Despite members of the small car segment being decidedly bland, the micro car segment (which sits beneath it) always seems to offer up some quirky, different and appealing alternatives to the mainstream boredom. And perhaps the best of them at the moment is the 2017 Suzuki Ignis, and in top-spec GLX guise, it’s an absolute steal at $19,990 drive away.
Abarth, DS3, Fiesta, Rio, Micra, Clio, Fabia and Polo, there’s so much to like about the micro car segment and yet for us at CarAdvice, the Suzuki Ignis really piqued our interest. Mike Costello was impressed following his drive at launch, and following on from that launch drive, we decided to take ‘ownership’ of Suzuki’s funky city car for a six-month, long-term loan.
No matter how much we want to pretend we can escape the daily grind, the reality is we are stuck in the urban confines more often than not. While the idea of a large car appeals to so many – look at the number of SUVs running around – the appeal of a small car is quite obvious.
Spend more than five minutes running round town in the Ignis, and you’ll be sold on the idea. The 1.2-litre engine, CVT and 4.7L/100km ADR fuel claim are all spot on for the segment, while 66kW and 120Nm promise to be more than enough to get a lightweight like the Ignis punting along hard enough.
Ignis gets six airbags, ISOFIX anchors, but no autonomous emergency braking. The cabin is larger than the wheelbase might indicate because of the high roof, boxy design, and our test GLX is fitted with rear seats that both slide and recline. Luggage space runs from 260 litres to a whopping 1100 litres with the seats folded down.
Standard equipment highlights for the top of the range GLX include: touchscreen, satellite navigation, Android Auto/Apple CarPlay, rear-view camera, Bluetooth, USB inputs, cruise control, power windows, leather steering wheel, steering wheel controls, 16-inch alloy wheels, 50:50 sliding reclining split rear seats, auto HID headlights, LED DRLs, rear privacy glass, keyless start and climate control.
Straight off the bat, the Ignis is an entertaining little city runaround, but stay tuned over the next few months, as we take a closer look at what we love (and might not love so much) about the Ignis with our long term loan car.
2017 Suzuki Ignis GLX Auto
- Price: $19,990 drive away
- Engine: 1.2-litre four-cylinder petrol
- Power: 66kW at 6000rpm
- Torque: 120Nm at 4400rpm
- Transmission: CVT, front-wheel drive
- Claimed fuel use: 7.0 litres per 100 kilometres
- Weight: 820 kilograms (kerb weight)
- Seating: five
- Country of origin: Japan
- Odometer at time of collection: 918km
Click on the Photos tab for more images by Sam Venn.
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