A Double Shot Of Strength And Flavour – The Suzuki S-Presso
This is the Suzuki S-Presso, and like its name suggests, it captures the very essence of the well-loved SUV, all wrapped up into a compact and affordable package that should do tremendously well in South Africa. The S-Presso joins Suzuki’s compact duo of the Suzuki Jimny and the Suzuki Ignis.
“We are very excited to introduce the new Suzuki S-Presso in South Africa. It combines many of our most advanced technologies, such as our HEARTECT platform, with our compact SUV expertise to offer a compact, but roomy and well-specified new urban SUV that is truly within everyone’s reach,” says André Venter, divisional manager for sales and marketing at SuzukiAuto South Africa.
As compact as it is, the S-Presso doesn’t compromise in design or interior space. SUV cues like raised seating, high ground clearance and bold styling are evident on the S-Presso. The front-end features a prominent trapezoid that sits above a rugged black bumper. The S-Presso’s signature design cue is the bold four-slot grille that extends between the halogen headlights. The wheel arches feature a slightly boxy shape emphasising the 14-inch steel wheels, which are standard across the range, working together with the 180mm ground clearance to create the visual impression of a high-riding SUV.
The top-of-the-range model is called the S-Edition and features a more premium design than the regular model. This model features silver highlights in the four-slot grille, silver front and rear skid plates and bold side cladding over the wheel arches and on the lower sections of the doors. The protective side cladding on the doors is further emphasised by a large silver panel insert, which visually connects the front and rear silver skid plates.
Safety is top-priority on the S-Presso with two airbags, ABS, EBD and reverse parking sensors as standard across the range. The GL+ and S-Edition models add a reverse camera to the reverse parking system.
All versions of the S-Presso feature electric windows for the front occupants, air conditioning, power steering and a multi-information display, which includes information such as distance to empty, trip duration and distance travelled. On the GL+ and S-Design model, Suzuki has bumped up the specification with its touchscreen infotainment system with built-in Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, USB, Aux and Bluetooth connectivity.
There is only one engine available across the S-Presso range and it’s the 1.0-litre 3-cylinder powerplant from the Suzuki Celerio. This engine produces a maximum of 50kW of power and 90Nm of torque, sent to the front wheels through either a 5-speed manual gearbox or a 5-speed automated manual transmission.
Suzuki Auto will offer all versions of the Suzuki S-Presso together with a 2-year / 30 000km service plan and 5-year / 200 000km mechanical warranty. Suzuki has also included a year of complementary insurance in the starting price of R134,900.
