Frothy Suzuki S-Presso cheap but still tasty

Shooting from the hip made former television motoring show presenter Jeremy Clarkson famous. But much like a certain head of state in northern America, speaking your mind doesn’t mean that you are right.

Clarkson once proclaimed that there is no such thing as ‘’cheap and cheerful’’, but rather ‘’expensive and cheerful or cheap and nasty’’. It’s a good thing that at 1.96 m tall, Clarkson will never fit in the driver’s seat of the Suzuki S-Presso. Well actually he won’t fit anywhere in the car, not by his own choice anyway. Had he did, he might have just had to swallow his own words about the most affordable passenger car in South Africa at the moment.

Because apart from the driver’s seat that doesn’t cater for taller frames and the expected hard plastics making up most of the cabin, the S-Presso is anything but nasty. In fact, the Japanese carmaker’s latest offering in S-Edition manual guise left us quite cheerful after spending a week with it recently. We had good reason to hold our breath initially, as the vehicles which have been vying for the mantle of being South Africa’s cheapest car of late have come in for a fair bit of stick, especially on the safety front.

Not only did the S-Presso touch down locally on the eve of lockdown in March with even the entry level GL model inclusive of ABS with EBD and dual front airbags as standard equipment, but it also managed to undercut it competitors’ price by quite some margin. In fact, it’s a one-two for S-Presso at the top of the local cheapest chart with the GL priced at R134 900 and the next entry on the list being the GL+ at R139 900. The S-Design is priced at R147 900.

Although Suzuki’s description of the S-Presso being an urban SUV is slightly hard to swallow even in this age of endless crossovers, we’ll admit that the generous 180 mm ground clearance and unique front-end design featuring a four-slot grille gives the car high-riding SUV-like appeal. At the back, an integrated roof spoiler and high C-shape taillights also add to the appeal.

Inside things are as basic and plasticky as they come, with less buttons in the entire cabin than on most mid-range cars’ steering wheels alone. The dashboard features a large circular centre console which houses a large digital speedometer, trip computer and infotainment system. The centre console, vents and door handle inlays on the door are all colour-coded and a striking feature of the car’s funky design aimed at younger buyers.

The fact that the driver’s seat can’t adjust up and down will not bode will with taller drivers. At 1.82 m, I just managed to be comfortable, but colleague Charl Bosch’s head was touching the roof already and he is only three centimetres taller.

Apart from electric front windows, rear park distance control, air conditioner, digital meter cluster, integrated multi-information display, halogen multi-reflector headlamps and remote central locking, which come standard across the model range, the S-Edition, like the GL+, also includes a touchscreen infotainment system with reverse camera, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto plus Bluetooth and USB/Aux connectivity.

One thing that did annoy us in the cabin was trying to operate the only volume control buttons for the infotainment system. They are situated on a little side strip on the left of the screen which is closely tucked in on the side of the surrounding frame, which makes it quite tricky landing your finger on the right spot while in motion.

Leg room and storage is adequate taken into account the car is meant for long-haul distances, while boot space is 239 litres and can be extended by folding down the rear bench seat. And the best part is, there is a full size spare wheel under the boot floor.

The S-Presso range’s power comes from a three-cylinder, 1.0-litre petrol engine also used in the Celerio. The powerplant sends 50kW/90Nm to the front wheels via a five-speed manual gearbox. And this combination is the S-Presso’s real beauty in our opinion. The gearbox is very slick and although a 50 kW drivetrain is anything but a rocket, it gets the car moving effortlessly and should be easy enough for most potential buyers to upgrade to an AMT (automated manual transmission) model. And while the S-Presso is made for city traffic, it performs decently on the open road nonetheless. It easily reaches 120 km/h on the highway and actually feels comfortable at that speed without having to overexert the engine.

As far as fuel consumption goes, we managed to get in around the 6l/100 km-mark without making any attempt to drive it economically, slightly more than Suzuki’s claim of 4.9l/100 km. But that is a very impressive number nonetheless and should get you more than 400 km on the S-Presso’s 27-litre fuel tank without breaking the bank.

Riding on the Heartect platform that also underpins the DZire, Ignis and Swift, the S-Presso benefits from both being light (only 770 kg) and rigid, which translate well into the car’s handling and lower engine noise and vibration. Further enhancing the drive is the S-Presso’s road-holding made possible by a wheelbase that measures a generous 2 380 mm out of a total length of 3 565 mm.

And being as short at it is with the added assistance of the parking sensors and reverse camera, manoeuvring the S-Presso is almost easier than parking a golf cart.

The S-Presso just shows that if a carmaker can get the basics right, there is no need for sideshows. It is unassuming and honest, and you don’t have to be as young and funky as its target market to have good old genuine fun behind the steering wheel. Its cheap and cheerful appeal will go a long way during the current uncertain economic climate

The S-Presso is sold standard with a two-year/30 000km service plan and five-year/200 000km mechanical warranty, while a year’s complimentary insurance is also included in the price.

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