2017 Suzuki Ignis confirmed for Australia

Baby Suzuki hatchback comes back to Australia after more than a decade.

Suzuki has announced today that it’ll open its doors to the Ignis small crossover hatch in 2017, some 13 years after the car disappeared from local shores.

It was originally sold here in both two- and four-door guises, and also made an appearance as a rebadged Holden Cruze (not Cruz).

First seen last year at the Tokyo motor show, the diminutive five-door hatch will likely be powered by Suzuki’s 1.0-litre, three-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine, which is also used in the company’s recently launched Baleno.

2017 Suzuki Ignis.

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2017 Suzuki Ignis.

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2017 Suzuki Ignis.

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2017 Suzuki Ignis.

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2017 Suzuki Ignis.

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An all-wheel-drive version is unlikely, though a manual transmission is not off the table as a price-leading gambit.

Spotted again at last week’s Paris motor show, Suzuki says that bright colours and user customisation will feature highly on the brightly styled Ignis.

“With the new Ignis SUV, we’ll be adding another style icon to the range, with its retro looks, bright colours and immense personalisation sure to be popular amongst Australian motorists,” said Suzuki chief Andrew Moore.

While no local specs have been announced, it would be interesting to see if Suzuki considers adding the brand’s larger 1.4-litre turbo engine to the line-up, bringing back to life the three-door Ignis Sport of 2002 and 2003.

The 1.5-litre 82kW Ignis Sport – which weighed just 935kg - actually formed the based of a Junior World Rally Car, with Queensland’s Chris Atkinson signed as a factory driver in 2004.

Do you remember the original Suzuki Ignis? Tell us what you think in the comments below.