A charm offensive

GILES BLAIR explains why the Suzuki Ignis is both fun and a very capable, practical small crossover

- GILES BLAIR

THE Suzuki Ignis has bags of character and it’s one of those cars that puts a smile on your face.

But beneath the surface of the Japanese marque’s compact crossover lies a serious bit of kit in the shape of an all-wheel-drive, mild-hybrid powertrain.

It is offered with the top-spec SZ5 ALLGRIP, featuring a five-speed manual transmission, that I had on test, which is keenly priced from £17,749 on the road.

And this cleverly engineered combination only adds to the fun that the recently revamped Ignis offers owners.

The 83PS powerplant consists of a 1.2-litre petrol engine and a 12V self-charging hybrid system with a lithium-ion battery and integrated starter generator.

The latter assists the engine during vehicle take-off and acceleration and also generates electricity through regenerative braking.

This technology gives this particular Ignis variant an impressive official average fuel economy of 51.9mpg, with CO2 emissions of 123g/km.

A 0-62mph sprint time of 12.8 seconds and a top speed of 103mph will meet most drivers’ needs – the car proving to be a comfortable motorway cruiser.

A kerb weight of just 940kg and the automatic four-wheel-drive system add to its agility on country roads, particularly if you work the slick gearbox.