Attended the launch of the Suzuki S-Presso, this manufacturer being one of the hotter performers sales wise over the last few years. They are world leaders in building fuel efficient, safe, and funky compact cars. And by the looks of it, the upgraded Suzuki S-Presso looks to be another home run.

Having first arrived on South African shores shortly before lockdown, it has swiftly pun intended, become another top-seller like it’s sedan  sibling the Swift, in the passenger vehicle market, thanks to its high ground clearance, spacious cabin, high specification level and of course, its top-notch fuel consumption.

Being marketed with their catchy slogan ‘’ Do You’’, it will appeal to young and old, and is very popular as a people carrier in Cape Town.

Let’s unpack the features.

  Styling.

The S-Presso is in essence a compact SUV, with a raised ground clearance of 180mm, it has added 14 inch alloy wheels to the GL & s- edition models, whereas the GL model has steel wheels. It’s a cool looking little customer, and attracts a lot of attention on the road. As before, the full range now has body-coloured bumpers and door handles.

Into the cabin.

• Larger infotainment on S-Edition
• Reverse camera on S-Edition

Suzuki remains one of the pioneers of touch-screen infotainment systems in the entry-level market and for the upgraded S-Presso it has upped the game again.

The S-Presso GL+ adds the 7” Suzuki infotainment system with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and digital vehicle alerts as standard. This system allows for touch input, and it has Bluetooth and steering wheel controls for hands-free cell phone use.

The S-Edition will now have a larger, 9” infotainment system installed. It has a high-resolution screen, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto functionality. Added features include, Bluetooth connectivity, steering mounted controls, central locking, front electric windows, air conditioning and power steering as standard.

Engine.

At the heart of the S-Presso upgrade is the fitment of Suzuki’s Dualjet petrol engine. And a zippy little engine it is too. Yes, we drove it at sea level, and it needs a test at high altitude, but it impressed over some hilly and tricky bends over the Chapmans peak pass.

The manual version of the S-Presso uses a ‘’claimed’’ 4.6 litres of petrol per 100 km in a combined cycle and the Automated Manual Transmission (AMT) version sips only 4.4 litres per 100 km.

To ensure the best possible fuel consumption, and the lowest impact on Mother Nature in heavy city traffic, Suzuki’s engineers have fitted the entire range with Stop-Start technology (Engine Auto Start Stop or EASS), which switches off the engine when stationary and restarts it in less than a second when needed.

Safety

• ESP standard across the range
• Two airbags on all models
• Hill Hold Control added to AMT models

Suzuki S-Presso now comes fitted with Electronic Stability Programme (ESP) to the entire range.

With the addition of ESP, the S-Presso now becomes one of the most affordable vehicles on the market to have this important safety feature.

The S-Presso is also one of the most affordable models to be equipped with Suzuki’s HEARTECT platform, which uses high tensile steel, energy dispersing impact channels and clever design to offer a very rigid safety cell at the lowest possible vehicle weight.

Throw in ISOFIX top and lower child restraint anchors as standard and every model, from the most affordable to the best-equipped, has two airbags as standard.

As an additional safety feature, the AMT models now have Hill Hold Control as standard. Hill Hold Control keeps the vehicle from rolling backwards when pulling away from standstill on an incline.

It is worth noting that all S-Presso models are also fitted with an immobiliser, childproof rear door locks and ABS brakes. Ditto the rear ultrasonic park sensors, which are fitted to all S-Presso models, regardless of the grade.

Model Walk.

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The S-Presso line-up offers an impressive five models and incorporate the S-Edition as a standard model option.

The range consists of the following models:

• S-Presso 1.0 GL Manual  R162 900 vat incl
• S-Presso 1.0 GL Automated Manual Transmission (AMT)  R176 900 vat incl
• S-Presso 1.0 GL+ Manual  R169 900 vat incl
• S-Presso 1.0 GL+ Automated Manual Transmission (AMT)   R183 900 vat incl
• S-Presso 1.0 S-Edition Manual   R185 900 vat incl
• S-Presso 1.0 S-Edition Automated Manual Transmission (AMT)   R199 900 vat incl

All S-Presso models are sold with a 2 year / 30 000 km Service Plan and 5 year / 200 000 km promotional mechanical warranty.

In summation, Suzuki are hot as a manufacturer right now, and continue to up the bar and churn out winners, I was on the verge of purchasing a car from them for my daughter, but she has emigrated. The S-Presso will find homes with many willing buyers.