By Ian Strachan.
Suzuki’s crossover baby – the multiple award-winning Ignis – has always been frugal on fuel. But in hybrid form it’s even more economical, with CO2 emissions of just 112 grams per kilometre.
The Suzuki Ignis Hybrid has a petrol-sipping 1.2 litre petrol engine, helped by an electric motor which kicks in when your foot is off the accelerator. The result is impressive fuel economy of almost 57 miles to the gallon.
The Ignis uses light, high-tensile steel to keep weight, and therefore fuel consumption, down to a minimum, even without the electric motor. But despite its small car frugality it sits quite high on the road, giving it a purposeful ready-for-anything stance.
The Ignis I tested was powered by a four-cylinder 1.2 90 bhp petrol engine, which, even without electric assistance, has good economy and sprightly performance.
The engine, linked to a five speed manual gearbox, never feels overworked or in need of a sixth cog. It’s as brisk as you need and will take just over 11 seconds to propel you from 0-60 mph.
The Ignis has a crisp, well laid out and comfortable interior. It’s light and roomy, and the seats are comfortable and supportive for a small car. Instruments are clear and well laid out. The whole of the interior feels spacious, pleasant and light . It’s one of those cars which feels bigger on the inside than it looks from the outside. Luggage space – at 260 litres – is good for small car and by folding the split rear seats this increases to 514 litres. You effectively have a small van.
The Ignis gives you a stable and safe ride, with little or no body roll on cornering despite its relative height. The car feels glued to the road, but still gives light handling and driver involvement. I tested the two-wheel drive version which felt confident and stable. An all-wheel drive version is available.
Equipment levels on the Ignis in the SZ5 trim level I tested are high, with all-round electric windows and door mirrors, keyless entry and ignition, automatic air conditioning, navigation system with touch screen display, DAB digital radio, Bluetooth connectivity and USB sockets, rear parking camera, cruise control, steering wheel-mounted controls, 50/50 split rear seat, automatic headlamps and front fog lamps. The Ignis 1.2 Dualjet Hybrid in SZ5 trim level with all-wheel drive comes at £18,949. Metallic paint comes at an additional £515.
All in all this is a good package which looks the part and has plenty of charcater. Plus you get the satisfaction of miserly fuel consumption.
