Accolades for the diminutive Suzuki Ignis are coming in thick and fast, with the latest being the coveted Drive 360 Award handed to Suzuki in Johannesburg on Friday, 1 December 2017.

The Ignis won the Compact Car Category in the Independent Group’s Drive 360 Awards and was later recalled to receive the overall Drive 360 Award for 2017. These awards represent the feedback from a judging panel comprising journalists from throughout the group’s motoring publications, including The Star, Pretoria News, The Mercury, Daily News, Cape Times and motoring.co.za.

In making their decision, the judges praised the Ignis’s unique design, its affordable price tag and the high specification level across all models. The Ignis offers dual airbags and ABS brakes across the range, while the range-topping model has full climate control and keyless access and start, to name but a few of its long list of specifications.

Says Denis Droppa, editor of Drive 360 and a judge in this year’s competition: “The Ignis is a small car that punches above its weight in a very competitive market segment. The competition was fierce this year from among the dozens of new cars, bakkies and SUVs launched in 2017, but our judges were unanimous in selecting the Ignis as their overall winner.

“With its sassy styling and appealingly modern cabin, along with surprisingly perky urban performance, this little urban adventurer goes above and beyond what is expected at the price.”

The judges also lauded the Suzuki Ignis’s 2-year / 30 000 km service plan and extended warranty, which is valid for five years or 200 000 km for all models purchased between June and December 2017. This is included in the vehicle price of between R169 900 and R204 900.

Prior to winning this special award, the Ignis received the prize as runner-up in the World Car of the Year’s Urban Car category and was selected as the Compact Car of the Year in the Scottish Car of the Year competition.

The Ignis is also a finalist in next year’s South African Car of the Year competition and several other local consumer and automotive awards.

“The Ignis has been welcomed by our dealers and customers alike. In this vehicle, Suzuki has proven that you can combine the need for an affordable price tag with good safety features, a more commanding ride height and made-for-the-city drivability in a compact vehicle,” says André Venter, divisional head for sales and marketing at Suzuki Auto South Africa.