friends have confused the chunky square face and lights of the car to be that of a mini Rover, but the unique rear view of the vehicle gives away that, in fact, it is a first of its kind.
During my week of driving the GLX, I got to experience the keyless starting with the start/stop button, automatic climate control, reverse parking sensors and electronic adjustable rear-view mirrors.
The trendy car also comes with automatic climate control and an innovative control switchgear.
The only drawback to the 1.2l engine is that it lacks some power when challenged on the steeper streets although, given its light fuel consumption, I am prepared to forgive it for this.
At about 20km per litre (Suzuki claims a combined fuel consumption of just 5.1l/100 km for the manual), I got a lot of value out of a tank of fuel with which to explore in and around East London.
According to Suzuki, the light weight of the engine improves fuel efficiency through better combustion, lower engine friction and lower emissions.
The engine delivers 61kW of refined power at 6 000 revs per minute, and 113Nm at 4 200 revs per minute.
Powered by the same 1.2-litre fourcylinder engine as in current Suzuki models such as the Swift 1.2, the Ignis benefits from a lightweight 850kg kerb mass to achieve its sprightly performance.
At just 3.7m long and 1.69m wide, the Ignis is small enough to be extremely agile, while a generous 180mm ground clearance will help it take some dirt-road short-cuts.
All models have, as standard, electric windows, remote central locking, air-conditioning, electric power steering, and an MP3-compatible CD sound system with USB port and 12V accessory power socket.
The new crossover’s construction features Suzuki’s Total Effective Control Technology (TECT), which includes crumple zones to absorb the impact of a collision, a chassis that distributes the impact energy, and a rigid passenger safety cell. PRICING (at time of print): 1.2 GL 5MT IG1 – R169 900; 1.2 GLX 5MT IG2 – R189 900; 1.2 GLX 5AMT IG3 – R204 900. All models are covered by Suzuki Auto SA’s three-year or 100 000km warranty and two-year or 30 000km service plan. —