SUZUKI S-PRESSO
Jeepers, I loved this vehicle! Suzuki continues to produce delight after delight, and the nippy, funky really affordable little S-Presso is the latest in a string of them.
The bright and cheerful mini SUV is one of those cars you want to take home and keep the minute you see it. Its mini-muscular looks with that macho front grille, striking front and rear bumpers, distinct headlamp and rear lamp design, great ground clearance (180mm, perfect for the byways and potholes of the Midlands!) and its sheer driveability, with a host of features, ticked all the right boxes for me. Powered by a sprightly 1-litre motor (fabulous fuel economy!) threecylinder motor (50kW/90Nm), the super-light (weighing just 770kg) S-Presso is the ultimate runaround for the farm roads and bumpy terrain I travel daily.
The front-wheel drive vehicle has a 5-speed manual gearbox, and was a pleasure on both the dirt and the long tarred highway stretches. Super agile, it’s nippy through traffic, and despite its baby engine, has no problems when you need to put foot and overtake in a hurry.
It’s spacious inside, with all controls clearly laid out. The wonderfully bright colourful trim around the centrally-mounted speedometer/trip computer module matches the exterior colour of the vehicle, and you also get a 7-inch infotainment touchscreen with Android Auto/Apple CarPlay connectivity and USB/12V charging ports. Love the colours of the S-Presso, by the way: there’s Sizzle Orange, Fire Red, Pearl Starry Blue, Metallic Granite Grey, Metallic Silky Silver and White.
There are five models in the range, from R139 900 and the top of the range setting you back just R166 900.
Standard features include electric front windows, aircon, remote central locking, rear park distance control, trip computer, 14-inch rims with plastic wheel covers, dual front airbags and ABS brakes.
The GL+, costing R144 900 in manual form and R158 900 for the auto, has the touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, as well as an excellent reverse camera. The S-Edition is yours for R152 900 (manual) or R166 900 (AMT), and adds a silver grille, wheel arch and lower door cladding, front and rear skid plates and silver garnishes in the cabin.
Oh and the car has a full sized spare tucked away in the boot: thank you Suzuki!
All models boast two airbags as standard and an anti-lock braking system (ABS) with emergency brake-force distribution (EBD). They also all have reverse parking sensors as standard (the GL+ and S-Edition models having the in-built reverse camera).
This is one of those cars that I just couldn’t bear to give back after a week, and if I could, I would invest in one tomorrow.
No question.