Suzuki S-Presso

As for the interior design, Suzuki did a good job of creating a modern cockpit design for S-Presso. The central console containing the digital speedometer and infotainment system is an instant charmer. Suzuki was able to carefully come up with a central console design that doesn’t look cramped and too much for the eye. In fact, the front air conditioning vents look just life the circular central consoles’ wings.

The 7-inch Touchscreen Infotainment System has Audio and Power Window Controls is connected with front speakers. Unfortunately, there is no phone mirroring capability for this one like Apple CarPlay or Android Auto. But it has AM/FM Radio, Bluetooth, and USB connectivity. The manual air conditioning controls are located below the infotainment system.

Space is not a problem in this car, in fact, it has a lot of storage spaces for a more convenient ride. It has a glove box, open tray, front console cup holder, front console pocket, rear console pocket, and a door pocket. The luggage capacity of this car is pretty huge for a mini compact SUV. Apart from the luggage shelf, when seats are folded, the total cargo capacity of the car becomes 239 liters and that is pretty impressive.

This car’s exterior was made to be bold and athletic in nature. The S-Presso’s design adapts the modern SUVs and crossovers styling but put in a more compact, rugged, and weirder way. This car’s front fascia seems to look like a car that can transform into an Autobot or a Decepticon at any moment. But, we must admit that the car’s strong character lines and prominent exterior features such as the muscular front grille, striking front, and rear bumpers, distinct multi-reflector halogen headlamps, and C-shaped rear lamp design add to its robust appearance. You may notice that the grille has a trapezoidal tooth-like design that accentuates its bulkiness as a car.

According to Suzuki, the S-PRESSO’s side body volume has been pushed upwards to give a high visual center of gravity which precisely nails it. Meanwhile, the square-like wheel arches enhance its stance and sporty side but if you’re going to stare at it, the proportion of the wheel arches’ shape doesn’t really go well with the 14-inch steel wheels.

This funky car has a lightweight setup for the steering and the combination of MacPherson struts and torsion beam as front and rear suspensions, respectively, you can have decent riding experience. What’s good about this car is that its Noise, Vibration, and Harshness (NVH) insulation is pretty good. The muffler noise, road noise, and floor vibration are minimized through optimizing body characteristics. Apart from the noises, the enhanced insulation materials in the car body were given intricate improvements to optimize the airflow, ideal balance of design, and the aerodynamic performance of the car. There are just some problems when the car is at high speed because of the limited feedback from the steering as well as the slightly high ground clearance which makes the car lose out on the finesse of the stability.

The seats are a combination of vinyl and fabric so it is comfortable enough. Also, in spite of being compact, the legroom wasn’t compromised for this car so that is a definite plus.

Looking at S-Presso’s powertrain, there is not really so much thing to get excited about. The car is powered by a 998ccc 1.0-liter three-cylinder petrol K10B Engine that can churn up to 67 horsepower at 5500 rpm and 90 Nm torque at 3500 revs per minute. This engine is also marketed to be fuel efficient although it’s pretty obvious that it will perform less than expected.

This mill is mated with a 5-speed manual gearbox. With a 5-speed manual transmission, the S-Presso makes driving on any road a pleasant experience. Its transmission offers an optimal gear ratio, and reduces friction for the engine and drivetrain, enabling it to obtain the best possible fuel consumption and performance.

The braking is handled by a ventilated disc in the front and drums at the rear. The good thing about this car is even if it’s very affordable, Suzuki did not spare it from having an Anti-Lock Braking System which is now a standard for almost every car.

S-Presso’s front airbags feature a pretensioner and force limiter. The pre-tensioner is designed to tighten the seatbelts to restrain occupants quickly and to prevent them from being thrown forward in case of a moderate or severe frontal crash. Force limiter helps protect occupants from seatbelt inflicted injuries.

Among the safety features of the Suzuki S-Presso is the technology where it was built from, which is Suzuki’s HEARTEC platform that is characterized as light and highly rigid. It lowers fuel consumption and vastly improves the fundamental vehicle performance in terms of running, turning, and stopping. Its frame is characterized by smooth and continuous curves, which efficiently disperses impact energy in case of collision. Other safety features include the Total Effective Control Technology body (TECT), Rear Parking Assist System, the minimum turning radius of 4.5mm, parking sensors, ISOFIX, child seat tether anchorages, childproof rear door locks, and immobiliser.

It is very surprising that with its affordable price, Suzuki S-Presso has some amazing features to offer including a spacious cabin, quirky yet unique design, and a wide array of safety specs. Although there are still improvements that should be done for the engine and the tech features, this car is already a decent car for daily commutes. Let’s just hope that they will offer an automatic trim soon.