When every kilometre counts, Suzuki puts fuel economy to the test
South African motorists are facing higher fuel prices, with 95-octane petrol now costing R30.25 a litre at inland service stations.
For motorists already navigating rising household costs, fuel economy is becoming an increasingly important consideration.
While fuel prices are beyond motorists' control, choosing a vehicle that makes every litre count can make a difference to everyday motoring costs. Suzuki's range is designed to deliver efficient and economical motoring, helping drivers get more kilometres from every tank.
This was put to the test during the recent 2026 Suzuki Fuel Economy Challenge, held on the streets of Pretoria from 29 to 30 September. Twenty media participants drove five Suzuki models – two examples each of the Fronx, Across, Swift, Dzire and Baleno – over a predetermined 120km route, with the objective of recording the lowest possible fuel consumption.
To ensure consistency, all the vehicles were refuelled at the same pump, with the nozzle inserted to the same depth and each vehicle refuelled until the first automatic shut-off click. Fuel consumption was then calculated at the end of the route.
The participants – all non-professional drivers – were briefed on economical driving techniques before setting out, but the challenge was conducted in real-world South African driving conditions that included rain, reduced visibility, power outages and increased traffic congestion.
Despite these conditions, several Suzuki models achieved strong fuel consumption figures, with the Fronx manual producing the standout result. Driven by Ryno Fourie (AutoTrader) and Julian Steyn (CAR Magazine), it recorded consumption of 5.14L/100km, compared with Suzuki's claimed figure of 5.5L/100km.
Based on its 37-litre fuel tank, this consumption figure equates to a theoretical range of approximately 720km. Based on the current 95-octane petrol price of R30.25/litre, that would equate to a theoretical fuel cost of approximately R1.55/km.
A Baleno manual, driven by Avon Middleton (Top Gear South Africa) and Rati Mofokeng (Cars.co.za), also came close to its claimed figure, recording 5.54L/100km against Suzuki's official figure of 5.4L/100km – a difference of just 0.14L/100km.
Using the same calculation, its 37-litre tank would provide a theoretical range of approximately 668km at the challenge consumption, with a fuel cost of around R1.68/km at the current 95-octane petrol price.
Both the Fronx and Baleno are powered by Suzuki's 1.5-litre four-cylinder K15B petrol engine, which produces 77kW at 6,000rpm and 138Nm at 4,400rpm.
The best-performing Swift was a manual derivative driven by content creators Gift Makoti and Siya Ndamase, which recorded 5.03L/100km against Suzuki's claimed figure of 4.4L/100km.
At this consumption, the Swift's 37-litre tank would theoretically provide a range of approximately 736km, with fuel costing around R1.52/km at the current petrol price.
Unlike the Fronx and Baleno, the Swift is powered by Suzuki's Z12E 1.2-litre three-cylinder petrol engine, which produces 60kW at 5,700rpm and 112Nm at 4,300rpm.
For reference, the table below summarises the results achieved by all participating teams, including their recorded fuel consumption and how it compares with Suzuki’s claimed figures.
|
Rank |
Driver / Team |
Vehicle |
Variance from |
Achieved |
Claimed |
|
1 |
Ryno Fourie / |
Fronx MT |
-0.36 L/100 km |
5.14 L/100 km |
5.50 L/100 km |
|
2 |
Avon Middleton / |
Baleno MT |
0.14 L/100 km |
5.54 L/100 km |
5.40 L/100 km |
|
3 |
Gift Makoti / |
Swift MT |
0.63 L/100 km |
5.03 L/100 km |
4.40 L/100 km |
|
4 |
Fanele Bengu / |
Across MT |
0.85 L/100 km |
6.15 L/100 km |
5.30 L/100 km |
|
5 |
Nonto Mondlane / |
Fronx Auto |
1.11 L/100 km |
6.81 L/100 km |
5.70 L/100 km |
|
6 |
Xolile Hopa / |
Swift CVT |
1.23 L/100 km |
5.83 L/100 km |
4.60 L/100 km |
|
7 |
Devon Carlinsky / |
Dzire MT |
1.25 L/100 km |
5.55 L/100 km |
4.30 L/100 km |
|
8 |
Ziphorah Masethe / |
Baleno MT |
1.27 L/100 km |
6.67 L/100 km |
5.40 L/100 km |
|
9 |
Barrie Ferreira / |
Across MT |
1.37 L/100 km |
6.67 L/100 km |
5.30 L/100 km |
|
10 |
Jessica Ross / |
Dzire CVT |
1.60 L/100 km |
6.10 L/100 km |
4.50 L/100 km |
*Information provided by the publicist.
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