Suzuki Ignis 1.2 Dualjet SHVS SZ5 review

Suzuki may not be a big fleet player, but that doesn’t mean its cars aren’t fleet-relevant. The brand’s latest model proves this point perfectly.

The Ignis is a city car SUV. In other words, it’s a 3.7m-long vehicle with high ground clearance and off-roader looks, that can rather cleverly seat four adults comfortably (five at a squeeze) and carry a week’s shopping in the boot.

And in the right specification it has CO2 emissions of just 97g/km. The Ignis can also be bought with either front- or all-wheel drive.

It is a car with few direct rivals too, at least in ‘on-paper’ terms. Possibly the closest competitors in terms of exterior dimensions are the Panda and its 4×4 derivative, and the Vauxhall Adam.

Distintive styling

However, because of the Suzuki’s fun and distinctive exterior styling, which seems to be almost universally liked, the Ignis could appeal to user-choosers who would typically look at cars like the Mini, the Fiat 500 or the Nissan Juke, according to the manufacturer.

The car’s standout looks carry on to the interior, with some clever styling that distracts from some of the interior materials, which are clearly lower-cost when inspected closely. That said, the interior is robust in construction and well equipped for the money.

Single engine choice

Suzuki offers just one engine for the Ignis, a 1.2-litre petrol, although it can be selected with a mild hybrid system that gathers energy under braking and then uses that power to assist the car with start and low-speed acceleration.

With this optioned and in the front-drive set-up the Ignis produces an official CO2 figure of 97g/km, which isn’t amazing for such a small and lightweight car (870kg), but it does make it the fleet choice in the range.

At 90hp, the smooth and happy-to-rev engine is plenty powerful enough for the small car and will happily hold a motorway cruise while not being excessively noisy.

The driving character of the Ignis is honest. The raised ride height means the car has reasonable wheel articulation should you be one of the 15% buying the 4×4 version and then heading off-road; however, on-road, the softer suspension set-up means that there is more body roll when cornering than experienced in rival cars.

Oddly, the softer suspension can also thud over speed bumps and potholes, yet on most roads the softer ride is good for passenger comfort. Interestingly, the front-drive version is worse in this respect than the 4×4 version.

Despite the body roll and soft suspension, the car is still fun to drive and easy to position on the road. The steering helps because it offers good feedback as to what’s going on with the tyres.

Suzuki is looking to increase its business car sales in 2017 and the Ignis should appeal to those user-choosers looking for something a bit different from the default Fiat 500 choice. What’s more, the deliberately careful approach to fleet volumes from Suzuki, coupled with the brand’s legendary reliability, should mean strong residual values, making the car one of the most appealing in the sector.