Suzuki Ignis VVT 1.5 Review

Overall Rating

Sprightly performance that's better than rivals C2 VTR, Mini Cooper etc, cheap insurance, cheap servicing due to it not having a cam belt, but chain driven cam, so servicing every 9K only entails oil, then as it has Iridium plugs don't need changed until 36K. Precise short ratio gearbox makes most of available power. Recaro seats with old school cool "fish-net" headrests. Rare as only approx 1300 were imported to UK so not like rivals and a common site on the road. It formed the basis of the homologated car as used in Junior WRC with great success, and you can feel it in the razor sharp steering and firm suspension package which makes it handle very well.

Road noise at speed can be intrusive as cars has very little noise insulation, plus that short ratio gearbox means 70mph is 3500rpm 80mph 4000rpm etc etc can make longer drives a little tiresome. Dealer network not huge, but those I have used have been very good and helpful, there's even an online dealer to buy service and optional extra parts. Seats do not have memory function, so you let someone in the back the seat defaults to most upright and forward position. Deprecation is high but this makes it a bargain for the 2nd hand buyer. Ride comfort not high on priority list, lost at expense of great handling.

The Suzuki Ignis VVT 1.5 has a 1.5L 16V VVT engine that produces in UK trim 109bhp @6400rpm & 103lb ft@4100rpm a bit down on Jap spec of 115bhp 107lb ft but as with most small 16V N/A engines has to be worked hard to make the most of the power. Even driving the car spirited across country to work on 30mile commute I get on average 38mpg which is brilliant and not far off the manufacture figures of ultimate mpg of 43 which as we know are never replicated on true driving as these figures are from an engine running in a dyno cell.

Build quality is not bad, most plastics being hard wearing if a little scratchy to the touch, no soft fell German quality here.

The car as standard has disc brakes all round which for a standard car weighing in at little over 900kghs are amongst the best I have used, providing plenty of fade free retardation.

The standard 5J 15" wheels are made by Enkei are are very light, but are too narrow for the pumped up body kit and limits tyre choice as size not common at 185/55 15 and as wheel so narrow can't up size to expand choice, the optional "San Remo" 7J 16" wheel with 195 45 16 rubber look much better and do not spoil ride quality.

The car was offered with a host of options over and above the mentioned wheels, like mesh grill, spotlights, mud flaps (add to that Junior WRC car theme), gearknobs, alloy peddle covers, it was a fairly comprehensive list and many of these items are considered desirable as were expensive new.