The updated Suzuki S-Presso has arrived on South African shores and it remains the most affordable car on the market while still offering great value for money. While Suzuki calls it the baby model of their range, it is a ‘micro-SUV’ that is just as capable on rural roads as what it is on urban roads and has spec that no other vehicles in that price range can boast about.
The updated S-Presso remains authentically true to its roots which has proven itself with over 14 000 sales since its launch in 2020. Many of the updates improved areas that were potentially lacking while making it one of the most value for money options on the market. Of course, it is the entry-level GL that claims the title of the most affordable car but the S-Edition is not far behind. This, however, will only be available in South Africa in early 2023.
How does it drive?
Updates to the S-Presso include adding the Suzuki Celerio’s Dualjet 1.0 K10C engine. This has both a pro and con – the con being so minor, I hesitate to even call it that. It loses a kilowatt of power and a newton meter of torque. Thus, drivers will get 49 kW of power and 89 Nm of torque.
The pro is likely to be a selling point as it has improved fuel economy. There are two transmissions from which to choose. The GL has a manual transmission and a claimed fuel consumption of 4.6L/100km while the S-Edition offers an Automated Manual Transmission (AMT) with a consumption of 4.4L/100km. The previous derivative had a claimed consumption of 4.9L/100km.
Chapman’s Peak, the route travelled, gave us the opportunity to test the S-Presso in everyday driving scenarios from loadshedding to uphill driving. Only once did the micro-SUV struggle up a hill and otherwise performed extremely well and is unlikely to leave any city driver dissatisfied. My one critique is that the power steering was very light and definitely required some care in some scenarios.
Design concept
The S-Presso remains a mini-SUV that is bold and athletic. Changes were made to the headlights and indicators to make them appear more ‘aggressive.’ It now also has alloy wheels with the size depending on your derivative. These changes are noticeable and add extra prowess to the car, yet, I would not say it is massively different.
The intention with the interior was to make it more energetic looking. I’m not quite sure what was meant by this but the improvements to the interior are some of the biggest pull factors for me. There is more space which was certainly
needed. Whether it is a design choice or necessity because of space, the controls for the electric windows are still in the centre. I believe space would be fairly reduced if they were placed on the doors. It is, however, comfortable with more than enough space for an average height person.
On the return trip I was sitting in the back and, unfortunately, found this to be too small still. From the exterior the S-Presso looks the part of a micro-SUV but in the rear it does not. It is still suitable for a small family with a good-sized boot to go with it but if you have a bigger family, not so much. It is worth noting that the S-Presso is marketed to an audience that is unlikely to have an issue with this.
Something I still felt as soon as I got behind the wheel is that you feel too high up in the S-Presso and you cannot
adjust the seating height. If I felt that, taller drivers will feel it too. You do, however, get accustomed to it fairly quickly.
The S-Presso is also one of the only entry-level vehicles to feature a 7-inch touchscreen infotainment which also upgrades to a 9-inch screen in the S-Edition. This connects to Apply Carplay and Android Auto. It adds to the value you get with the S-Presso and is an eye-catching feature.
There is only one USB port for charging. While an extra port would be great, realistically this is a bit too much to ask of an entry-level car. There is also a 12v socket.
Safety and tech
This is updated as well. You can now expect the following in addition to what was available before:
- Stop/start technology (new)
- Hill Hold control (new)
- ESP (new)
- ISOFIX child anchors (new)
- Two airbags (new)
- Electric mirror controls (new)
- ABS
- EBD
- Steering wheel controls
- Parking sensors
- Reverse camera (S-Edition)
- Electric windows in the front
It is worthwhile noting that the S-Presso is one of only four of the most affordable cars that has both ABS and ESP. Even more interesting is that the other three are all Suzuki’s as well.
While the Suzuki S-Presso maintains its title as the most affordable car on the market, I believe one can add another title to that. It is the most affordable car on the market that does not skimp on anything. There are so many important features and perks, you would certainly not go wrong choosing this as your entry-level micro-SUV.
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