Car Review
More than a century of Suzuki innovation from looms to fuel cells
well made and tactile to use, even if the plastic trim feels geared more towards being durable than soft to the touch.
MANY PEOPLE KNOW OF SUZUKI AS A GREAT MOTORCYCLE BRAND, BUT LESS KNOW THAT THIS GLOBAL COMPANY PRODUCES SOME REALLY ENDEARING AND FUN MOTORCARS. RICHARD WEBB TAKES A LOOK AT THEIR HERITAGE AND DRIVES THEIR LATEST OFFERING.
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t was way back in 1909 that Michio Suzuki founded the Suzuki Loom Company in Japan. He then expanded into motorcycle production in 1952 with a 36cc two-stroke engine, which revolutionised personal mobility with a simple and cost-effective design. Compact car production started in 1955 with the Suzulight, which was packed with advanced features like front-wheel drive, four-wheel independent suspension and rack and pinion steering. Their car production boomed, topping 10 million units by 1989. Suzuki has continued to enjoy growth in demand and has also shown steady growth within recognition and demand since their
introduction to South Africa in 2008. In the ever-growing city-car class there is a new offering in the shape of the fivedoor hatchback – the new Suzuki Celerio. Positioned as an A+ compact, the Celerio slots between the likes of the Ford Fiesta and Toyota Aygo and is even bigger than the Hyundai i10. This little nipper is incredibly easy to use with its light steering and other driving controls making it a real cinch. Unless you absolutely have to have an automatic, go for the five-speed manual gearbox, which is incredibly slick, easy to use and a much better bet. The three-cylinder engine is very quiet and refined, being all but silent at idle. Inside, the controls are reassuringly
The GL in particular has a fair amount of kit with air-conditioning, electric windows, USB and Bluetooth connectivity all coming standard. The car is well worth a deeper look from pricing and equipment alone, but when you factor in the decent efficiency figures (84g/km and 4.6l/100km for the GL AMT automated manual transmission version) you will quickly find that few other cars, if any, can offer so much at such a low price. Looming in the near future are another couple of Suzuki’s exciting new concept cars. The i-M4 is their vision for a compact and fuel-efficient 4x4 model and their compact hatchback, called i-K2, will feature a ‘Smart Hybrid Vehicle by Suzuki’ (SHVS), which boasts lithium-ion batteries and a 1200cc Dualjet petrol engine. Expect everdecreasing fuel consumption and lower CO2 emissions to underpin the shape of things to come from the manufacturer.
Words Richard Webb | INSTAGRAM INSTAGRAM.COM/RICHARDMARKWEBB Richard is an Independent Cape Town and London based writer specialising in travel, cars and lifestyle
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