Suzuki Splash 1.2 GL MT - Video Review

 

 

It’s exciting and different and it’s the Suzuki Splash. It’s a great first car or, if you’re done with the working world and settling down to retire, a great retirement car too. It’s small and compact and fun to drive. It won’t cost an arm and a leg and will give you many miles of pleasurable motoring.

While there are a few other options in the Suzuki portfolio, the Splash is by far the trendiest looking option on the cards. Its sharp nose with trademark Suzuki headlights dominate the front end of the car while the flat rear glass and high level tail lights help keep the overhangs short. This is good because parking becomes an absolute breeze. Overall visibility is lovely and there’s tonnes of headroom in the cabin.

The interior is tidy and well laid out and by lacing the gear shift higher up, hanging from the dashboard frees up some legroom up front. It’s kitted out with the usual mod cons you would like to see in a car of this ilk. There’s power steering, aircon, electric windows, an audio system with USB and Aux input. There’s dual airbags, ABS and keyless entry with a multifunction steering wheel.

Interior space is limited at the rear and the boot is a compact little thing, only suitable for a few small pieces of luggage (read: carrier bags). Front legroom is generous and headroom is more than ample enough for a taller individual.

The motor is a little underpowered though. The 1.2-litre motor makes 63kW and 113Nm torque and feels the punch on the uphills and will evidently struggle a bit when fully loaded up. The benefit to this is one of the most frugal motor that I have ever driven. Despite my flat-footed driving techniques, the fuel consumption average never once rose above the 6l/100km mark – astounding frugality.

The Spash is a fun car to drive with a gearshift that is out of this world and actually out of place on a small car like this – it feels like it was lifted from a higher end sports car. The cheerful character and cheeky appearances make it a lovely companion for the varsity run or cruising about town to the shops and back.

The Splash is backed by a 3-year / 100 000km warranty and a 2-year / 30 000km service plan. The Suzuki Splash 1.2i GL MT retails for R137 400 inclusive of VAT.