Suzuki Ignis review

Sitting behind the wheel is a relatively comfortable experience; all models get height adjustment for the driver’s seat so you can sit nice and high if you want to. As is the case with many city cars, it's a shame that the steering wheel moves only for height and not reach; most pricier small SUVs offer adjustment in both planes. There’s no lumbar support adjustment available for the front seats, either, and you’ll find the side bolsters are weak, so holding onto the steering wheel is your only form of support in tight corners.

With such a short bonnet, front visibility is good and accurately placing the car is very easy, but looking over your shoulder and trying to see past the Ignis’s thick, heavily styled rear pillars is more of a challenge. Still, SZ-T cars come with a rear-view camera as standard while all trims get bright LED headlights as standard.

Unfortunately, interior materials are uniformly hard and feel low-rent compared with those of a Hyundai i10, Kia Picanto or Volkswagen Up let alone a Ford Puma or Skoda Kamiq, and the car’s wobbly centre console betrays a less-than-stellar build quality. The Ignis is, however, marginally more attractive inside than the bland and cheap-feeling Dacia Duster, and Suzuki has at least experimented with a convincing two-tone dash that looks quite attractive.

SZ-T and SZ5 cars get a Pioneer infotainment system that does look and feel rather aftermarket, but comes with mod-cons that include a 7.0in colour touchscreen, sat-nav, Bluetooth and a DAB radio, as well as Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone mirroring. Sadly, the system isn't great to use; its menus are pretty unresponsive and tricky to navigate and the screen’s resolution is low. Still, it’s not like the Duster’s system is any better. SZ3 cars get a simple system with no touchscreen, but it does feature a DAB radio, Bluetooth and a CD player.