AllGrip training passed - The Suzuki Ignis in the highlands of Ireland

Suzuki can all-wheel drive. For all occasions. Under the name ALLGRIP, the Japanese manufacturer offers a variety of 4 × 4 technologies, tailored to the most diverse needs and lifestyles. Suzuki sells vehicles worldwide in 196 countries and regions, maintains 35 main production sites in 24 countries and employs a total of 51 people. With sales of EUR 503 billion and 25,6 million vehicles produced, the company is one of the ten largest automobile manufacturers in the entire market. The new Suzuki Ignis should now play a very special role in the German small car segment as a micro SUV with the optional ALLGRIP AUTO.

Does someone have a handkerchief to wipe the mud splashes over the little one's eyes? The Suzuki Ignis should prove to be a real off-road vehicle up here in the Irish highlands on its drive through puddles and mud. As the smallest SUV and founder of a new segment, as Christian Andersen, Head of Marketing at Suzuki Germany, proudly emphasized as the father of a first grader on the first day of school. The small car, which came onto the market in Germany last year, has now been packed with all-wheel drive and a special traction system in the school cone. For Suzuki, drive on all four wheels has been a tradition for over three decades.

The all-wheel drive philosophy of Suzuki always takes into account economic aspects of the customer
While the big brothers Jimny, SX4 and Vitara either distribute the torque permanently between the front and rear axles or use a sophisticated system to send up to 50 percent to the rear axle as required, the Ignis only transmits power via a viscous coupling. If the front axle slips, the system automatically transfers torque to the rear axle. Because this variant is technically less complex and therefore cheaper, it is more suitable for smaller cars. As for the Ignis, whose name translated means fire. With 18 centimeters of ground clearance, a beefy front, extremely short body overhangs, flared wheel arches and a roof rail and a length of just 3,70 meters, it looks like the miniature version of a classic SUV.

Despite a wheelbase of just 2,44 meters, there is plenty of freedom for the head and knees
The black-and-white interior is dominated by hard plastic, which, however, due to the exterior color with its colorful décor, can be hung on the floor console and on the inside door handles. There is enough space for normally grown passengers. Despite the wheelbase of just 2,44 meters, the rear offers a lot of freedom for the knees and heads of the passengers. From the second of the four equipment lines, the back seat can be exchanged for two individual seats that can be moved in length. Useful if you need more space for luggage for which 260 to 1100 liters of volume are available.

The little Japanese is busily bustling through the narrow streets on the green island. On the left and right peacefully graying white sheep graze. It looks like they are hedges that prevent them from flying over the asphalt. But behind all the green hide stone walls that come again and again dangerously close to the rims of our test car in unfamiliar traffic on the left. With the all-wheel drive of the Ignis compared to the basic version (885 kilograms) while still slightly more weight (945 kilograms) through the area. But the 1,2 liter large four-cylinder sucker under the hood takes it still. It develops 90 PS and brings 4.400 Newtonmeter to the front wheels at 120 revolutions. The top speed is 170 km / h, for the spurt of 0 on 100 is the Ignis 12 seconds. At least for the time being Suzuki combines it exclusively with a manual five-speed transmission, which here, far removed from the civilizational benefit of a highway, does not bother.

With four-wheel drive costs the Suzuki Ignis from 11 900 Euro. 
While the real off-roader and the Suzuki Jimny, who has become a cult car, digs through deep mud holes in difficult terrain next door, the Ignis seeks his challenges on a rain-soaked and rutted forest path that now ends blindly. The optional reversing camera is useful when turning into a sward. The easy-to-read and easy-to-use touchscreen of the navigation system with smartphone connection, both for Android and Apple, ensures that contact with the outside world cannot be lost. Little Ignis can also come up with a keyless entry system, lane departure warning system, drowsiness monitoring and emergency braking assistants. The base price for the Japanese mini SUV is 11.900 euros, with all-wheel drive it costs 15.990 euros.

Technical data