Milestone for Suzuki SA

Suzuki Auto has hit another milestone in the past month, after the company recorded the highest sales month since being established in South Africa in 2008.

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The Japanese brand recorded total sales of 744 units, which represents a jump of 27% over its sales in June and an equally impressive jump of 68 units over its previous record.

Before breaking through the 700-unit barrier, Suzuki had achieved its best sales in September 2014, when 676 new Suzuki vehicles were sold.

While the jump in sales in July is significant, Suzuki’s growth for the year to date is equally impressive. The brand has grown its share of the market by 22% over the same period in 2016. Suzuki’s growth in vehicle sales comes amidst a general slowdown on the overall vehicle market.

According to the National Association of Automobile Manufacturers (Naamsa), July was generally in the black, but total industry sales remain in the red for the year and have declined by 0.3% for the year to date.

In July, Suzuki also extended its warranty period from three- years / 100 000km to five years / 200 000km, to further bolster its value proposition and underline its commitment to their products. The extension is valid until 31 December 2017 on all passenger models.

In May this year, Suzuki Auto launched the quirky Suzuki Ignis in three derivatives into the South African market.

Apart from its range of standard features, the Ignis introduced a new level of customisation to Suzuki, including cosmetic, comfort and in-car entertainment features.

One of the very popular optional features is a double-DINsized touch-screen multimedia system with a 6.2-inch WVGA display. The full-colour screen allows for direct control of iPhones and iPods via Bluetooth, as well as limited controls of certain Android smartphones.

The system is also satnav-ready and it can function as a full turn-by-turn navigation system when equipped with South African road maps on the optional plug in satnav unit, but it was previously erroneously reported that this optional touch screen infotainment system can fully integrate with Andriod Auto.

Please note that this is not the case and that the system offers limited control of Android and iOS mobile systems from the touch screen via Bluetooth.