Suzuki Ignis
Trendy Ignis is the smallest car here. We see if that ultimately holds it back
MODELTESTED: Suzuki Ignis 1.2 Dualjet Hybrid ALLGRIP SZ5 PRICE: £13,499 ENGINE: 1.2-litre 4cyl, 89bhp
IF you’re after budget SUV motoring, then the Suzuki Ignis is another alternative to the new Dacia Duster. There are positives and negatives to this choice, as we’ll come to. Here we’re testing the 1.2 Dualjet Hybrid ALLGRIP in SZ5 trim, which is being offered with a £2,000 discount at the moment, so it starts from an affordable £13,499.
Design & engineering
THE Ignis uses the same ‘HEARTECT’ platform underneath as Suzuki’s Baleno supermini. That was the first car to be based on the brand’s latest chassis architecture, but there are a few differences for this 4x4 miniSUV; the Ignis gets Macpherson struts at the front and, unusually, a live rear axle due to its four-wheel-drive powertrain.
The engine is another interesting feature. Suzuki’s 1.2-litre naturally-aspirated Dualjet petrol unit is supported by an integrated starter generator to give the Japanese model mild-hybrid capability and a modest total of 89bhp and 120Nm of torque.
While that’s some way down on the Duster, the Ignis is significantly lighter, at 920kg, compared with 1,276kg for the Dacia. The Tivoli is just a whisker lighter than the Duster, at 1,270kg.
There’s a five-speed manual gearbox here sending power to all four wheels. The all-wheeldrive set-up in the Ignis is permanent, unlike in the Dacia, and while you don’t get any 4x4 modes as such, there is hill descent control, like in the Duster.
Where the Ignis pulls ahead is inside. Its cabin is smaller and more cramped, but feels much smarter. The materials have a slightly higherquality feel, but the gap to its rivals isn’t massive. Instead, it’s the flash of colour and the kit you get that give the Suzuki its personality.
The seven-inch touchscreen infotainment system includes a colour rear-view camera, as in the Dacia, but you also get Carplay and Android Auto connectivity, sat-nav, DAB and Bluetooth.
Driving
NONE of these cars is what you’d call fast. The Duster feels slow due to its strangled engine, but the Ignis is brisk enough. It accelerated from 0-60mph in 10.1 seconds, two seconds faster than the Dacia.
However, with taller gearing and only a fivespeed gearbox to cover the same speed range as the six-speed Duster, the Ignis wasn’t as fast in gear. It was 1.4 seconds slower from 30 to 50mph in fourth, for example, and as a city car-style SUV, this could reduce its flexibility around town.
It’s not hard to overcome this, though; you just have to work the motor a little harder, but a gentle boost from the hybrid tech helps as well.
When you do, it feels keener than the Dacia and it is more refined, too, even if things still get noisy as the revs rise. The gearbox isn’t the most direct, but it isn’t obstructive, either, and the whole powertrain package works nicely.
The chassis isn’t quite as great, though. Despite some tweaks to the set-up since we ran an Ignis on the Auto Express fleet, the ride is firm and harsh, and as the wheelbase isn’t that long it feels unsettled over ridges in the road, occasionally crashing quite violently as bumps affect both axles together. That short wheelbase combines with steering which is quick enough to ensure that the Ignis at least changes direction sweetly, and the firm set-up delivers decent handling despite its narrow track and tall body.
High-speed refinement isn’t great and the Suzuki feels a little more raw than the Duster on a motorway, due mainly to the fidgety ride. But around town it’s easily the most competent of these three contenders.
Overall, the Ignis feels refreshingly honest and likeable, even if there are some flaws.
Practicality
PRACTICALITY is a weak spot, because the boot offers just 204 litres of space. With the rear seats folded the Ignis’s smaller cabin also means the total volume isn’t as much as its rivals’, at 1,086 litres. The Duster has 1,614 litres.
Access to the rear seats isn’t quite as good, either, and it’s tighter once you’re sat there. The Ignis also only has room for four, unlike its five-seat rivals here, but its seats tilt and slide individually.
Despite this, the tall roofline and clever packaging mean cabin storage is impressive, and its compact footprint makes it easier to manoeuvre.
In addition, the Suzuki’s recent price drop from £15,499 (more than the Duster’s list price) to £13,499 sweetens the deal by some margin.
Ownership
THE price point these cars come in at means safety kit can be limited, but not on the Ignis. Unlike the Duster, it gets auto emergency braking as standard, as well as six airbags.
With this technology present (it is optional on lesser Ignis models), the Suzuki earned a full five-star Euro NCAP safety rating – something neither of its rivals here achieved.
Running costs
THE Ignis should be the cheapest car to run because it returned the strongest fuel economy on test, at 43.3mpg. This means you’ll spend around £1,620 on petrol per year, while the Duster (33.4mpg) will cost you £2,100.
Even though the Tivoli is two-wheel drive, it returned only 30.7mpg, meaning an annual fuel cost of £2,285 based on these figures. But a premium of £335 for our sample driver, thanks to some strong safety tech, means the Tivoli will be the cheapest model to insure. The Ignis comes with AEB as standard, too, so a year’s cover costs £365, while the Duster is the priciest, with a premium of £374.