How one Swift became a three-Suzuki household

 Michael Combrink’s Suzuki ownership started with a Swift in 2020. Since then, his family has added a Grand Vitara and a Super Carry, with each vehicle serving a clear purpose: city driving, family travel, work, camping, and the day-to-day running around that comes with a busy household. 

Key Takeaways

• Michael bought his first Suzuki, a Swift, in 2020 after being impressed by its fuel economy.
• The Swift later became his daughter’s car after she got her driver’s licence.
• The Grand Vitara gave the family a more practical option for longer trips.
• The Super Carry became Michael’s choice for work, camping, and hands-on daily use.
• Service, running costs, and vehicle practicality were the main reasons he kept choosing Suzuki.

In 2020, Michael Combrink was looking for a car that made financial sense. He test-drove a Suzuki Swift, closely monitored fuel consumption, and decided it was the right move.

A few years later, in 2026, the Combrink household now has three Suzukis: a Swift, a Grand Vitara, and a Super Carry. The Swift is now his daughter’s car. The Grand Vitara handles family trips. The Super Carry is used for work, camping, and practical jobs that require a small, capable load carrier.

Michael describes himself as brand-conscious; he wants good service, sensible value, and vehicles that keep making sense after the sale.

That is what brought him back to Suzuki.

The Swift was the starting point

Michael bought his Swift in 2020. At the time, he wanted something lighter on running costs without compromising on quality or driveability.

The test drive made the decision easier. What stood out most was fuel economy. In Johannesburg traffic, Michael says he saw average consumption of up to 21 km/l. For a daily driver, less fuel used during the week means the car is easier to live with, especially when most of its time is spent in city traffic.

The Swift worked because it was simple to place in Michael’s life. It was efficient, easy to drive, and practical enough for daily use.

Then the Swift became his daughter’s car and took on a different role in the family.

When Michael’s daughter got her driver’s licence, he planned the handover so that both she and his wife would be surprised. The car became his daughter’s, giving her something manageable and efficient while she studies, works part-time, and starts building more independence.

This is where the Swift makes the most sense in their family. It was not only useful for Michael. It could also shift into the next stage of family life without feeling out of place.

The Grand Vitara took over family travel

As the family’s needs changed, Michael and his wife started looking at what they needed from their main family vehicle. They had been using a larger car, but it no longer felt like the best option for daily driving. They wanted something easier to use day to day, but still comfortable enough for longer trips.

Enter the Grand Vitara.

Michael’s standout memory so far is a two-week family road trip. They drove from Gqeberha to Mossel Bay, then came back through the Gariep Dam area. The vehicle was packed for the trip, but Michael says it still felt comfortable and efficient over the distance.

He recalls getting around 17 km/l on the way down and just over 16 km/l on the return trip.

For a family vehicle, this made a big difference. The Grand Vitara had to carry people, luggage, and holiday plans without missing a beat.

The Super Carry does the practical jobs

The Super Carry serves a very different purpose in Michael’s garage.

He uses it for work, camping, and general practical tasks. It is the Suzuki he speaks about with the most obvious personal attachment, partly because of how straightforward it feels.

Michael likes that it is back to basics. It does not try to be more complicated than it needs to be. It gives him the load space and usefulness he needs, while still being light enough on fuel to use often.

The Super Carry works because it does the job without fuss. Whether he is using it for work or packing it for a camping trip, it has become the vehicle he can keep finding reasons to drive.

It also pulled him into the Suzuki community

The Super Carry also led Michael into online Suzuki owner groups.

He started sharing ideas and making a few personal changes to the vehicle. Other owners noticed and reached out to ask about what he had done.

That added another layer to the ownership experience. The vehicle was already useful, but it also became something he could talk about, customise, and enjoy with people who understood the appeal.

Why Suzuki stayed in the family

Michael kept choosing Suzuki because the brand gave him different vehicles for different parts of his life.

The Swift made sense as an efficient daily car. The Grand Vitara made sense for family travel. The Super Carry made sense for work, camping, and practical use.

The reasons behind those choices were consistent: good service, manageable running costs, fuel efficiency, and vehicles that suited the job Michael needed them to do. That is the thread running through his Suzuki story: three vehicles that each found a proper place in the same household.

Three Suzukis, three different jobs

Today, the Combrink family has a Swift, a Grand Vitara, and a Super Carry, all in matching white.

The Swift supports a young driver finding her feet. The Grand Vitara gives the family a comfortable option for longer drives. The Super Carry handles work, camping, and the practical side of Michael’s week.

That’s why Suzuki has stayed part of the family. Each vehicle has had to prove its usefulness in normal life, not just on paper.

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