New 2025 Suzuki Ignis Revealed: The Last Australia's Cheapest Car?!

The Suzuki Ignis, a beloved pint-sized city hatch, is set to reach the end of its production line in Australia within the next nine months. This announcement comes seven years after the early 2000s badge was revived, classifying the Ignis as a light SUV by local new-car sales scorekeepers.

As Suzuki’s most affordable new model in Australia, the Ignis is currently priced from $22,490 drive-away with a manual transmission. This follows the discontinuation of the sub-$20,000 Baleno two years ago. The primary reason behind the Ignis’s impending discontinuation is its lack of autonomous emergency braking (AEB) technology, which will become mandatory for all new passenger vehicles sold in Australia from March 2025. AEB is a crucial safety feature that automatically applies the brakes to prevent rear-end or pedestrian collisions if the driver is inattentive.

Despite this, Suzuki Australia’s general manager, Michael Pachota, mentioned that the Ignis "will sell into 2025," without specifying an exact end-of-production date. When asked about the impact of the AEB mandate on the Ignis’s discontinuation, Pachota remarked that the model is reaching the end of its lifecycle and indicated that the brand is assessing its future product portfolio.

In its place, Suzuki plans to introduce the Fronx in 2025, a new city SUV based on the Indian-built Baleno hatch. The Fronx, which will exclusively feature a 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine with a mild-hybrid system, is expected to be priced under $25,000 drive-away. This pricing would position it as one of Australia’s most affordable SUVs, rivaling models like the MG ZS.

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As the industry transitions towards more advanced safety technologies, the Ignis’s departure marks the end of an era for budget-conscious drivers in Australia. The new safety regulations and the introduction of the Fronx reflect Suzuki’s commitment to evolving with the changing automotive landscape.