Mazda CX-3 v Suzuki Ignis 2017 Comparison

High-riding hatch-off

It’s hard to beat a small hatchback for whizzing in and out of inner-city traffic. But the world it seems has gone SUV mad, with the elevated driving position and extra ground clearance offered by the growing number of so-called SUVs proving irresistible to car drivers everywhere.

Enter the fast-growing band of ‘small SUVs’: in many cases blending the compact, fuel-sipping capabilities of a small hatch with the family-friendly design and packaging of an SUV. It’s a winning recipe that’s currently accounting for close to 10 per cent of the overall Australian automotive market.

Quick to spot the potential, Mazda launched the Mazda2-based CX-3 in early-2015 and it’s quickly gone to the top of the small SUV sales charts. But competition is coming hard and fast from all quarters, including budget brand and fellow Japanese manufacturer Suzuki, which launched the new Ignis recently with an enticing proposition of cut-price motoring, zippy performance, practical packaging and plenty of Gen Y styling cred.

To see how this dirt-cheap newcomer shapes up against the segment’s pricier top-seller, we grabbed an example of each and hit some busy, inner-city locales around Melbourne to see how they stack up.

Same, same, but different
The first thing you notice about the Ignis is the very deliberate attempt to make it look different. There’s something to stare at from every angle, from the wide-eyed front grille with bold headlights and wrap-around horseshoe DRLs, to the fake side vents on the rear pillar and pinched in, grinning rear-end.

Our top-spec Ignis GLX test car, riding on black 16-inch alloys, was further enhanced by an optional black, shiny roof. It’s a similar story inside, where buyers can customise with different colour painted trim and the like to further set their ride apart.

It’s a much different approach to the CX-3, which sticks with Mazda’s more conservative styling that at first glance is indistinguishable from the manufacturer’s lower-slung hatchback models. It’s an attractive recipe though, and the black plastic wheel arches and front and rear bumpers on our mid-spec CX-3 Maxx test vehicle (also with 16-inch alloys) lends it some rugged appeal, if not increased resistance to carpark knocks compared to the more exposed Ignis.

All roomy, no gloomy

Despite offering a similarly roomy and practical interior to the Mazda’s, parked side to side it’s clearly noticeable how much smaller the Ignis is. At just 3700mm long and 1470mm wide, it’s 575mm shorter and 95mm narrower than the CX-3.

The Suzuki is 45mm taller though, at 1595mm high, and has superior ground clearance (180mm v 155mm). It’s also around 40 per cent lighter, with a kerb weight of 865kg compared to the CX-3’s relatively porky 1458kg.

Also this means the Ignis feels more eager and nimble in busy city traffic than its front-drive rival. There’s also less chance of scraping the underbody on kerbs and speed bumps and it slots into parking spots more easily. The Suzuki’s superior turning circle also makes it much easier to do U-turns.

Smell of an oily rag

The Suzuki’s diminutive stature also means it’s not left behind at the lights, despite a much smaller, naturally aspirated, four-cylinder petrol engine under the bonnet. The tiny 1.2-litre unit in the Ignis produces just 66kW at 6000rpm and 120Nm at 4400rpm, compared to 109kW at 6000rpm and 192Nm at 2800rpm capable from the Mazda’s 2.0-litre unit.

Around town and up 80km/h on B-roads or highways, the Suzuki feels just as zippy as the Mazda, at least with minimal luggage and just one person on board. What’s more, the continuously variable transmission (CVT) in the Suzuki is a good match for the Mazda’s six-speed automatic in smoothness and refinement, with just a hint of whine as the CVT shuffles through the stepped ratios.

The featherweight Suzuki also doesn’t suffer from having front discs and rear drums, compared with the Mazda’s superior all-disc set-up, pulling up just as confidently.

However, the taller Suzuki does feel less stable on the freeway and is more affected by crosswinds. And while it cruises comfortably at 100km/h, the Mazda’s extra grunt at lower revs make it easier to maintain speed up hills or when overtaking, especially with a load on board.

The Suzuki’s free-spinning, four-pot engine also felt more refined across the rev range than the Mazda, which sounded a bit rougher at higher revs. Tyre noise was equally evident in both cars, especially on coarse surfaces.

The CX-3 is a clear winner when it comes to ride and handling. Both run a MacPherson strut front and torsion beam rear suspension, but the Suzuki with its narrower track leans more in corners and crashes more over speed bumps and pot holes.

You also feel more vibrations through the Suzuki’s rack-and-pinion steering wheel over cobblestones, which is not an issue with the Mazda’s electric steering.

Styled with substance

Despite the different approach to interior styling – bright retro in the Suzuki, classy Euro in the Mazda – there’s fewer differences between the two once you step inside. Both have well padded, cloth-covered, manually adjustable driver’s seats, although the Mazda’s offers more support.

The leather-covered steering wheel in the CX-3 is also adjustable two ways unlike the Suzuki’s, making it easier to find the ideal driving position. However, the Suzuki offers better outward visibility, thanks to a high-set seat combined with higher roof and more glass space.

Both have user-friendly dash layouts, dominated by 7.0-inch tablet-style colour screens, though we preferred the Mazda’s more intuitive touchscreen interface and console-mounted multi-function controller.

The Ignis relies on more buttons, including chunky, retro-style switches for the HVAC system, which are fiddlier. A temporary glitch in the Suzuki’s infotainment system did cause it to freeze for a short period during our test, before coming back to life.

As tested, both come well equipped with standard features including satellite navigation, a reversing camera, Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, Bluetooth and iPod connectivity, cruise control, trip computer, power windows and mirrors, and push-button ignition.

But wait, there’s more
To help justify the price premium, the mid-spec CX-3 also gets reversing sensors, side mirror repeater lamps, and access to internet radio apps like Pandora, Stitcher and Aha.

However, the mid-spec CX-3 has manual air-conditioning compared to single-zone climate control in the top-spec Suzuki. The Ignis GLX also gets auto headlights and daytime running lights, which like climate control is only fitted to the more expensive CX-3 variants.

They’re glaring omissions when you consider the top-spec Ignis GLX costs the same as the entry-level CX-3 ($19,990), and that’s without on-road costs added to the Mazda’s price.

In the case of the two cars here, it adds up to a price difference nearing $5000, once options and on-road costs are considered; a considerable saving for those on tight budgets.

There are some signs of penny-pinching in the Suzuki, like auto down (but not up) driver’s side windows, and no gear selector lights alongside the gear lever, to help avoid selecting the wrong gear (there’s a digital gear display on the instrument panel, like in the Mazda, but it’s harder to see).

But aside from the odd exposed screw and use of more hard and thin plastics in the Suzuki, the Japanese-built Ignis felt as solid as the Mazda with no body rattles or loose trim.

Cubbies and cargo space
As far as storage goes, both offer decent options for mobile phones as well as cup holders, along with an array of 12-volt, USB and 3.5mm auxiliary ports, albeit none beyond the front seats. Rear vents are also missing in the back of both cars.

Both are reasonably roomy in the rear seats, but we judged slightly more knee and head room in the Ignis. The 50:50 split-fold rear-seat in the top-spec Ignis can slide and recline, unlike the CX-3’s 60:40 split seats. However, the top-spec Suzuki only has two rear seats, compared to three in the CX-3, although it’s still a tight squeeze for three adults.

Rear cargo capacity is similar: 270 litres in the Ignis compared to 264 in the CX-3, or boosted to 1100 and 1174 litres with the seats folded. However, the Mazda’s boot has an additional, removable false floor, for hiding valuables as well as creating a full, flat surface with the seats folded. It will also take larger, squarer items that won’t fit in the Ignis with the rear seats in play.

Both have a space saving tyre under the cargo area floor.

The cost of running

Overall cost of ownership is another area where the Ignis shines brighter. Together with the few grand saved at the dealership, the Ignis uses less premium unleaded petrol, with a 5.8L/100km average recorded for the Ignis on our urban route, compared to 8.6 for the CX-3 (and despite it being equipped with a stop-start engine function).

That should give both a similar range of 450-500km, despite a smaller 32-litre tank in the Ignis compared to the Mazda’s 48 litres.

The Ignis’s after-sale back-up falls slightly short of the CX-3’s, with its three-year/100,000km warranty, five-year/140,000km capped-price program with $175 first service and six-month/10,000km service intervals, compared to the Mazda’s three-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty, 16-year/160,000km capped-price servicing program with $280 first service and 12-month/10,000km service intervals.

One question mark over the Suzuki is safety, with the six airbag-equipped Ignis yet to be ANCAP tested to see if it measures up to the five-star rated CX-3. Driver safety aids including blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert and low-speed autonomous emergency braking (AEB) are also available as options on the Mazda but not the Suzuki.

The verdict

While the Mazda’s a more polished package overall, the Ignis is a great little city car that’s cheaper to run and almost as practical and well-equipped as the CX-3.

But the Mazda is a better proposition on the open road and also able to carry more passengers, unless you buy the entry-level Ignis with five seats.

In the end it’s hard to go past the little Suzuki as a high-riding city runabout, offering a similar package to the Mazda for up to $5000 less.

2017 Suzuki Ignis GLX pricing and specifications:

Price: $19,990 (drive-away)
Engine: 1.2-litre four-cylinder petrol
Output: 66kW/120Nm
Transmission: Continuously variable

Fuel: 4.9L/100km (ADR Combined)

CO2: 114g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety Rating: TBA

2017 Mazda CX-3 Maxx pricing and specifications:

Price: $24,390 (plus on-road costs)
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol
Output: 109kW/192Nm
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Fuel: 6.1L/100km (ADR Combined)

CO2: 146g/km (ADR Combined)

Safety Rating: Five-star ANCAP