Suzuki Ignis review

The Suzuki Ignis undeniably stands out in a sea of fairly boring, samey-looking small cars. For a start, it manages to look cute and tough at the same time. Its LED surrounded headlights look like black eyes and the dinky bruiser is further bolstered by blistered wheel arches and a trio of d-pillar indents.

Basically it’s the Ricky Hatton of the city car world.

However, it does make choosing an obvious alternative that bit more difficult. The Fiat Panda 4×4 is an obvious choice, but as it’s the only small SUV currently on sale  – aside from Suzuki‘s own Jimny – that leaves the Ignis to deal with small cars such as the Fiat 500, Renault Twingo and Toyota Aygo.

Inside, it’s spacious enough to deal with all the cars mentioned above. There’s room for four adults and the quality is good even if the materials are on the cheap and durable side. It’s colourful, though and the infotainment system is easy to read if slow to respond.

Hybrid power helps efficiency, but there's no need to go for the four-wheel-drive model – unless you live in the mountains.

Thankfully, the driving experience isn’t nearly as laborious. The Ignis is impressively light – basic models weigh just 895kg, about 15kgs less than a VW Up. It feels sprightly and is enjoyable to drive around town but, out on the motorway, things are a bumpier and noisier than close alternatives. Not to deal-breaking levels, though.

What could put you off the Ignis is its limited engine range. In fact, there’s just one to choose from – a 1.2-litre four-cylinder hybrid petrol – and you can have it with two-wheel drive or four-wheel drive. Even four-wheel-drive models can return fuel economy of more than 50mpg.

Equipment levels are also impressive on entry-level cars, which come with air-conditioning, a DAB radio, electric windows and a Bluetooth phone connection. One step up to the SZT gets you sat-nav and a reversing camera.

So, if you aren’t impressed with the range of traditional city cars on sale, the funky Ignis could be the refreshing take on city motoring you need. If so, check out our deals page for the very best prices.