Everyone loves a great story.  Some people love to tell them, others love to write them, many love to read them and most of us love to hear them.  Stories tell us a lot about our world, about our community and about how we relate to each other as groups and individuals.  As children and adults we learn from stories, we find out a little more about who are, we share experiences and we learn to dream. At the end of a day, we share our stories with those we those we care about and the people we meet.  And hopefully in this sharing we communicate our joy, our passion and our ideals.

This month a number of different people share their experiences of Suzuki with us.  We read about a Swift drive home, an adventure at the fantastic facilities at Bass Lake and the wonderful participation in the CANSA Relay for Life in Bloemfontein.  We have a look at the favourite outboard at the Cape Vidal Marlin Competition as well as some great special offers available on boats (complete with Suzuki motors) this month.  You can also read all about the South African Classic Tourist Trophy which was held earlier in February.  And last, but not least we share with you Suzuki Auto’s newest additions to the family – the Swift 1.2 Hatch and Swift 1.2 DZire.

Until next month, safe driving and remember to share your stories – you never know who you will inspire.

Hanjo Stier  shared the time he spent, along with another journalist, on a road trip from Cape Town to JHB in the Suzuki Swift and the SX4 – and of course he is a fan!

Should you not know this, motoring journalists are usually fed a stream of cars from various manufacturer press fleets. These groups of vehicles are registered to the factory and used for launches, road tests and long-term reviews, events and other automotive occasions. One such car is this white Suzuki Swift 1.4 GLS.

Quite some time later – this tends to be the work of mileage or age – every press car is returned to its headquarters for a quick once-over and, if required, a wee refresh before being moved on to the pre-owned floor of a dealership and prepared for a new owner to take it home.

I’m divulging all this inside information because most cars are returned to HQ’s, which tend to be in Gauteng; thus we jumped at the opportunity to drive this Swift from Cape Town to Johannesburg. Another reason it was recalled by the mother ship is that there was a mild spec update around the corner.

Although there were just two of us in the car, we had a considerable amount of luggage to transport. Travelling in convoy with another Suzuki – our lady journo’s trusty SX4 – both cars’ 60/40 split rear seats and second boot floor were utilised when we departed on a damp Saturday morning at 2AM.

Boot space in the Swift increases from 210L of city shopping to a reasonable 533L which you can use on an adventurous and/or long trip. We opted to fit a Thule box to the roof racks of the SX4 and the Swift has preparation for these too if required – visit http://www.suzukiauto.co.za/my-suzuki/accessories/ for more info.

Right, back to our trip. Not wanting to look at the proverbial horse’s dentures, we had our reservations about the 1.4 GLS tank size and performance but the little Suzuki proved to be nimble, frugal and spritely before we departed. “Little” is also quite apt as the 3.8m long and 1.7m wide car is a breeze in town.

The turning radius is just 5.2m, kerb weight just over 1,000kg and the Swift can carry about 450kg. Its 1,372cc 16-valve petrol four cylinder engine puts out 70kW (95hp) or 130Nm and alleges to use just 5.5L/100km while emitting about 132g CO2/km on average of ninety five.

Less than a hundred horsepower and cargo close to its maximum capacity would surely spell agonising performance, scary overtaking runs and shocking consumption? Eeenk, wrong. I’d be lying if I told you that it still had nippy response but we were seriously impressed by the Swift’s fully-laden antics.

Only steeper hills and the eventual thin Gauteng air had us shifting down to increase momentum, cruising at the speed limit was no problem at all, while overtaking just needed a little longer and was helped by the 1,400 motor’s beautifully linear power delivery right up to its 6,200rpm redline.

We hardly touched the climate control system which kept the cabin temperature just so, the sound system played radio, CD-RW and USB sources through a thumping set of speakers, dipped and main beams are great, seating comfort is excellent at the front and the ride is quite comfy too.

Our Swift 1.4 GLS had one more ace up its sleeve though in the form of phenomenal fuel consumption. Our average figure around town was spot on the manufacturer’s claim of 5.5L/100km, even dipping to 5 flat when exposed to constant speeds and delicate accelerator work.

Believe it or not, climbing up to Jo’burg with a full load saw our average figure rise to around 6L/100km which meant that we could’ve easily beaten its indicated range of 580km on a full 42L tank. And with yet another fuel price hike behind us, the 1.4 Swift’s consumption is a big selling point.

So – it’s small and nimble, very practical and well-appointed, extremely frugal and reasonably nippy around town. It struggles a little at altitude but I’d love you to be the judge of that. And if you’re quick about it, there should be a white one popping up at a dealer around Pretoria sometime soon.

Click here to see more of their trip

Button

Being part of a family means showing your support in the good and the bad times and this month McCarthy Suzuki Bloemfontein demonstrated this through their support of the annual Cansa Relay for Life took place in Bloemfontein earlier this month.

The Cansa Relay for Life celebrates with cancer survivors and commemorates those people who have lost the battle against cancer. Mc Carthy Suzuki Bloemfontein proudly took part in this event – not only through their display but even more importantly as their staff participated in the walk to raise funds which took place from 6pm until 6am the next morning.  Well done to the team for their commitment to their community.

Are you looking to spend some of your leisure time out on the water this summer?  Have a look at some fantastic boats equipped with Suzuki outboard motors that are currently available at amazing prices.

This month saw the annual “South African Classic Tourist Trophy Series” taking place at Zwartkops in Gauteng and Killarney in Cape Town – and Suzuki once again featured in the results table with Ian Simpson on his 1981 Suzuki XR69 taking first place.  Clive Strugnell shares some of the excitement with us.

 Team Classic Suzuki cleans up in South Africa

by Clive Strugnell

Every year South Africa hosts a motorcycle racing series called “The South African Classic TT Series” The event was first held 7 years ago, to commemorate the “Tourist Trophy” international bike races first held in East London in 1922.

The “South African TT Series” is inscribed on the international classic motorcycle calendar, and is the only international road racing motorcycle event on the African continent at the moment.

Team Classic Suzuki, owned by Suzuki enthusiast Steve Wheatman, has travelled  from the UK for the past six years to take part in the festival of racing, and won their first SA classic racing title in 2010, with 7 times Isle of Man TT winner Mick Grant on an iconic 1984 Suzuki XR 41 (RG500) Grand Prix bike. This bike was the same bike Mick rode to his last GP win in Macau before retiring from the sport, in  1984.

This year Steve brought a 1985 Suzuki F1 1000cc XR69. In the early 80’s these bikes fought tooth and nail for the motorcycle Formula One title, which was an important world championship Series at that time. The XR 69 was in fact the prototype for the unsurpassed Suzuki GSR superbike models still sold today!

Motul, a long time Suzuki motorcycle racing partner, through their South African importer, brought Scottish motorcycle legend Ian Simpson, to ride the XR 69 in the series. Ian is a multiple British Superbike champion, a three time winner on the Isle of Man, and the current International classic Grand Prix 350 world Champion. To say that he dominated the 2014 TT racing Series would be an understatement. He literally disappeared into the distance after contending with some serious opposition for the first few laps.  South African Suzuki motorcycle dealer and South African Champion Les van Breda, on a 1981 Suzuki Katana made life very tough for Simpson, despite being on a modified road bike against the factory machine from the UK.

Almost all the machines topping the results table were Suzuki’s, a tribute to the quality from the Suzuki factory…most of them have been winning races for over 40 years!  That is some record.

Les Van Breda on his Suzuki Kantana

Mick Grant

Ian Simpson on the Suzuki XR69, winner of all 4 races in the South African TT Classic Racing Series.

Button

The Cape Vidal Marlin Competition took place earlier this month – and if you took a stroll past the wash bay it was not difficult to spot the most preferred outboard out there…

A group of journalists had a great day out with Suzuki Auto testing the abilities of  both the Grand Vitara and the Jimny on the 4×4 trail out at Bass Lake.  Thank you to Gerry Gericke for sharing his experience with us.

Bass Lake is an adventure playground in the Henley on Klip area and is situated in an old Dolomite quarry offering functions, conferencing, fishing, accommodation, scuba diving and 4×4 training. A host of other activities are also on offer; however the journalist would be completing the 4×4 training using the cream of Suzuki off road vehicles namely the renowned Jimny and the Grand Vitara.

Never having been a big fan of off-road activities, probably due to the fact that I competed in two Roofs of Africa, the 1000 Km Toyota desert race and the Sugarbelt 400 during my long Rallying career. Off-road racing is not for the faint-hearted as it is incredibly rough and tumble stuff. Called Off-road racing because you do leave the defined track frequently and scream through the veld praying that you do not smack a hidden donga, anthill or a Warthog hole at high speed which will invariably catapult you through the air until impact! Anyway I much prefer a smooth gravel or tar road where at least you can see what you are liable to crash into.

We digress! Back to Bass Lake adventures. Owned by Alan & Karen Pepper who have an incredible wealth of experience in off road driving and the conquering of obstacles by 4- wheel drive vehicles. The course kicks off with a lecture from Alan detailing the day’s activities ahead. A 4×4 vehicle is a lot more than a vehicle to transport you from A to B. It is in fact a family vehicle that can conquer any obstacle that presents itself, be it a steep inclined track up or down a mountain, a river crossing, various surfaces, rocky or sand dune.

You are taught how to attack various obstacles without damaging your vehicle or rolling it down the mountain side. No experience is necessary and it is unbelievable what a standard 4×4 Suzuki can negotiate safely – we scaled impossible inclines and even waded through water 800mm in depth, mud, rocks, dongas you name it. The course is extremely comprehensive and covers the whole spectrum of off-road driving including how to utilize all the features of your vehicle to extract the most fun for you and your family.

The Jimny is extremely popular in South Africa due to its relatively lightweight and compact size resulting in the most versatile off-road vehicle in its price class on the market. Its 1300 cc engine has an output of 63 kW combined with permanent all-wheel drive. The secret of the success of the Jimny lies in its extreme nimbleness and short wheel base which allows it to conquer types of terrain that are thought to be only suited to the extremely expensive off roaders. Being very light of body is also an added bonus.

Our other vehicle on the course was the Grand Vitara equipped with an automatic gearbox. This is a full-blown off-road vehicle that can really conquer any obstacle in its way. Packed with features, like traction control, hill descent, the ability to lock the diff, low ratio transfer gearbox and many others. The Grand Vitara will take on the roughest and toughest terrain whilst you are ensconced in soft leather seats. Truly an impressive mode of transport ideal for the family man or woman.

We can truly recommend this adventure to anybody who takes part in off-roading!

Button