New Suzuki Ignis vs Dacia Duster

What will they cost?

The Ignis is the cheaper car on just about every front. Haggle what you can (which isn’t much at all on the Duster) off the list price and the Ignis is more than £1200 cheaper to buy in the first place.

Tot up all of the ownership costs if you buy now and sell on after three years (with 36,000 miles on the clock) and the Ignis again works out the cheaper car, by just short of £3000 – mainly thanks to its much lower fuel costs and slower depreciation. Having said that, it’s worth noting that the Ignis falls into a much higher insurance group than the Duster: group 18 compared with group 11.

Many buyers will opt to take out finance, and once again the Ignis is the cheaper option. Put down a £2000 deposit on a 36-month personal contract purchase deal and you’ll pay £217 per month, compared with £262 for the Duster, assuming an annual mileage of 12,000. Company car drivers will also find the Ignis the much cheaper option, mainly due to its lower CO2 emissions.

Standard kit is more generous on the Ignis, too. Both cars get 16in alloy wheels, four electric windows, cruise control and some form of air conditioning. However, the Ignis also gets dusk-sensing LED headlights, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, a reversing camera, climate control and keyless entry and start. These features are either optional or not available on the Duster.

In terms of safety, the Ignis gets lane-keeping assist, automatic emergency braking (AEB) that can detect pedestrians and cars, plus six airbags, as opposed to the Duster’s four. The Ignis was awarded five stars by safety body Euro NCAP with its optional safety pack fitted; without, it scores only three stars. The Duster also scored three stars. Neither car comes with an alarm, although both have immobilisers and remote central locking.