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Suzuki Ignis II, the cheapest modern Suzuki. And the cheapest 4×4 on European the market. And the cheapest hybrid on the market. And the cheapest 4×4 hybrid on the market. How did they pull it off?

The Suzuki Ignis II is the sequel to what was basically a Swift on stilts, a car that didn’t do so well in Europe but fantastic in Australia and Japan. The first Ignis is a rare enough presence on the streets of Europe. Sure, there are still good bargains to be found, but the first Ignis really is really is the sort of car you buy because you’ve found a good bargain. I doubt too many people dream of one day owning an 1st gen Ignis.

With the Suzuki Ignis II however, things are at the complete opposite of the spectrum. This car is everywhere. I’ve researched, I’ve opened the door, I got on the floor, I did the dinosaur and I still haven’t managed to come up with more than a few reasons why these wheeled washing machines are everywhere in Europe:

• The price is far too good to ignore. The cheapest Suzuki Ignis II costs 10,450 euros at the moment this thing was written. Cheaper than that is only the Dacia Sandero which in Laureate trim costs 9500 euros and which is about the closest rival to the Suzuki Ignis II and/or Swift. But I talked about the Swift versus Logan rivalry in the Swift article.


• A lot of people are tired of the German reliability myth. This has been seen in the sales figures which for some years now have been shifting towards non-German cars. Kia, Hyundai, Toyota, the French Opel, Dacia and now Mitsubishi and Suzuki have taken a bite out of that huge cake. And the Germans are still stubbornly churning out not-very-convincing cars (see T-Roc) and doing nothing but pushing people towards other brands.


• More and more people are fed up with used cars and mechanics as shady as those who sell you cigarettes at the flea market. Even in the balkans people are slowly moving towards new cars and Suzuki offers cars that even they  can afford. So Suzuki took a large chunk of disgruntled used car owners and sold them cheap but brand new cars.


• You could say that I lick the butt of Ignis more than a corporate employee who licks the butt of his big boss in order to become a smaller boss. Things are not so licky licky however in the looks department. Seriously, it’s so ugly it’s brilliant. It offends everyone. Plus it’s sort of like the Gwendoline Christie of the car world – tall, not very wide so probably not very stable in corners at high speeds. Sort of like the first Logan, only more unstable.

Suzuki Ignis II Engines

Petrol

1.2 K12C and K12M of 90 horsepower – Same, I’ll discuss more in the Swift article in this article. The main point about this engine is that it’s one of the last naturally aspirated, 4-cylinder engines. That means increased reliability and increased power. Either Suzuki doesn’t believe in new technology or they are so happy with what they have done, that this is the only engine on the Ignis and Swift. Also I’m writing only these lines to save space.

Diesel

1.3 D13A DDiS of 75 horsepower – Much like with the Swift, the indian Suzuki Ignis II kept the 1.3 diesel which was sourced from Fiat 500 years ago. And here it’s in the 75 horsepower guise, much like the one used in the Opel Corsa. Simple, reliable but retired due to emission standards worldwide. Also because the mild hybrids have a similar fuel economy to the diesel so there’s no real point in a small diesel on a small car anymore.

Hybrid

1.2 K12C and K12D MHEV of 90 horsepower – The same 90hp 1.2 that’s occasionally helped by an electric motor at low speeds. Like a student who got plastered last night and is now sleeping in the ditch in front of the dorm, every once in a while he’ll twitch and mumble something. You know it’s there, you know it’s alive, but you don’t really know what it’s doing.

Suzuki Ignis II Reliability Issues

• All that low price comes with it’s price on the equipment list. Like the fact that you only have one engine to choose from or the fact that the rear brakes are drum brakes for all two trim levels. Or the fact that the level of interior materials is worthy of college dorm rooms. Lots of plastic negotiated at a price straight out of the flea market. And the differences between the trim levels are so small that you buy only the powertrain, hybrid, or all-wheel drive. The rest of the car is bonus. Not bogus, bonus.


• It’s got the looks that only a mother could love, it’s unstable in bends, and has rear visibility on par with that of a student after drinking 5 pints of Primator 24 Double. I don’t understand why they put the rear window so high, they’d rather put it directly on the roof, that’s what it was. Well, I don’t understand a lot of things, one of them would be if I punched myself and it hurt, would I be strong or weak? Or the fact that pregnant women taking a bath are theoretically human submarines.


• A lot of people complain about the rear suspension, which is a traditional solid axle. So take a test drive before buying this thing.


• In terms of safety, the Suzuki Ignis II is one of the deadliest cars. Literally. Well, if you only use it around town as Suzuki suggests, you shouldn’t have too many issues. It’ll only hit pedestrians, but that’s their problem really. And if they die, suddenly it’s not their problem anymore.

Suzuki Ignis II Verdict

It remains a cheap car to buy and maintain. However, apart from Mila Kunis (she only has advantages), everything in life has both advantages and disadvantages. It still remains a cheaper, less capable Jimny that you wouldn’t really care that much about. After all, a Jimny costs twice as much as an Ignis. The issue is that I highly doubt you’ll find a 4×4 model on the used market because I highly doubt anyone will buy one new in the first place. I sit and look at the typical Ignis driver and he looks like the kind of guy who just scrapped his Morris Marina and bought a new car. Still, when used prices come down, I think it’ll be a good car for some hilarious off-road projects.

What engines do you recommend? 1.2 90 horsepower petrol for petrol power and 1.2 petrol for diesel power and 1.2 petrol for hybrid power and 1.2 for foot fungus power and 1.2 for apoplexy and 1.2 for everything really.