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Suzuki Ignis interior, tech and comfort

2017 onwards (change model)
Comfort rating: 3.4 out of 53.4

Written by Tom Wiltshire Published: 30 May 2023 Updated: 30 May 2023

  • Interesting cabin with plenty of kit
  • Touchscreen infotainment feels rather old-fashioned
  • Lightweight construction could be irksome

How is the quality and layout?

The Ignis’ cabin isn’t quite as funky as its quirky interior, but it’s reassuringly cheerful still and there’s plenty to like. Different shades of plastic help to lift the cabin from being too dark and dismal – and some models have cheerful colourful orange touches, too.

Everything’s very well-positioned and legible. Suzuki has mounted the touchscreen infotainment system high up on the dashboard where it’s easily viewable, with the simple climate controls bolted immediately under it.

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Suzuki Ignis interior
The Ignis’s cabin is pleasingly simple and easy to use.

Further down the dashboard, there’s a row of switches that control the car’s off-road extras and safety equipment, along with covered sockets masking a USB port and 12V accessory power.

Even though it’s built from fairly lightweight plastic, the Ignis has been very well screwed-together. It’s cheap, but it’s built to last. Those downsizing from an older Mercedes or BMW might be a little disappointed, however.

The Ignis doesn’t feel like a premium product. In fact, it’s rather hollow in places. To be fair to Suzuki, this is a common trait in the city car class – but rivals such as the Fiat 500 and Hyundai i10 do a better of masking their affordability by having slightly better quality materials on the most common touchpoints.

Infotainment and technology

This is one of Suzuki’s typical weak spots and it certainly affects the Ignis. Suzuki uses a seven-inch touchscreen infotainment system that’s well behind the times in terms of ease-of-use and functionality.

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Suzuki Ignis infotainment
Suzuki’s infotainment system lets the side down. It’s slow and basic.

The soft plastic screen isn’t that bright or responsive and it picks up fingerprints easily. Its software is also very confusing compared to that of a Hyundai i10.

Thankfully, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are here to save the day. Even the most basic SZ-T specification comes with the kit as standard, which allows you to sidestep Suzuki’s dated software entirely.

Comfort

  • Soft ride makes the Ignis comfortable in town
  • Can be roly-poly on faster roads though
  • Refinement isn’t the little Suzuki’s strong point

The Ignis is fairly softly sprung, which suits its light weight and city-centric nature very well. It deals admirably with potholes and speed bumps and, although it does bounce about a bit, it’s no worse than any other city car in this regard.

However that soft suspension and tall body do combine to make the Ignis rather prone to rolling about on faster roads and in corners, which though it’s not unmanageable can be uncomfortable for passenger especially in the rear.

A further weak point is refinement, as Suzuki’s cut back on sound deadening to keep the car’s weight (and price) down. Road noise from the skinny tyres isn’t too bad, but there’s a lot of wind noise and the engine gets quite vocal when it’s revved.