Why I love my Suzuki Vitara

The Suzuki Vitara won the Cars.co.za Consumer Award for Compact Family Car two years in a row! It’s not hard to see why Mrs South Africa, Nicole Capper, loves her Vitara (named Batman by her son) to bits. Here’s what she had to say about her baby

From the Baleno and Ignis, on to a firm Suzuki favourite in South Africa, the Vitara. . . We spoke to Nicole Capper who won her Atlantis Turquoise Vitara when she was crowned Mrs South Africa 2018, to find out how she’s enjoying her new set of wheels.

What made you enter Mrs. South Africa?

My daughter, Tatum, is two years old and suffers from Cystic Fibrosis,  a rare, life-limiting disease. She’s the reason I entered Mrs South Africa. I wanted to show her that Mom can be brave - because as she gets older, she’s going to have to be very brave. I’ve never done anything like that before. It was such a surprise to be crowned Mrs South Africa 2018.

During the competition, we were lucky enough to spend some time in the Suzuki Ignis doing the lifestyle challenge. The finalists spent a week down in Cape Town on a road trip with Hlengiwe Twala (Mrs South Africa 2017) and her Suzuki Vitara. I remember how regal she looked in her Vitara, surrounded by all the Ignis’ - the Vitara really is a car fit for a queen.

I loved that her Vitara was glamorous and luxurious, but simultaneously outdoorsy and functional. I was completely blown away when I saw that Suzukis come standard with everything from cruise control to leather-wrapped steering and driver controls.

Why I love my Suzuki Vitara GLX AT

South Africa is a lifestyle country, and Suzuki is a lifestyle brand. My Vitara takes me and my family where ever we want to go - whether that’s shopping in Sandton,  fetching and carrying kids on school runs or heading right off the beaten track to explore the natural wonders our country has to offer.

I’m a red carpet girl that likes to play in the mud, and my Vitara is a red carpet car that lets me do just that!

Life is about making the most out of every breath. I’m a busy mom and I’m always out making memories with my family. We’re a very sporty family - we practically live outside, hiking, trail running, climbing and so on. In fact, I just arrived home from hiking to base camp on Mount Everest to raise funds for Rare Diseases South Africa. I chose the blue Vitara because blue is the colour of rare diseases - so it symbolises my love and support for Tatum.

The Vitara is the perfect car for us - it handles off-road driving on unmarked paths beautifully. We deliberately took the Vitara off-road at Forum Homini game reserve, in the Cradle of Humankind, to test its capabilities.

Batman (yes, my son named my Vitara Batman), has all the bells and whistles of a luxury car and is so much fun to drive. You may not know this, but I’m a bit of a petrol head. I love driving. I’ve done my advanced drivers course, raced at Kyalami and Swartkops and host the Inland Championship on Ignition TV. Just because you’re a beauty queen, doesn’t mean you have to fit into a box.

What are some of your favourite features in the Suzuki Vitara?

Every time I get into my car, I think to myself “If I hadn’t won the Vitara, I’d buy it myself”.

I trust the brand, and I love that it’s known for its reliability. I feel extra proud knowing that not only am I driving around in the Compact Family Car of the Year, but Suzuki also won brand of the year two years running. I was actually at the awards ceremony and it was so exciting to be rooting for my car!

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My favourite feature in Batman, is that he’s an automatic but also has a paddle shift to manual - allowing you the best of both worlds. You can drive in auto mode in the Johannesburg traffic (so that you don’t end up with a left calf twice the size of your right one) and then shift to manual when you’re headed off the beaten track so that you get to have some fun.

The Vitara is edgy and filled with personality. I love that Batman is a bit chunky and masculine with his bold lines. You also sit nice and high when you’re driving in the Vitara - so you feel confident and powerful (just like Batman).

The panoramic black roof is amazing too - it’s almost like the roof is invisible, giving you the feeling that it’s even more roomy and spacious inside. We’re a tall family, so the fact that the Vitara is huge inside is a bonus (no bumping heads and legs on long journeys). It’s a very comfortable car to drive - I still feel fresh even on long journeys.

The 1.6L engine is small but powerful, with excellent fuel consumption. The drive is very smooth, and handles exactly like a 4x4 even though the Vitara is a crossover. You never feel like you’re running out of power and it handles corners very well. The car’s body is light, but feels solid and the steering is very responsive - which helps me avoid those dreaded Joburg potholes.

Another great feature of the Vitara is that it has so much boot space. There’s even a secret compartment in the boot which gives you a place to hide any valuables or store things (like gym clothes and climbing gear) that you don’t want to keep re-packing. I keep a lot of my kids’ sports gear in there so that it’s out of the way when I have to do my grocery shopping.

Your car is your life - it enables you to do all the things you love, and it brings your family together. I’ve been living the Suzuki Way of Life long before owning my Suzuki, and now that I have Batman, I feel like it’s the perfect fit. I don’t think there’s another car that would suit me so well. We’ve made many happy memories in Batman already, and there are going to be so many more to come.

Want to experience the Suzuki Way of Life for yourself? Test drive the Vitara and find out why Mrs South Africa loves Batman so much!