Pic Salaphezulu Masindane

By Khulekani Dumisa

The Ignis has been around for almost two years in South Africa and the little big car continues to do well for Suzuki. The firm had its best month since it came back to South Africa in 2008, selling 1,479 new Suzuki cars. To reach this new record, Suzuki sold no less than 548 new Suzuki Swift models, 249 units of the Suzuki Celerio and 204 units of the Suzuki Ignis.

What has made the Ignis popular?

The overall offering. The car excels on providing value for money no matter how you look at it. Looks, especially the back design, may be polarizing but they get people talking and noticing the Ignis. The GLX spec comes with LED daytime running lights which ensures that you stand out.

Inside the, the Ignis offers a decent amount of space for occupants. The seats are comfortable with ample support which comes in handy over long distances. The boot, at 260 litres, is good and extends up to 469 litres when the back seats are folded down.

The Ignis cabin is also well built. The design is modern and looks good. This writer is not a fan of two tone interiors but this adds to the charm in the Ignis. The car is also not shy on the technological front with a 7-inch touchscreen infotainment with AppleCar Play and Android Auto compatibility dominating the dash. On the GLX specification, you also get features such as parking sensors, a reverse camera, keyless entry and keyless start, folding mirrors and all round electric mirrors.

The 1,2 litre engine with 61 kW of power and 113 Nm of torque is never found wanting for power, especially in hilly parts of the city. The power combined with a fairly light weight body means fuel consumption is always low. We are constantly averaging 5,6l/100km without even trying. The drive feels comfortable and the cabin is decently insulated from exterior sound. The lack of ESP is a disappointment though as the driver does not benefit from a technology that is available and can save them from sticky situations even without them being aware of it. This is not to say the Ignis is short on safety with standard safety features such as front dual airbags, ABS, EBD and I SOFIX child seat anchorages on offer.

All in all, the Ignis remains a favourite thanks to its youthful looks, generous specification and good fuel economy.

The Suzuki range is priced from R176,900 with our GLX manual coming in at R200,000. The prices included a 2 year/30,00 km service plan and a five year/200,000km warranty.