Back when I was a student looking around for my first car, there were two basic entry-level options - a Citi Golf, or Toyota Conquest/Tazz.
Remember, this was before the days of the Korean influx.
These days, however, new car buyers have a plethora of entry-level cars to choose from, in a wide range of styles from hatchbacks to crossovers.
The Suzuki Ignis is an option you definitely don’t want to overlook if you’re shopping for your first car, or choosing something for your child to trek off to varsity in.
It’s stylish and funky, and in the top range GLX spec, it’s got everything you need.
I had the 1.2-litre 5-speed manual on test and it is quite possibly the perfect city runabout.
Yes, the interior isn’t going to win any awards for quality, but you’ve got most of the creature comforts you could hope for; push-button start, electric windows, rear-view parking camera which has great clarity, even in low light, daytime running lights, a perky, fuel-efficient engine and willing gearbox, aircon and touchscreen infotainment system.
My only gripe about that infotainment system is the fact that it connects wirelessly for calls, but not for media. For that, you need to plug your phone in via cable, but the only available port is a USB type B connector, so I couldn’t connect my media and was stuck listening to the radio (check out the video below for more on this).
The seats aren’t the most comfortable nor supportive, but they’ll serve you well if you’re popping off to the shops or are stuck in traffic on the way to the office. You won’t want to spend long car trips in them, however, as I found out on a day trip to Caledon from Cape Town, where some cramp did creep in closer to my destination.
@lancethewit10 Here’s my review of the @Suzuki.oficial Ignis 1.2 GLX 5MT. Should you buy it? For your student child or if you need a daily city runabout, absolutely yes. These are things I lobe and hate about it. #cars #carreview #review #motoring ♬ original sound - Lance Witten450
But, that’s not really what it’s for, right? The Suzuki Ignis does what it says on the box, and does so with aplomb.
I returned really great fuel consumption figures of 5.6l/100km, and of the options available to you at this price point, it’s certainly among the better-looking models out there.
Pricing starts at R212,900 (June 2023) and tops out at R270,900 for the GLX auto.
For that money, you’re getting a peppy, solid and reliable runabout that looks really great. You may need to sacrifice on the NVH levels, however - those roof rails and boxy design make for a pretty noisy interior at the national road speed limit, and the lightness of its construction, while good for fuel economy, makes for some waftiness through the bends.
I confess to being more than a little nervous around Sir Lowry’s Pass when the Cape’s signature gusts of wind caused me to white-knuckle the steering wheel a little.
Overall, though, the Suzuki Ignis is definitely worth a look. We’ve certainly come a long way since the Citi Golf and Toyota Tazz...
IOL Motoring