Today's cars are completely different than thirty years ago. Or twenty years ago, or even just ten years ago. The dictates of today's society dictate that we drive giant SUVs with super-powerful engines, preferably electric. Some contemporary models look a bit like they are from the past, but not that they are outdated, it's nostalgia. A reminder of the old golden days when the world was still right. The tested Suzuki Ignis is exactly like that.
I'M LITTLE, I'M PLAYFUL
I don't want to say that Suzuki invented the crossover segment, but they are definitely one of the pioneers. The very first generation Suzuki Ignis, then still a tiny kei-car (for those who don't know, I'll explain the term later), saw the light of day already in 1998 , and arrived in Europe two years later. Like the one tested today, the first Ignis was a hatchback with increased ground clearance and a pinch of protective plastics. So he can draw from history.
The new Ignis is small and playful, in the Japanese tradition it doesn't take itself too seriously, it's definitely cheerful. It actually looks like a big kei-car to me. Who doesn't know, kei-cars are the smallest category of Japanese cars, with a length of up to 3.4 meters, an engine no bigger than 660 cm and they are really small, but mainly funny, cute and playful like the Ignis.
The narrow wheels in the corners of the body further add to the impression of smallness, but they are the key to good stability and fun driving characteristics. From the front, the "little guy" looks maybe a little frowny to me, a smile would suit him better. An important, perhaps supporting design element is the wide and slanted C-pillar with false ribs that refer to the historic Fronte model from the seventies. As is often the case with such wide pillars, the rearward view is poor due to this, on the other hand, it makes the little Ignis easy to remember, different from the competition, and that's the main thing.
Perhaps the Ignis is not at all pleasant to look at from behind, it stands out as it is unusually narrow, yet tall, and the rear lights frown unpleasantly, like a mother-in-law in the morning . They say that small is beautiful. In the cuteness contest, the Ignis could be bested only by the Fiat 500.
FOUR PASSENGERS ARE ENOUGH, DEAR
I remember very well when the third generation Ignis was shown to us for the first time in 2017. I went to buy it as a child, I liked it so much. It was gorgeous in the photos and did NOT have a black interior. The first internet pictures and tests showed a light gray interior with orange accents, how excited was I!
Unfortunately, with 2020, this combination has disappeared from the range, leaving only a dark black-on-black with black carpets, black seats and fake black imitation carbon on the ventilation outlets. It's a great shame, because the bright areas just broke up the gloomy darkness and distracted from the cheap hard plastics from which the entire interior is made. At least the colored accessories, specifically the door handles with the center console, have not disappeared from the menu. You can choose gray, blue, red, and the aforementioned orange. Better than a wire in the eye.
I've already mentioned several times, I don't really mind hard plastics, they're also perfectly matched here and don't creak. I regret the lack of a bright interior much more, unfortunately this is a common trend that I absolutely do not understand.
I was very pleasantly surprised by the interior space. Although the Ignis is very narrow, so even two people in the front push their elbows into each other, on the other hand, there is enough room for the head and, thanks to the long wheelbase, for the knees in the back seats. We would search in vain for a place for the fifth passenger, it wouldn't fit here anyway. The seats are pleasantly soft, which corresponds to the expected driving performance (read "slowly"), and my back didn't hurt even after eight hours of driving. Simple solutions are often the best.
I will stop at the rear seats, because they can be moved within a range of 16.5 cm and also have an adjustable backrest angle, so the trunk can increase up to 260 l. The on-board infotainment is very simple, just like the entire Ignis . You won't find any unnecessary things in it, but the display has a decent resolution and you can connect a smartphone.
CHOPPED HYBRID HEART
Don't worry, it's not a bona fide hybrid like the Prius . Again, it's much easier. Suzuki's mild-hybrid system works even more simply than, for example, the recently tested Kia .
I'll take it from the beginning. The 1.2 DualJet power unit is a classic four-cylinder with 16 valves, but it has an unusually high compression ratio (13.0:1) and variable valve timing. The output of 61 kW and 107 Nm of torque are not dazzling values, but they are enough for a light Suzuk . Now for the mild-hybrid: It consists of an ISG , which is a starter-generator-alternator, which adds 2.3 kW and 50 Nm to the engine when needed.
ISG manages the kinetic energy you collect through recuperation, stores it in a battery under the passenger seat, then distributes it either to drive electrical accessories, or "kicks" the engine when it doesn't have enough power of its own (which is quite often). If I didn't tell you now, you probably wouldn't even realize it in traffic. I'll get right to what it's like in normal operation.
The ride itself was a difficult ritual for me at first. Despite how light the Ignis is, I found the engine really weak. However, I soon figured out how to be the ornament of the left lane (but only in the city). Spin, spin, spin , that's the key to moving fast. The engine likes it and it is at higher revs that the ISG engages and starts to help you (this can also be seen on the on-board PC).
Yes, you have to push it a bit, which would result in increased fuel consumption in a conventional combustion engine, but not in a small hybrid. In the end, it's a bit of old-world fun, it's no better than driving fast in a slow car ? Even with this style of driving, I managed to keep the city consumption under 6 liters per hundred, while on the highway it was only a few extra decimeters (6.3 l/ 100km)
A 4-WHEEL FOR EVERY FAMILY
Anyone who wants to save money and buy an Ignis with only front-wheel drive should think twice. In the end, he would regret it very much, the four-wheel drive system, which Suzuki calls ALLGRIP AUTO, works excellently.
Why a city car should have four wheels is clear when looking out the window. Sometimes it also snows or rains and is often muddy. This is a classic system with a viscous coupling that connects the "butt" when the front wheels slip, additionally supplemented with a smart anti-skid. replacement inter-axle differential. That it is not a half-baked solution is proven by Jeep , which uses a similar system for smaller models as well.
It is not the slightest problem to scramble anywhere, whether it is a snowy driveway or a muddy "polňačka". I didn't do the tank test, but I DID NOT FALL anywhere, and the quad bike came in very handy even in winter Prague, for example when starting from traffic lights.
On the road, the little Ignis behaves quite as expected for its size. It bounces a little on small wheels, but ride comfort is still at a decent level, for example a Citigo is downright bone-shaking against it. Personally, I was a little bothered by the long steering gear, but it has a generous range, so it can be turned, so to speak, "on a fiver"; Priceless in the city!
KING OF THE URBAN JUNGLE
Some of you may remember that there used to be a fine pub in Lucerna Passage. It was called Ignis Club . It was small, cozy and people liked to come back here. Suzuki's Ignis is also like that. Small in size, but big in heart, cleverly used interior space, plus intelligent four-wheel drive. And although my consumption was huge in the Ignis club, the Suzuki is the exact opposite. He doesn't hide that his place is in the jungle of the city and he is fabulously prepared for it.
But my greatest joy was driving this creature. With its simplicity, straightforwardness and lightness, it pays tribute to old Japanese cars. Indeed, small cars still have their place in the market. I highly recommend the Ignis to people who have already disliked new cars, mainly because of their excessive complexity or irrational distrust of hybrids.
Basically, the adorable little Ignis will cost you less than 300,000, the same four-wheeler that I had in the test, you can buy for 378, which is not at all little, and we are slowly entering the waters of the Dacia Duster. But I really enjoyed Ignis more…
