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By
EWAN KENNEDY
24 January 2005
Cars
come and cars go, sometimes without a lot of logic as to why
they are a big player for a while, then an automotive also
ran. The Suzuki company had boom years in the Australian
scene with its little Swift, then it faded somewhat from the
public gaze. Doing so for no obvious reason that we can see.
Suzuki came back with a replacement for the Swift in 2000, a
more modern vehicle, this time called the Ignis. Yet the
Ignis, it’s Latin for ‘fire’ - hence the English word
ignite, has never managed to set the Australian small-car
market on fire.
Ignis is very easy to drive, and particularly to park, with
its compact dimensions being complemented by a rear window
that virtually sits above the back bumper. This makes it a
great city car, though it’s not as out of place in the
country as you might think.
Low priced, but pretty well equipped, with power steering,
dual airbags and a CD player, Ignis is certainly worth
considering. A word of caution, air conditioning was an
option with the three-door but standard in the five-door, so
check that it’s on the car you’re considering. That’s
if you want air, of course.
Interior space is pretty good, its obviously not a
stretch-out five-seater, but with a little bit of compromise
four adults can get comfortable. In Australia, of course,
most used Suzuki Ignis will have belonged to a single person
or a young, or old couple.
There are numerous storage compartments, including a large
tray under the dashboard. A removable box sits under the
luggage area floor, and that floor can be lifted out and
used as a picnic table.
Both the Ignis three-door and five-door hatches are powered
by a high-tech 1.3-litre four cylinder multi-valve engine
which generates peak power of 60kW at 6000rpm and 106Nm of
torque at 4500rpm. Transmission options are the usual
five-speed manual or four-speed automatics. Drive is to the
front wheels. Suzuki’s claimed highway fuel consumption of
just 4.9 litres per 100 kilometres for a manual Ignis is
impressive.
Those looking for more than simply transport have another
interesting option, the Ignis Sport, first sold in August
2003. Unlike too many so-called sports models, this
performance Ignis is the real thing. To start with it has a
bigger engine, at 1.5 litres,
with quite a few hot tweaks to lift its output to 83
kilowatts. Not a big number, but in a lightweight car like
this it gives the Sport decent acceleration. Ignis Sport
also has firmer suspension and a boy-racer body kit that
really makes it stand out. Shy and retiring types need not
apply!
There's yet another option, except that this time it wears
Holden badges, not Suzuki ones. The Holden Cruze, launched
midway through 2002, is a baby 4WD with a 1.5-litre engine
and some body modifications to suit its wider track and
increased ground clearance. Cruze is sold only as a
five-door hatch. The Cruze comes from the Suzuki factory
and, other than design, has no real local input.
But a brief word on the design. The body of the Ignis was
actually penned by a Holden team on behalf of Suzuki so
there's a lot more Aussie in this Japanese car than many
people realise.
There aren’t a huge number of Suzuki car dealers in
Australia and they tend to be concentrated in major cities.
But we haven’t heard of any real complaints about people
having difficulty getting spare parts. Parts prices are
about average for this class.
Insurance charges are normally towards the lower end of the
scale. None of the major operators seem to set higher
premiums for the Ignis Sport. Possibly because, fooled by
all the pretend ‘sports’ models, they don’t realise
the Suzuki is the real thing.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR
As the Suzuki Ignis has only had a relatively short time
on our market, it hasn’t had time to build up a history.
Given Suzuki's high standard of build we don’t anticipate
troubles, but it’s still best to have a good look over the
car to be on the safe side.
Check for body damage, or signs of previous damage having
been repaired. Mismatching of paint between panels can be a
handy clue, as can tiny drops of paint overspray on
non-painted surfaces like glass and rubbing strips. It’s
probably fair to assume that more Sports models will have
had crashes than standard ones.
The engine should start up within a second or so of you
turning the key, even if it’s stone cold after an
overnight stop.
Make sure that the gear changes and clutch action are light
and easy.
Look over the interior for damage caused by careless
occupants.
CAR BUYING TIP
Small cars in constant city use often lead pretty hectic
lives. So don’t assume that low kilometre readings mean
they are in top condition.
© Copyright
Marque Publishing Company
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