The Citizen Motoring’s workforce is divided into four spheres. Jaco is the boss and takes responsibility when the rest of us screw up. Mark is the car testing specialist, Charl the motoring website guru and yours truly covers local motorsport.
My job entails a fair amount of travelling, which, I am happy to report, involves the use of test vehicles. In return for gaining access to such vehicles, I write what we call a “driving impression”.
Like this one – the story of a trip between Alberton and the Phakisa Raceway in the Free State, involving myself, two photographers, a lot of camera equipment and The Citizen’s long-term Suzuki Vitara Brezza 1.5 GLX auto. Since the boffins in our team have already covered the above vehicle’s technical side, my brief was to stay away from that stuff.
In the tunnel at Phakisa. Image: Dave Ledbitter
I am not supposed to tell you that the Vitara Brezza is powered by a four-cylinder, normally aspirated petrol engine of 1 462 cc, which develops 77 kW of power at 6 000 rpm and 138 Nm of torque at 4 400 rpm, all going to the front alloy wheels in 205/60 R16 rubber via a four-speed automatic gearbox.
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So I won’t. Instead, I might mention that, as glamorous as my job sounds, it involves 5.45am starts, with the loading of much stuff from the photographers’ cars into the test vehicle. Which is where we discovered that this compact SUV from Suzuki has plenty of room, housing three burley men, photographic equipment, my computer and a cooler box with ease.
We leave in the dark, finding out you can adjust the car’s headlamp height when oncoming traffic blitz us for blinding them. Crossing the Vaal River at sunrise gives us the opportunity to stop for an unusual photograph, displayed elsewhere on this page.
Vitara Brezza’s 328-litre boot was indeed fully packed. Image: Dave Ledbitter
Getting near the circuit on the Odendaalsrus/Welkom road, we have to dodge massive potholes, and become grateful for the Vitara Brezza’s nimble handling, plus the fact that it boasts a full-sized spare wheel.
At the Phakisa circuit we split forces – I spend the day fact-finding on foot in the control tower and pits, while the photographers cruise around from corner to corner in the Suzuki, taking action pics.
On the road back, anxious to get home, we noticed that the Suzuki battles to maintain a cruise control induced 126 km/h on any uphill incline, dropping down one or sometimes even two gears. But, having said that, we are three rather weighty individuals, we have a lot of equipment, and the gearbox does its job with incredible smoothness.
GLX spec means standard 16-inch alloy wheels. Image: Dave Ledbitter
So, we concentrate on the fact that refueling near Kroonstad shows the Suzuki to have an average fuel consumption of 7.8 L/100 km. Considering the load it was carrying, that was impressive. Travelling alone this writer has previously found the Brezza more economical, at around 6.6 L/100 km. When the 48-litre tank is full, this consumption will give you a fuel range of over 700km.
What we liked is the fact that it is easy to drive, its nimble handling and smooth gearbox, with the desire for an additional horse or two under the bonnet the only thing we would have changed. It’s an all-round efficient little SUV, and at R309 900 reasonable value for money
The Suzuki Vitara Brezza 1.5 GLX auto comes with a five year/200 000 km warranty, a four year/60 000 km service plan and service intervals are 15 000 km.