Get cheeky with Suzuki’s new little S-Presso
Suzuki seems to have some immunity to what Covid-19 has done to the economy and business in general.
It has just registered another record sales month for June.
The local Suzuki sales manager, Wiaan Pretorius, said May was excellent also. According to official numbers supplied by the National Association of Automobile Manufacturers (Naamsa) Suzuki sold 1 433 units in
June, with all but one unit being sold by the dealer network.
This equates to 4,49% share of the total vehicle market and a 7,17% share of the passenger vehicle market.
How does it do it? Perhaps Suzuki has uncapped a genie because it has the uncanny ability to release the right product at the right time and at the right price. To top this, the products have proved robust and return excellent value for the owners.
Now - to everyone else - you may proceed to copy this recipe.
Although the Swift, Ignis and the beloved Jimny have seen excellent sales in June, it is the S-Presso, in its first full month of sales, that clocked up 555 units.
At R139 000, inclusive of a five-year warranty, it should come at no surprise. And, after having had the privilege of driving it for a weekend, I understand why.
Its design is S-pressive
The S-Presso, boasting a ground clearance of 180mm, has earned the right to look everyone straight in the eye and let me tell you, with those large squarish headlight clusters, Jeep-like grille and broad front bumper with a skid plate nogal, cheekiness just got renamed S-Presso.
The rear end - well, it is a little bland compared to the rest of the car but again, the broad bumper and skid plate leave no doubt that she has been designed with fun - urban fun and perhaps even just a tad of disgust for local pavements, in mind.
To enhance the exterior look, Suzuki has added fenders along the side of the S-Presso and this, in combination with prominent wheel arches, ads to the expressionist nature of the “little” SUV.
And best of all, Suzuki offers a number of optional accessories which will help you to truly make this little number your own personal nunu...
The interior is S-tylish and young
The first thing that impressed was the ease of access - wide opening doors and walk-in style despite the high ground clearance.
Next is the high seating position
which is enhanced by excellent all round visibility. I mean, it may be small but if it wants to claim SUV status, high seating and visibility must comply.
The other quite surprising element of the interior is the fact that the steering is just about right at the bottom of the windscreen.
We have become so used to the large dashboard space between the windscreen and the steering in modern cars that the S-Presso approach and deviation from the “normal”, may actually surprise you and yes, it does take some getting used to this
The centre stack presents one with a large touch screen to a multi-information display and well, the youngsters and perhaps even the not-so-young will adore its ease of use.
Seating is comfortable with good legroom. The luggage space is low and deep - in fact you may actually surprise you. It did me!
Performance is S-prising
These small-engined cars always bring a smile to my face. The technology that drives them is quite amazing. Perhaps one of the spin-offs of Covid-19 will be that, as a species, we will learn to do more with less and doing it to benefit all and not just the elite.
The S-Presso is kitted with the threecylinder K10B petrol engine delivering 50kW and 90Nm. It is available with either a five-speed manual or automatic gearbox.
My fuel consumption indexed at about 22-L/km, but I do believe that this can be improved on though.
The S-Presso is perfect as a little runabout in town - engine performance is vibrant and nippy with precise gear shifting and light steering.
Its reverse camera makes parking a breeze and so does the small footprint.
Conclusion
With the integration of HEARTECT technology, Suzuki has succeeded to improve strength, durability and safety without compromising the weight or performance capacity of the small engine. At just on R140 000 it is a win-win for the buyer. So visit your nearest dealership drive it and enjoy the surprise.