Tag Archive: suzuki

Get the most from your car’s air conditioning in summer

August 12, 2022

Cold, hard facts to keep you cool during sunny spells

With driver’s travelling in soaring temperatures during hot weather, it is worth knowing how to ensure your vehicle’s air conditioning is operating at its most efficient. Opening the windows may help a little with fuel consumption, but for maximum comfort, you want to use the air con to lower the humidity. Follow these tips to truly mastering the chill.

1. Open the windows & doors

When you start driving, first open the windows and doors for a few minutes to let the hot air escape and cooler air enter the car. One common mistake is to turn the air con on full blast once you get in the vehicle, but all this will do initially is blast hot air through the cabin.

2. Turn off stop/start

If you have a newer car with auto stop/start, consider switching it off. While this feature helps save fuel, for many vehicles it can prevent the air conditioning condenser from running when it shuts the engine off. In extreme heat, you can notice the lack of cool air very quickly, especially if you’re stuck in slow traffic that’s barely moving or at a slow stoplight.

3. Tilt the vents

Direct the vents upwards, rather than directly at you, as this stops air from getting evenly distributed around the cabin. If your vehicle has climate control, activate the Auto setting which controls the fan speed and whether the air is recirculated in the cabin or drawn from outside for an even distribution of cool air.

4. Recirculate effectively

Most cars have a recirculation switch but many motorists are unsure when to use it. The easy answer is to use it in the summer and switch it off during winter. On hot days, if you don’t recirculate the cooler air in the cabin, then your air con system is pulling hot air from outside and trying to cool it. Not only will it reduce wear and tear on the system but it will also cut down pollutants entering your vehicle while in traffic.

Suzuki top Automotive brand for Customer Satisfaction

July 8, 2022

Suzuki has ranked as the top Automotive brand out of 27 car manufacturers measured in the latest bi-annual Institute of Customer Service UK Customer Satisfaction Index (UKCSI) published this July.

From 265 named organisations, Suzuki ranked in joint 5th position overall and has now ranked 1st in Automotive UKCSI five times since 2019. In the latest survey, Suzuki ranked 17 places above the next automotive brand of the companies measured.

The index is a barometer of customer satisfaction and asks over 10,000 consumers to rate their experiences of dealing with companies across 13 different sectors, including those in the motor industry.

As part of the survey, customers were asked questions relating to various aspects of their experience when dealing with brands including Trust, Experience, Customer Ethos, Emotional Connection and Ethics. With reference to the automotive sector of UKCSI, Suzuki ranked joint 1st for Trust as well as the brand that customers would most likely remain loyal to.

Commenting on the results, Nobuo Suyama, Managing Director of Suzuki GB PLC, said: We are very proud of our achievement to once again be in first position in the Automotive sector of UKCSI Index, particularly in the challenging times we continue to face. Consistent evolution of the Suzuki customer experience remains a core focus for us and the ongoing efforts of our staff and dealers has again really paid off.”

He added: “Without the support of our nationwide dealer network, and the hundreds of people that work tirelessly for the brand to deliver exceptional standards for our customers we could not have delivered such a fantastic result. I would like to again congratulate everyone who has played a part to attain another excellent achievement.”

Suzuki launches full hybrid version of popular Vitara

March 12, 2022

The Suzuki Vitara is now available with full hybrid technology that helps lower CO2 emissions and improves fuel consumption even further than the current mild hybrid with automatic transmission.

Full hybrid technology

The system consists of a 140V lithium-ion battery and inverter, Motor Generator Unit (MGU), a 12V lithium-ion battery and a conventional 12V lead-acid battery to power components requiring lower voltage such as lights, instruments, heating and air-conditioning.

Selectable hybrid modes

The new hybrid system has two switchable modes – Eco and Standard – which enables the driver to change between the two modes depending on conditions and increases the frequency of EV driving.

MGU

The MGU acts as a generator and starter motor and assists the petrol engine during vehicle take off. The high-performance lithium-ion battery stores electrical energy recovered from deceleration and braking and incorporates an idle stop function operated via the integrated starter generator. Based on engine speed and throttle position, the engine ECU judges when the driver will accelerate then uses the electric motor to add additional torque.

The hybrid system collects kinetic energy and generates electricity by stopping the engine and disengaging the clutch during deceleration, which increases the EV driving range. As a full hybrid, the Vitara can run solely on its electric motor for short distances.

Transmission

The Vitara full hybrid comes equipped with Auto Gear Shift (AGS) that automatically shifts the manual transmission and gear ratios to help provide a good combination of performance and fuel economy. AGS enables the driver to enjoy both the direct driving experience of a manual gearbox and the shifting ease of an automatic transmission. The transmission also has a manual mode with steering-wheel-mounted shift paddles.

One notable feature of the latest hybrid system with AGS is the position of the MGU on the output side of the transmission assembly. As a result, power from the MGU is directly transmitted to the driveshafts to fill the torque gap during shifting and provides a smoother transition from the transmission.

CO2 emissions

Thanks to full hybrid technology, high tensile steel and other weight-saving measures in the body, Vitara’s CO2 emissions are low (121g/km) with an impressive combined fuel economy of 53mpg.

ALLGRIP 4-wheel drive

Suzuki’s ALLGRIP 4-wheel drive system is available as an option on the SZ5 model and incorporates four selectable drive modes – Auto, Sport, Snow and Lock – for safe, enjoyable driving on diverse surfaces.

Specification highlights

Standard equipment is comprehensive with the entry-level SZ-T model featuring: auto air conditioning, front and rear electric windows, keyless entry and start, 17″ silver alloy wheels, rear privacy glass, Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, rear parking camera and satellite navigation. Moving up to the top-spec SZ5 adds 17″ polished alloy wheels, suede seat upholstery, panoramic sunroof, front and rear parking sensors and the availability of ALLGRIP 4WD as an option.

A high level of safety specification comes as standard including, LED multi-reflector headlamps with low and high beam, dual sensor brake support (automated emergency braking), blind spot monitor, rear cross traffic alert, traffic sign recognition, adaptive cruise control and seven airbags.

New Vitara

Discover the new Suzuki Vitara range.

Vitara Offers

Shop our latest Suzuki Vitara offers.

‘Best Buy’ and ‘True MPG’ success for Suzuki Ignis at the 2022 What Car? Awards… for a THIRD YEAR in a row!

January 21, 2022
  • Best Small SUV for Value – Ignis 1.2 Dualjet Hybrid SZ3
  • Best ‘True MPG’ on rural roads and motorways – Ignis 1.2 Dualjet Hybrid

Following its success in 2020 and 2021, the Suzuki Ignis has again been awarded a ‘Best Buy’ and ‘True MPG’ winner at the 2022 What Car Awards? held in London on 20th January. Comprehensively judged by the editorial team, the Ignis was announced as the best value overall small SUV model.

Steve Huntingford, Editor of What Car? commented: “If you want a car with a high driving position but low costs, nothing does it quite like the Ignis. Not only does it offer bargain pricing, but its mild-hybrid petrol engine positively sips fuel; indeed, it delivers the best rural and motorway economy of anything we’ve ever put through our real-world True MPG test with figures of 74.8mpg and 53.3mpg respectively. As a bonus, the Ignis really embraces the ‘small’ in ‘small SUV’, making it a doddle to park and manoeuvre, yet it’s surprisingly spacious inside, comfortably accommodating four adults.”

New Ignis

Discover the new Suzuki Ignis range.

Ignis Offers

Shop our latest Suzuki Ignis offers.

Tracks Exeter crowned Suzuki Dealer of the Year 2021

December 16, 2021

We’re thrilled to announce that Tracks Exeter has been crowned Regional and National Dealer of the Year by Suzuki GB PLC at its National Dealer Conference held recently in Manchester.

Prior to the announcement, all dealerships within Suzuki’s nationwide network were evaluated using the same criteria to determine the regional, national and customer service winners. They were assessed on the percentage of sales target achieved, finance penetration percentage, Sales Customer Satisfaction Index (CSI), Service CSI, number of parts sold, and the quantity of accessories sold. The figures were then aggregated on a balanced scorecard to reveal the top dealer in each of the categories.

As well as winning Regional Dealer of the Year, the top honour of National Dealer of the Year went to Tracks Suzuki Exeter, a family-run business that also has a dealership in Taunton and this year celebrated 30 years of trading with a very strong reputation for Suzuki customer sales and service in the South-West.

Dale Wyatt, Director of Automobile at Suzuki GB PLC, said: “It is an honour to recognise the achievements of our network over the last twelve months which this year was even more important due to market conditions and the heavy restrictions we are currently experiencing. We would like to congratulate all our award winners, they have shown exemplary standards of work and customer service, and without them, we would not be in the strong position that we find ourselves in today as we head into a new year and our new vision for the future. Congratulations, and we look forward to enjoying further success and another formal celebration together in 2022.”