Suzuki Australia has announced that it will be expanding its line-up - it’s SUV line-up, to be exact - with the future arrival of the Ignis within the first quarter of 2017.
Calling the Ignis an SUV might be a stretch and perhaps it’s better categorised as a crossover instead. In either case, Suzuki has recognised that its strong suit lies with the higher-riding of its passenger car offerings, and will be slotting the new model as a more compact alternative to the S-Cross and popular Vitara.
We first saw the Ignis at the in concept form at the 2015 Geneva Motor Show where it was known under its internal codename ‘iM-4’. It wasn’t until the Tokyo Motor Show later that year that it reappeared under the Ignis moniker.
Suzuki Australia did not, however, specify any other details about the car’s specifications or price. We do expect it to have a similar powertrain to that of the Baleno, which means a naturally aspirated petrol engine (perhaps a 1.2-litre K-series four-cylinder) along with their 1.0-litre Boosterjet turbocharged three-cylinder in higher tier variants.
Suzuki Australia General Manager Automobiles, Andrew Moore stated: “Vitara has been an outstanding SUV success for Suzuki, with customers enjoying the performance of the turbo and it’s personalisation options. With the new Ignis SUV, we’ll be adding another style icon to the range, with it’s retro looks, bright colours and immense personalisation sure to be popular amongst Australian motorists”
Moore added: “I’ve got no doubt that with Vitara and the launch of Ignis, Suzuki will have the best line-up of small SUVs for any customer looking to move across to this fast growing segment of lifestyle enabling vehicles. And SUV’s that stay true to Suzuki’s philosophy of providing great value motoring.”
For more on Suzuki vehicles, including pricing and specifications, check out our Showroom.
