Sometimes it’s the little things that make the most noise. That seems to be the case with Suzuki of late, both with car sales and with upcoming adventures.
The car maker is in the news both for popularity and for testing its mettle in the upcoming Simola Hill Climb this weekend.
On the popularity side, Suzuki South Africa broke its own monthly record in April, selling 3701 cars in its highest ever month.
Not only that, but according to industry business council Naamsa, the Suzuki Swift was the highest selling car in April, at 1 621 units.
The rise of the small motor continues; with its 1.2 litre petrol engine the Swift promises consumption of as little as 4.9 litres per 100km/h, something we badly need in these days of rising costs.
That puts Suzuki in the number three spot behind Toyota and Volkswagen for sales in the country.
The introduction of the Suzuki Celerio, another affordable and super-efficient vehicle, definitely strengthened the Japanese car maker’s offering.
The all-new Baleno is due for arrival next February.
Now, about that adventure. Suzuki has joined the Simola Hill Climb in Knysna as a sponsor, and has entered two Swift sport models in Class A for road going turbo cars, to show the South African go-fast crowd that “you can have double the fun for half the price” says the brand’s marketing manager Brendon Carpenter.
Other official participation comes from Volkswagen, BMW and Shelby South Africa, with Hyundai as official media shuttle sponsor.
The turbocharged 1.4-litre Swifts, one automatic and the other a manual, will be piloted by journo Reuben van Niekerk and precision driving instructor Wesley Greybe.
Suzuki has hill climb kudos, with legendary racer Nobuhiro “Monster” Tajima known for his record-breaking runs up Pikes Peak in modified cars such as the Escudo (Vitara) and SX4 Pikes Peak Special.
For the event, it’s a welcome return for spectators, although there is a limit on 3300 people per day as per Covid regulations.
After 2020 had to be cancelled, the 2021 event was rescheduled to September and televised by SABC and livestreamed, keeping the vibe alive.
Today sees Classic Cars bustling their way up the 1.9km incline while Saturday sees all competitors in a series of practice and three qualifying rounds.
Then come Sunday, the final King of the Hill shootout is set to thrill the crowds and crown a top driver in what has become South Africa’s most prestigious motoring event.
The man to beat, Andre Bezuidenhout’s 34.965 dash in his Gould GR55 single seater, done last year at an amazing average speed of 195.6km/h through the bends.
The car stayed the same since Andre bought it from the UK in 2018, powering him to victory in the three hill climbs since then, but this year he says there are some changes: “We have improved the car substantially from a suspension point of view, and early signs are promising that the car is far nimbler over bumpy surfaces.”
With modifications purposely done to counter what is a bumpy track, could we be in for an even faster run this year? Tune in Sunday to find out.