2023 Suzuki Ignis GLX review

The Suzuki Ignis range holds the title of Australia’s cheapest SUV; however, not all SUVs are created equal. Don’t expect to be tackling wild off-road terrain in the Ignis (look to the Suzuki Jimny for that), instead picture it conquering multi-deck car parks and mastering the trails that lead to your local Westfield shopping centre.

All the elements are there to help it survive the city. Compact dimensions, raised seating, good visibility, and Suzuki’s driving verve that promises to inject a little joy into even the most dreary commute.

While it may not be the cheapest new car outright, and hasn’t been immune from recent price rises, the Ignis still sits at the more budget-oriented end of the market. Does it have what it takes to cut the mustard as a good first car, a frugal runabout, or a cheap runner for the work commute? We find out.

With a starting price of $19,490 before on-road costs, or $22,490 drive-away (nation-wide), the entry-level Ignis GL gets to claim the title of Australia’s cheapest SUV. Step up to the high-grade Ignis GLX and the pricing kicks off slightly higher at $22,490 plus on-road costs, or $26,490 drive-away, so the car we have here misses out on the ‘Australia’s cheapest’ title.

While it may be one of the cheaper new cars available in Australia, the Ignis doesn’t go without a sense of flair. It’s classed as an SUV thanks to its upright stance and slightly raised ride height, but in reality it’s more like a traditional city-sized light hatch with some chunkier styling touches.

As per the city car template you get a small petrol engine, just the thing for efficiency, and drive sent to the front wheels – no all-terrain, all-wheel-drive capabilities here.

Across the range, the Ignis comes with power windows on all four doors, remote central locking, cruise control, air-conditioning, fabric seat trim, steering wheel audio and cruise-control buttons, folding rear seats, a reverse camera, and more.

Opting for the GLX adds extra touches like auto-on LED headlights in place of halogen headlights, 16-inch alloy wheels instead of smaller steel wheels, two extra interior speakers (for six in total), and digital climate-control air-conditioning. The one small but significant change that might matter is a switch to four seats in the GLX, instead of five in the GL, with a sliding and reclining rear seat taking the place of the regular 60:40 folding rear bench.

While it might be small on the outside, the Ignis offers decent space inside. No, it doesn’t defy the laws of physics, so it is still small, but clever use of interior space means your passengers shouldn’t have to compromise significantly.

The driver faces a tilt-only adjustable wheel, without reach adjustment for the steering, but the tall driver’s seating position and upright stance make it fairly easy to find a comfy seating position.

The design of the dashboard adds in a few fun elements, and there’s a contrasting coloured section across the dash that houses a small storage spot ahead of the passenger. The digital single-zone climate-control panel looks pretty cool, and the storage slot at the base of the centre stack is huge, with two cupholders plus room for a phone and wallet.

Suzuki’s accessory catalogue lets you pick from colourful splashes for the door pulls, centre console side panels, grille, mirror caps and wheel decals too – if you want to customise your Ignis. Interior plastics are hard, but clever design ensures things don’t feel too cheap and nasty. The lack of a high centre console or lidded armrest shows a cheaper side, however.

The rear seats, like the fronts, offer a decent amount of space and avoid feeling cramped thanks to tall head room and space under the front seats to slide your feet into. There’s adequate knee room, of if you want to keep the rear seats up and expand boot space, the rear seats can be slid forward.

A 50:50 folding rear seat folds forward but not flat, taking the standard 264L boot up to 1104L with the seats folded. The lack of a flat floor does create some compromise when it comes to loading bulky items, and the pronounced boot lip needs to be navigated when extracting heavy items.

At present, Suzuki is updating standard infotainment specifications across multiple models, including the Ignis. Cars in dealer lots at the moment feature a 9.0-inch infotainment screen, but new cars arriving in the country will be fitted with a smaller 7.0-inch display with extra features built in.

The Ignis shown here is fitted with the outgoing 9.0-inch display. It includes Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, both via wired connection, Bluetooth, and AM/FM radio.

The system itself looks and feels more like an aftermarket unit, with a clunky interface and a screen that wasn’t always responsive to the driver’s taps.

If yours is a newer 2023 arrival with the 7.0-inch display, integrated satellite navigation comes as part of the package in exchange for the smaller display. It’s the same unit as previously fitted to the Ignis, and previous experience tells us that while it can be slow to load, and a little dated in terms of graphics, it’s actually a solid infotainment solution.

Suzuki doesn’t pair any of its infotainment systems with remote connectivity, so there’s no access to functions like remote vehicle access or location checks via a smartphone app.

The simple instrument display places a big speedo in the centre with a smaller tacho to the left, and a small monochrome multi-function trip computer on the right. Essential info is there at a glance, but the Ignis goes without a digital speedo that would be very handy.

The Suzuki Ignis doesn’t carry an ANCAP rating, with no assessment applicable to Australian-delivered vehicles.

Looking at similar results overseas, the Ignis carries a 2016 three-star Euro NCAP rating for vehicles similarly equipped to this offered in Australia; however, as per ANCAP and Euro NCAP protocols, this is now deemed an ‘expired’ rating and is no longer applicable. With crash test assessments regularly updated (and made stricter), comparing an old result with a current one isn’t a like-for-like process.

The Ignis carries a rather slim list of standard safety features.

The basics like traction and stability control are covered, along with six airbags (dual front, front seat side, and full-length curtain airbags), plus two ISOFIX and two top-tether child seat mounts.

What you don’t get are features available on the much better equipped Swift, like autonomous emergency braking (AEB), lane-departure warning, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert and driver fatigue detection. Given that a Swift GL Plus with these features is only $1000 more, it feels like the better, safer bet.

Cruise control comes standard, and in town there’s a handy speed limiter function, but not much more in the way of driver assist tech.

Overseas, the Ignis is available with a camera-based collision mitigation and AEB system, lane-departure warning and tyre pressure monitoring, but Australia misses out on this important technology.

Suzuki offers a five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty to private-use vehicles in Australia. If you use your car commercially, be that as a ride share, delivery or hire car, a 160,000km warranty limit applies over the same five-year term.

Capped-price servicing is available, with servicing required every 12 months or 15,000km (whichever comes first). Service pricing varies each year, but over three years the total comes to $1157 and after five years you’ll have paid $1955.

Looking at insurance costs, the Swift GLX came back with an annual premium of $1074 per year, making it only a little more expensive than the Hyundai Venue ($1064) and Kia Stonic ($1052), though all three sit surprisingly close. All quotes are provided by a leading insurer based on a comparative quote for a 35-year-old male driver living in Chatswood, NSW. Insurance estimates may vary based on your location, driving history, and personal circumstances.

Being small, light, and not too powerful means the Ignis can keep fuel consumption low without needing to resort to high-tech solutions like stop-start systems or hybrid assistance.

Suzuki’s official mixed-use consumption claim is 4.9 litres per 100km. That’s a decent enough figure, and in testing that was kept to mainly city commuting and peak-hour shuffling, the Ignis returned a 5.6L/100km result without me driving for efficiency.

Cars like Toyota’s hybrid Yaris Cross will be thriftier on fuel, but certainly aren’t as cheap to buy as the Ignis, which helps balance out overall costs.

There’s a lightness and engaging agility to the Ignis that makes it quite a pleasant little car to run around in.

It’s not a high-performance model by any stretch of the imagination, but Suzuki seems to have concentrated its efforts on making a car that feels nimble and sprightly around town. As such, it makes the most of the modest engine power it has, and feels right at home in the urban jungle.

For things like tarmac joins and speed humps, the Ignis copes well, but the ride comfort can get a little more ragged over successive hits, corrugations, or bigger potholes. Even with four occupants on board, the Ignis held up well and didn’t bottom out or become unwieldy.

Engine performance feels just fine for point A to point B runs around town. You may not win the traffic light grand prix every time, but it’ll keep up with traffic, and can deal well with the ebb and flow of busy streets.

Power outputs are certainly modest. There’s 66kW and 120Nm from the 1.2-litre non-turbo engine. If you were cross-shopping something similarly priced, like a Hyundai Venue, you’d find a 90kW/151Nm 1.6-litre engine, while a Kia Stonic comes with a 74kW/133Nm 1.4-litre engine, although both are larger and heavier as well.

The CVT automatic is smart enough to keep pace with driver demands, and really only stands out as a bit dimwitted if you press the accelerator hard for a quick burst of acceleration. Here you’ll get plenty of noise, but not too much action in response.

Its steering is nice and light, coupled with the tight turning circle and compact dimensions, swinging the Ignis into skinny parking spaces or through tight laneways is an absolute breeze. It’s not too light or skittish on the road, and even in strong crosswinds it felt planted.

Noise insulation isn’t fantastic, so coarse-chip roads do drum up plenty of tyre rumble. If nothing else, it really highlights that even though the Ignis can manage motorway runs without breaking a sweat, its natural environment is within city limits.

The Ignis is a very cool looking and very fun little city runabout. Its spunky mini-SUV styling bears a strong Jimny-esque family resemblance, giving it a playful but robust appeal on city streets.

Suzuki’s expertise in urban-centric, lightweight, and agile little cars really shines in the Ignis. The interior has useable space, yet the footprint is ultra-compact, and still the driver gets a tall, SUV-style driving position.

Unfortunately for the Ignis, the fast-moving world of automotive driver assist technology has left it a little behind the pace. Rivals do a better job in some areas, and where that might have been somewhat forgivable when it was super-cheap, current pricing means the Ignis deserves a careful pro/con assessment to work out if the Ignis is the right solution for your daily commute.

Smart buyers might be better served by the similarly priced Suzuki Swift range, which carries less compromises, provided you can deal with the traditional hatchback form factor.