Prospective buyers drool over budget Suzuki

Last year was tough, but 2021 may prove to be the year finances dictate whether you have breakfast or not, let alone pay back your credit card debt.

Prospective car-buyers are looking hard at their bank balances before buying a new car, and fuel-consumption is often the deciding factor.

So what can you buy in the new car market for around R300 000?

While 2020 was tough, The National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of South Africa reports that one manufacturer outdid themselves.

Suzuki sold 16 527 vehicles last year, with sales growing by 1 046 units, while the overall industry suffered a 29.1% decline.

The brand new Suzuki Vitara Brezza is coming to South Africa early this year, and is already creating a lot excitement.

While the price is yet to be confirmed, it is expected to range around R300 000, depending on the model.

It may not be the most glamorous cross-over money can buy, but it has a few great features.

The Indian-built Vitara Brezza may hit the sweet-spot in fuel-consumption, owing to its lightweight build, with the base model coming in at around 1 160kg.

The certified mileage of the petrol’s manual variant is 17.03 km/l in manual and 18.76 km/l in automatic.

While by default, the 1.0 model may be the choice for many, the budget-friendly crossover SUV is said to be surprisingly quiet at cruising speeds, despite being competitive with your neighbour’s three-cylinder turbo.

Suzuki allowed reviewers a sneak-peek inside the vehicle last December – with a clear ‘hands off’ warning – revealing that the infotainment system had been upgraded, coupled with a visually larger space.

Assembled by Maruti in India, the Vitara Brezza is powered by a 1.5 litre K-Series naturally-aspirated motor, with 77kW and 138Nm.