2003 SUZUKI Ignis Sport 1.5L 5MT (109 HP)

Vehicle Overview

Suzuki needed to produce a certain number of vehicles to get an FIA homologation for the FIA Junior World Rally Championship (JWRC), and its best bet was the Ignis Sport.

While the regular, five-door Ignis was a decent, small-segment vehicle available with an all-wheel-drive system, its three-door cousin was developed for a different kind of meaning. The carmaker didn’t even bother to make it looks more civilized or better equipped than the five-door version. On the other side, it did its job, and Suzuki gained the credentials needed to put an Ignis JWRC car at the start.

Even though it shared its name with the regular Ignis, the three-door version was clearly a different vehicle. Its ground clearance was lower, and the front fascia featured a new bumper that sported a center lower grille flanked by a pair of small side scoops. The flared wheel-arches were continued on the sides by plastic moldings on the doors and rear quarter. Suzuki offered the Sport version exclusively for the three-door Ignis.

Inside, it was the same spartan interior built with cheap materials. It looked almost like a stripped-down cabin with slim door cards, a cheap plastic dashboard, and flimsy seats. All of these were replaced when the car was dressed for racing.

Under the hood, Suzuki placed a 1.5-liter engine that provided 109 hp. It was not the most potent four-mill on the market, but it was a good starting point for a junior racer.