The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Small Ignis a big 4x4 choice
Suzuki’s Ignis is a tremendous car for those who want goanywhere a b i l i ty without the size and running costs of a Land Rover.
The dinky little hatchback is available with full time four-wheel drive.
Of course it’s not going to keep up with a Toyota Landcruiser if you take to the open moorland.
But with a slightly raised ride height and decent suspension it will tackle some surprisingly tricky terrain.
It’s also cheap to buy and run and offers fuel economy that’s – literally – miles better than that of bigger 4x4s. Prices start at £13,575 and the higher spec SZ5 version I drove cost a still very reasonable £17,749.
It’s a slightly ungainly beast but its looks grew on me over the week I spent with it. It’s different from everything else on the road, which marks it up in my book.
It’s also very cleverly packaged, Suzuki having eked every possible inch of internal space out of the car’s dinky dimensions.
At just 3.7 metres long and 1.7 wide, it’s a very small car – comparable with the Volkswagen Up and Kia Picanto.
Ye t there is more headroom and a bigger boot than those rivals. Mid range versions come with sliding rear seats that let you improve legroom or increase boot space.
All models come with a 1.2 litre petrol engine with mild hybrid technology.
It’s a zesty little unit and very frugal as well. Official fuel economy is 51.9mpg and I got 50.1mpg over a week of driving.
My SZ5 model came with plenty of toys, including keyless entry and start up, climate control, lane departure warning, re versing camera, hill descent control and autonomous braking.
It’s a fun little thing to drive, with neat handling for a tall-sided car.
Refinement isn’t perfect – if you do a daily motorway commute the Ignis may not be for you – but on a jaunt to Glamis and a drive around Fife I found it perfectly adequate.
You can go for a twowheel drive Ignis but the four-wheel drive option is what sets it apart from the crowd. I drove it through some horrendous wet weather and up some rutted farm tracks without any wheelspin or traction issues.
If you live in a remote corner of Courier Country the Ignis is a fantastic low cost option for getting you through whatever the winter can throw at you.