Business a.m.

As CFAO goes bullish with micro Suzuki S-Presso SUV Stirs competitio­n with new SLDA technology

Suzuki returns with vengeance in Nigeria

- Stories by Mike Ochonma Motoring/Business Editor

Car freaks are in for a fresh dose of automotive luxury and reassuranc­e of returns on their investment following the unveiling of the the S-Presso micro SUV, a first of its kind in Nigeria on Friday penultimat­e weekend in Victoria Island, Lagos in a unique event tagged ‘Suzuki Is Back’ and organized by CFAO Motors, franchise owners and distributo­rs of Suzuki vehicles in Nigeria and 30 other African countries.

The launching of the S-Presso micro SUV which also provided an opportunit­y to launch their latest technologi­cal advancemen­t called the Smart Link Display Audio (SLDA) had In attendance top CFAO representa­tives including the chairman, Gbenga Oyebode; the managing director/country delegate Thomas Pelletier; and the general manager, CFAO Motors in charge of the Suzuki brand, Aissatou Diouf, customers and industry stakeholde­rs.

Speaking on some of the brand’s activities since 2019, Aissatou Diouf stated, “We came into the Nigerian market with a clear plan to make Japanese cars, more accessible to Nigerians. Amidst the challenges caused by the pandemic, we have continued to improve our value propositio­n to our customers with the expansion of our aftersales service network across the country, while bringing more Nigerian banks on board as partners for our vehicle-financing scheme. We have just unveiled the S-Presso model, the first micro SUV in Nigeria, which will be sold for as low as N5.5million. Indeed, Suzuki is quickly becoming Naija’s ‘Way of life’’. She said.

Aissatou Diouf described the new Suzuki S-Presso as a clever urban SUV that allows the family to grow. Every day, fashioncon­scious people dresses to impress and the same applies to the vehicles some of these car freaks drive. Moreover, the good thing is that, a well-designed car does not need to be expensive.

If there is one automaker in the world that is the foremost authority in practical compact vehicles, it is the Suzuki. They have proven that they don’t have to build big cars as automakers to be great, and that’s what they have been mastering since they started exploring the potential of the compact automobile in 1937.

The S-Presso stays true to that and is especially beneficial in the urban setting. It can deal with a lot of traffic and have a modest size that enables it meander right through tight spaces because the micro SUV is only 1520 millimeter­s wide. It has a small parking space and the driver can squeeze in the S-Presso into tight slots because it’s only 3565 millimeter­s long. It is the perfect size to help prospectiv­e drivers win the daily commute and the daily struggle for parking.

The Suzuki S-Presso is a small crossover that has been imbued with the stylings of a rugged SU The upright look, the high beltlin and a black lower bumper all com bine for a vehicle built for activ individual­s, and it looks like a lo of fun on the road.

As a follow-up to the brand re-introducti­on in 2019, the ‘Su zuki is back’ event was a platfor to showcase its latest upgrade, th SLDA which enables the driver t mirror their phone on the car dis play screen, place phone calls, us navigation, and play music easil among other interestin­g feature This technology is available in th Dzire, Ciaz, Vitara, Baleno, Ertig and Swift models.

Newton Jibunoh, the new Suzu ki brand ambassador who is know for his desert expedition­s in Suzu cars, was officially introduced t guests at the event in a documen tary capturing the story behind hi Suzuki choice.

Renowned TV and radio hos Oscar Oyinsan with a live graf fiti painting on the new S-Press model, later auctioned at th event, hosted the event. Guest also had an opportunit­y to expe rience an innovative Augmente Reality (AR) art exhibition. Suzuk models available in Nigeria are cit cars like the new S-presso, Alt Dzire, Swift, Baleno, Ciaz, an Ertiga, complement­ed with th off-road vehicles and Sports Uti ity Vehicles (SUVs) namely; Jimn and Vitara.

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