Refreshed Suzuki S-Presso Now On Sale

Double Apex attended the launch of the refreshed Suzuki S-presso earlier this week and report on the changes to this little SUV.

Suzuki South Africa was supposed to host a media ride and drive of its, then, new S-Presso mini-SUV at the very start of 2020. Our president announced a ban on all large-scale gatherings mere hours before the event was supposed to take place. Suzuki went ahead and introduced the car into the local market anyway. 

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Sales Success

We are pretty sure that the local subsidiary is pleased with that decision as just about fourteen and a half thousand of the little vehicles have found new homes since introduction. That number goes a long way to helping Suzuki SA achieve sales tallies which regularly places the company in third spot on the local charts, outstripping several established players in the market in the process.

Refreshed

With three years of sales under its belt the S-Presso was ready for a bit of a refresh. It was for that reason we met up with representatives of the brand at a recent event held in the Western Cape. 

By their own admission, the refreshed Suzuki S-Presso is not easy to differentiate on the outside. The hallmarks of the ‘original’ remain. The refreshed Suzuki S-Presso still has pert dimensions, 180 mm of ground clearance and an SUV-esque high-riding seating arrangement.

As before all versions are kitted with the following items as standard: air-conditioning, Bluetooth connectivity, remote audio controls, central locking, rear ultrasonic park sensors, dual-front airbags, front electric windows, electrically adjusted side mirrors and power steering.

Visible Changes

There are a few visible changes to take note of. Fourteen-inch alloy wheels are now standard on GL+ and S-Edition derivatives. Mid-spec GL+ versions have the same seven-inch touchscreen audio system as before that features Apple CarPlay, Android Auto.

Top-spec S-Edition variants gain a larger, nine-inch infotainment system. The high high-resolution touchscreen interface also has Apple CarPlay and Android Auto functionality. In addition it also serves as the display for a newly fitted reverse camera.

Mechanical Changes

More notable changes have taken place under the skin of the refreshed Suzuki S-Presso. Under the short bonnet is the same 1,0-litre, three-cylinder engine as found in other Suzuki products. In a turnaround compared to other facelift/refreshed models, the new engine actually loses power and torque. However, 49 kW (vs 50 kW before) and 89 N.m are near as making no difference from behind the wheel. 

More importantly, official fuel consumption figures have dropped. The manual version of the S-Presso uses only 4,6 L/100 km while the automatic version returns an even more impressive 4,4. Both powertrains options feature stop/start technology. Most buyers will also welcome the inclusion of an electronic stability programme as standard.

Refreshed Suzuki S-Presso Range Pricing

• 1.0 GL R162 900
• 1,0 GL automatic R176 900
• 1,0 GL+ R169 900
• 1,0 GL+ automatic R183 900
• 1,0 S-Edition R185 900
• 1,0 S-Edition automatic R199 900

All prices include a two-year/30 000 km service plan and five-year/200 000 km promotional mechanical warranty.