General 2022 Cross 4x4 v Suzuki Ignis Allgrip

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General 2022 Cross 4x4 v Suzuki Ignis Allgrip

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After my 2nd hand woes I'm looking at a new Panda Cross with minimal grey + winter pack. I thought if I'm buying new then I seriously have to consider the Suzuki Ignis Allgrip being it's closest rival in terms of ability, size and price. I test drove a pre-facelift 2018 Ignis Allgrip and based on this my assessment of the 2 cars are:

Panda Pros
  • Better to drive / character / cult following / track record
  • Looks better / nicer colour
  • Twinair torque / noise
  • Great residuals
  • Better designed for off road
  • Heated windscreen and seats
  • Handles well (for what it is), decent steering
  • Easier to clean on outside / less paintwork to worry about
  • Better visibility inside
  • Dual mass flywheel design has been strengthened since 2018 model
  • No bad road noise, better motorway cruiser
Panda Cons
  • Older design / replaced next year?
  • Less space than Ignis in boot and rear
  • Mediocre economy (MPG can drop to 37 mpg or lower vs 50 mpg worst case for Ignis) / higher emissions
  • Possibly less reliable long term
  • Softer plastics / interior easier to mark / damage
  • 4 speaker stereo with no aux / CD player and no current option to upgrade
  • Less kit
  • Engine more strict on servicing to ensure reliability
  • Cost cut interior compared with older Pandas
  • Driver footwell / rest less space so less comfortable on long journeys
Ignis Pros
  • Cheaper to run (save £350/year on 9.5k miles) / lower emissions
  • More space in rear and boot with flexible rear seat design
  • Slightly more modern design + hybrid
  • High equipment list - reverse camera, emergency braking, lane departure, keyless, cruise control
  • Greater reliability
  • Stereo is easier to upgrade + 6 speakers
  • Comfier seats
  • Handles ok with little body roll
  • Attract less attention from thieves
Ignis Cons
  • Expensive options
  • Gutless engine / need to change down gear
  • Hardwearing but very thin and cheap interior plastics
  • Body less durable for off road / no engine undertray
  • No heated windscreen or seats
  • Crap stereo
  • Road noise can be bad
  • Less character
  • Brakes mediocre
  • Unusual tyre size so less choice

Obviously being a Fiat forum it will tend towards the Panda, certainly that's what my heart says, but head is taking me to the Suzuki. Anyone gone from one to the other or owned an Ignis Allgrip?

The main deal breakers on the Panda for me are the poorer economy / potential savings with the Ignis, and having no aux input for the stereo to use a portable CD (I don't do streaming nor do I intend to). If only I could merge them both and take the best bits. I need to remember the main purpose of this car is to use as a daily and for skiing / hillwalking trips in Scotland, and to keep my Renaultsport Megane garaged in the winter and retained for personal use only.
 
I'm seriously considering getting an Ignis Allgrip to replace my Cross, when the time comes. There's a useful thread on here somewhere from a member who has made the swap. The driving position is much better, and they're fun to drive. The khaki green ones look cool, too,

One small point re servicing - the 9k service intervals on the TA only "ensure reliability" to the extent that they check the oil level. The recommended 9k inspection service (unlike the 18k one) doesn't involve an oil and filter change.
 
I'm seriously considering getting an Ignis Allgrip to replace my Cross, when the time comes. There's a useful thread on here somewhere from a member who has made the swap. The driving position is much better, and they're fun to drive. The khaki green ones look cool, too,

One small point re servicing - the 9k service intervals on the TA only "ensure reliability" to the extent that they check the oil level. The recommended 9k inspection service (unlike the 18k one) doesn't involve an oil and filter change.
I found the driving position similar, the seat bolsters are nicer though and it doesn't have the really tiny clutch foot rest. Whilst not as fun as the Panda it was still decent to drive and I pushed it round a roundabout and there was little body roll.

I am swaying towards the Panda, apparently 1 is being built in cement grey with winter pack and all others are currently being allocated to dealers without a winter pack by Fiat.

I would plan to do the oil every 10k or 1 year, regardless of service schedule.
 
I'm seriously considering getting an Ignis Allgrip to replace my Cross, when the time comes. There's a useful thread on here somewhere from a member who has made the swap. The driving position is much better, and they're fun to drive. The khaki green ones look cool, too,
Hi, I made just that jump in September last year, going from a TA 4x4 with winter pack to an AllGrip SZ5 in Khaki Green. I thought very, very long and hard before deciding for the Suzuki and in broad summary I couldn't be happier. Let me list what's good and bad in my experience, 5 months in;

GOOD:
- looks fabulous in Tough Khaki and gloss black wheel.
- LED headlights much, much better
- comfort broadly the same, but seats better suited for me, plus excellent sliding rear seats in my SZ5
- towbar fitted now, with useful +100kg extra braked trailer limit over the Panda
- Apple CarPlay / Android Auto - where have you been all my life?! Simply all anyone ever needs in a car - just brilliant.
- 55+mpg without trying
- simple, reliable 4WD via viscous coupling on nose of rear diff (just like Panda 169 4x4's were originally)
- excellent torque-vectoring via brakes to simulate cross-axle diff-locks when going gets tricky. Same as Panda in ELD mode.
- Stereo actually very good - plus I have fitted upgraded door speakers (dead easy)
- I had dealer fit heated seats from new and I fitted aftermarket heated mirror kit myself - both fab
- very effective mild hybrid - lovely to see energy conservation in action (+3bhp and 36lbs/ft available from ISG)
- good part-throttle torque from under 2000rpm, holds speeds well around town and country lanes.
- Great handling and it really does feel 100-150kg lighter than Panda. Ride quality possibly better than Panda
- higher gearing than Panda, so quieter at speed perhaps.
- there are no options from factory other than whether to have a black roof or not.
- lovely smooth engine...

BAD:
-... engine needs to be driven with some spirit on faster roads. Little torque low down and relatively high gearing
- You have to plan ahead on motorways, as 70mph is under 3,000rpm and without a turbo there's little to help get things moving faster.
- long Motorway inclines 2-up with luggage needs to drop a gear.
- no heated windscreen, yet. Can't believe that some market doesn't have one that could be imported (Germans get heated mirrors and seats as standard options for example).

That's about it. The only thing that bugs slightly (less now than before) is the lack of bottom end torque compared with the Panda TA, but this is a very light and advanced engine and it does like to rev. It has VVT on both inlet and exhaust cams and will pull well all the way to 6500rpm with a proper old-school hot-hatch attitude, which kinda compensates well.

Very happy indeed :cool: Ig.jpeg
 
Hi, I made just that jump in September last year, going from a TA 4x4 with winter pack to an AllGrip SZ5 in Khaki Green. I thought very, very long and hard before deciding for the Suzuki and in broad summary I couldn't be happier. Let me list what's good and bad in my experience, 5 months in;

GOOD:
- looks fabulous in Tough Khaki and gloss black wheel.
- LED headlights much, much better
- comfort broadly the same, but seats better suited for me, plus excellent sliding rear seats in my SZ5
- towbar fitted now, with useful +100kg extra braked trailer limit over the Panda
- Apple CarPlay / Android Auto - where have you been all my life?! Simply all anyone ever needs in a car - just brilliant.
- 55+mpg without trying
- simple, reliable 4WD via viscous coupling on nose of rear diff (just like Panda 169 4x4's were originally)
- excellent torque-vectoring via brakes to simulate cross-axle diff-locks when going gets tricky. Same as Panda in ELD mode.
- Stereo actually very good - plus I have fitted upgraded door speakers (dead easy)
- I had dealer fit heated seats from new and I fitted aftermarket heated mirror kit myself - both fab
- very effective mild hybrid - lovely to see energy conservation in action (+3bhp and 36lbs/ft available from ISG)
- good part-throttle torque from under 2000rpm, holds speeds well around town and country lanes.
- Great handling and it really does feel 100-150kg lighter than Panda. Ride quality possibly better than Panda
- higher gearing than Panda, so quieter at speed perhaps.
- there are no options from factory other than whether to have a black roof or not.
- lovely smooth engine...

BAD:
-... engine needs to be driven with some spirit on faster roads. Little torque low down and relatively high gearing
- You have to plan ahead on motorways, as 70mph is under 3,000rpm and without a turbo there's little to help get things moving faster.
- long Motorway inclines 2-up with luggage needs to drop a gear.
- no heated windscreen, yet. Can't believe that some market doesn't have one that could be imported (Germans get heated mirrors and seats as standard options for example).

That's about it. The only thing that bugs slightly (less now than before) is the lack of bottom end torque compared with the Panda TA, but this is a very light and advanced engine and it does like to rev. It has VVT on both inlet and exhaust cams and will pull well all the way to 6500rpm with a proper old-school hot-hatch attitude, which kinda compensates well.

Very happy indeed :cool: View attachment 400985
Good summary. Thank you. I'm maybe looking at an Ignis. I like the high driving position in my Panda Cross where I sit on the seat rather than in it, a set up that I think is equal to a small 4x4. Would you say your Ignis is similar to that of a Panda? Thanks
 
Good summary. Thank you. I'm maybe looking at an Ignis. I like the high driving position in my Panda Cross where I sit on the seat rather than in it, a set up that I think is equal to a small 4x4. Would you say your Ignis is similar to that of a Panda? Thanks
Definitely. Seat has some adjustability, but driving position certainly still elevated.
 
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