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Suzuki knows more about Crossovers than just about any other manufacturer. In 2017, it launched its smallest one, the Ignis. It's a compact, affordable and very stylishly-formed way to make a statement in the city and cruise through the country. Let's check it out as a used buy.
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History
So, what on earth is this? Is it a trendy citycar? Or some sort of rugged supermini? Perhaps it's a small Crossover - or some form of little SUV? Or maybe it's the kind of fashionable little car that, rather refreshingly, simply defies categorisation. Whatever it is, it was made by Suzuki between 2017 and 2024 and was called the Ignis.
If the name sparks any sort of recognition, it's because Suzuki sold a car with the Ignis badge in our market between 2000 and 2008, a model that only aroused any sort of real interest in its peppiest 'Sport' guise. This second generation Ignis, introduced in late 2016, was a very different proposition, launched to target buyers who liked the fashionable looks of a Juke or Captur-style small Crossover, but wanted a slightly smaller, more affordable package.
This model featured the same hi-tech 'TECT' platform that Suzuki used in this period in its Swift and Baleno supermini models and slotted into the brand's line-up just below them and just above the company's Celerio citycar. There was sophistication promised beneath the bonnet too. Forget diesel power (still in vogue back in 2017). Suzuki reckoned it wasn't need here because the provided 1.2-litre Dualjet petrol unit delivered comfortably over 60mpg in regular use, with carbon dioxide emissions around about the 100g/km mark, figures you can improve upon if you get the version of this powerplant that's bolstered by a clever mild hybrid system.
At the top of the range, there's even a version with Suzuki's ALLGRIP 4WD set-up, creating a small car with all-round winter traction that'll cost you thousands less than almost any other 4x4 alternative you might want to consider. And it's all packaged up with funky looks that if you like, you'll really love. So, should you be tempted by what's on offer here? Let's find out. The Ignis was updated in 2020, then sold until the end of 2024 - and wasn't replaced.
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What you get
Ever seen a small car quite like this? No, we haven't either. The idea was to strike a balance between retro and modern, while building in a selection of design cues drawn from Suzuki's brand heritage. The curious rear C-pillar slits and the unusually-shaped rear side window for example, both reference the company's famous SC100 'Whizzkid' model from the Seventies. Other influences are more subtle. The clamshell bonnet comes from the original Vitara; the blacked-out A and B-pillar design is inherited from the Swift; and the LED headlights? Well apparently, they were influenced by Johnny Depp's sunglasses. Yeah, well, whatever.
Inside, it's difficult to know what to expect after the eccentricities of the exterior bodywork. Perhaps inevitably, there isn't anything quite as weird and wacky on offer in the cabin, but the designers have done their best to carry on the individualistic theme where they could. All good enough, but of course there's no real disguising the fact that this cabin has been built down to a budget. To some extent, compensation for some of these shortcomings came in Suzuki's decision to equip most Ignis models with the advanced 'Smartphone Linkage Display Audio' set-up that back at this car's launch we'd already seen in the company's Baleno and Vitara models. This gets you a 7-inch colour infotainment centre-dash touchscreen, the kind of thing that other citycar-shaped models back in 2016 either didn't offer or restricted to their priciest derivatives.
In the rear, this Ignis is actually capable of doing something you might have thought a citycar could never do: namely, seat two fully-sized adults in the rear in complete comfort behind two equally hefty folks up-front. There's a caveat to this comment and it lies in the fact that you have to have the sliding rear bench to make this possible. That's something you don't get on the entry-level 'SZ3' model. Pushed right back using its full 165mm of travel, this seat base provides for better legroom than you get in some Focus-sized family hatchbacks.
Last but by no means least, let's consider the boot. Suzuki seems to specialise in providing around 260-litres of trunk space to its customers, that being approximately what you get with its Celerio citycar and its Swift supermini from this period - and again here in this Ignis. What's different in this case though, is that if you've gone for a model with that sliding rear bench, you'll have much more flexibility in what you can carry.
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What to look for
The main issues we've come across relate to things like manual gearbox crunching, juddering clutches and occasional Integrated Starter Generator belt failures that for original owners required a recall. We've heard of issues with electrical malfunctions on the reversing camera. And on the central touchscreen, there are problems with freezing and disconnection of Bluetooth, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto features.
Otherwise, there shouldn't be too much to worry about. Look out for the usual scratched alloy wheels and signs of child damage in the back. And favour cars that have a properly stamped-up service history.
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Replacement parts
(approx prices based on a 2020 Ignis 1.2 Dualjet ex VAT) An oil filter costs around £5-£7. An air filter costs around £6-£11. A set of front brake pads are in the £14 to £45 bracket. A front brake disc is in the £15-£44 bracket. A shock absorber is in the £55-£95 bracket depending on brand. Wiper blades cost between £6 and £18.
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On the road
Light weight and compact exterior dimensions combine to make the Ignis ideally suited to town driving, its intended habitat. Right from the get-go, you feel confident at the wheel, thanks to the commanding driving position and excellent forward visibility that makes this little Suzuki easy to thread through tiny gaps in the traffic. Move beyond the city limits out on to the open road and the Ignis feels much less in its comfort zone, but if you can deal with the rather vague steering and the body roll you get at speed through tight bends, there's enough turn-in grip to make this car actually quite fun to punt about if you're in the mood to enjoy it. Some of the credit for this lies with this model's stiff, sophisticated 'TECT' platform that facilitates a feather-light kerb weight that can be as little as just 800kgs.
This in turn means that a small, relatively low-powered engine is all that's necessary to punt this Ignis along at a decent lick, the unit in question in all models being a four cylinder 1.2-litre Dualjet petrol unit developing 90PS. At the top of the range, you can get a version of this powerplant featuring Suzuki's 'SHVS' mild hybrid technology. Here, an 'Integrated Starter Generator' works with a tiny lithium-ion battery to harvest kinetic energy when you brake and convert it into electrical energy that can power the engine stop-start system and give you a small energy boost as you accelerate. This set-up's priority though, is to promote efficiency, which is why this variant improves the quoted running cost figures to 65.7mpg and 97g/km. You have to have the 'SHVS' set-up if you want an Ignis fitted with Suzuki's on-demand 'ALLGRIP' 4WD system. A more popular option for buyers will probably be to find a version fitted with the 'AGS' semi-auto gearbox - a likely boon for town-dwellers.
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Overall
What if you could buy a small, sensible little runabout but feel the same level of emotional involvement with it as you'd get from the kind of car you'd choose to spoil yourself - a sports roadster perhaps, or a convertible? That was the thinking behind this Ignis.
True, finding a bit more cash for an ordinary supermini from this period might certainly get you a small hatch with a smoother quality of ride and a better finished interior. But it wouldn't get you a car guaranteed to make you feel good about yourself. Hard to put a price on that isn't it?
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