Should You Consider Buying A Suzuki S-PRESSO In Nigeria

The Suzuki S-Presso came on the scene and shocked everyone with its low price of N9,900,000. For many, that amount is attainable either through financing or a cash purchase. For others, that amount of money is something to consider and something that you can’t just spend at the drop of a hat. 

For many of us, that price doesn’t fall onto our laps; at times, we would even need to finance that amount over a period of a few years. However, you have to ask yourself if financing or buying a car like the Suzuki S-Presso will be worth it. So is it? 

Is it Built to a price?

The S-Presso is undoubtedly an entry-level car. The exterior alone has a lot of black cladding that is reminiscent of base model cars, but we’d say that material is fitting for the S-Presso since it has quite a bit of ground clearance and it does have that appeal to it. Though you won’t get fender lining on this car, which exposes the bare metal underneath, This is a bit of a nitpick at this price point, we will admit. 

More cost savings can be found in the interior of the vehicle. You only get two power windows, one for the driver and one for the front passenger. This leaves the two doors at the back with only wind-up windows. The seats are also pretty flat, meaning that there are no bolsters to hold you in place, but that’s fine given that this car is geared more towards normal city driving. The centre console also houses a digital speedometer and trip computer, which sit above your infotainment system, which is a sizable unit for the unit, we should say. Another caveat that we can find is that the only transmission option available is a 5-speed manual stick shift. The lack of transmission options can steer many buyers in Nigeria away, especially since a lot of city driving involves quite a bit of traffic, though drivers on more provincial roads won’t have to suffer that much.

Even with all of these nitpicks, we have to remember that this S-Presso only costs N9,900,000. There aren’t many cars today that offer this much ground clearance with a respectable amount of space for a little over half a million pesos. Even in the back, you get a good amount of cargo space, which is actually more than other vehicles of similar size. Plus, your purchase is warranty-backed, and you don’t have to worry much about fixing a lot of things with the car before you can really use it. 

Perfect for first-time buyers?

Many in the past stated that the S-Presso is just personality on four wheels and that it has pretty much everything a first-time driver needs in order to learn the ropes the “proper” way. In fact, it’s pretty much the specification that we feel that most driving schools would appreciate due to its lack of a tachometer and a manual transmission. 

However, its compact dimensions, light steering, and high ground clearance help ease anxieties while on the road since newbie drivers don’t have to struggle so much or worry about too many things like going over bumps. The clutch is also quite light and not that bothersome to use in traffic, and the gear shifts aren’t that vague. Some may even say that the 1.0-litre engine is enough, and we are inclined to agree; however, with the fuel savings that you get out of this tiny 3-cylinder and the economy figures. It’s a more raw experience, we admit, but this small hatchback will teach you a thing or two about overtaking and planning your acceleration. 

So, is it worth it?

We’ll have to admit that if you’re used to having a certain standard with your cars or if you are very particular, then this vehicle just isn’t for you. We figure that the veteran car buyer might find the S-Presso a bit bare. Cheap thrills aside, space is actually one of the more impressive aspects of the S-Presso. As we showed in our video review, large individuals can even fit in the rear seats of this car. Also with regard to legroom, Suzuki was able to maximise space for passengers; though there will be a squeeze at the rear, two can sit comfortably without much worry. 

The next conundrum we have with this question is: is it worth keeping for the next 5 years or so? Once the novelty wears off, its lack of features could show. You could end up wanting an automatic transmission after multiple stents in traffic, or even more space and seats. Then again, its simplicity will mean that there is less to go wrong.

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So at least to us, it’s a good stepping stone onto bigger things, or it could make for a good substitute whenever your main ride isn’t available. There are a lot of ways to start out driving, but we don’t think that the S-Presso would be a bad choice. With the right expectations, it could make for a car that you end up attaching very fond memories of. 

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