2025 will be another big year for Suzuki as the Japanese automaker will be part of the 15th annual Simola Hillclimb, as well as the second #JimnyGathering.
The Suzuki team kept the ball rolling in 2023 with a string of new cars being launched into the market. This success spilled over into 2024 as the automaker constantly kept itself within the leading sales figures.
2025 #JimnyGathering
One of these launches, the Grand Vitara, took place on the picturesque Louvain Guest Farm, located between the towns of George, Oudtshoorn, and Uniondale. This farm also allowed us to test the 4×4 capabilities of the Grand Vitara as we traversed the local mountain for sundowners.
This farm will play host to the second national #JimnyGathering, allowing Jimny owners from around the country to come together, set to take place on the dates of 25-28 September 2025.
The inaugural 2023 event, hosted in Clarens, saw more than 800 Jimnies breaking the Guinness World Record for “most cars to switch on their lights simultaneously”. Furthermore the event also saw a combination of live acts from local music artists, a 4×4 excursion, as well as the Suzuki Safari Town Festival.
The latter is a festival, moving with the #JimnyGathering caravan, yet is open to the public (not necessarily Jimny owners). This “moving festival” follows the ideology of Suzuki, of not excluding anyone. In 2025, this event will be hosted in the Karoo town of Oudtshoorn.
Suzuki Auto even hints at another Guinness World Record attempt.
Interested parties can already sign up on the Suzuki Auto website, while tickets will officially go on sale on 1 November 2024. As in 2023, the farm will host a wide range of camping options.
15th Simola Hillclimb
2025 will not only see the 5th year with Suzuki Auto as a top tier event sponsor, but also the 15th running of this iconic South-African motorsport event.
Over the past two years, this event has grown into a recognized International hillclimb event, with viewers also able to livestream the event through the HillClimb Monsters YouTube channel.
While the event organizers are certainly anticipating a stellar 2025 edition, the event will also fall on the long weekend of 2-4 May 2025.
The 2024 event alone saw just under 20,000 spectators over the course of the three-day event, with the 2025 edition promising even more excitement. Spectators should keep an eye on the Speedfestival website as tickets will go on sale soon.
Since joining the Simola Hillclimb, Suzuki has always entered a few Swift Sport models to race up the mountain. This year the previous Suzuki Swift Sport record was shattered by fellow motoring journalist, Thomas Falkiner, as he sent the 1.4L turbocharged Sport Swift over the finish line in a time of 53.551 seconds.
Will we see a new Suzuki Swift record?
Suzuki recently launched the all-new Swift range, complete with a new CVT (automatic) gearbox as well as a new engine. These models will be powered by a 1.2L petrol engine, delivering 60kW and 112Nm (3-cylinder); all packed into a total kerb weight of 908kg.
All models will come with a host of new safety and technological features, which we will get into upon the launch of this vehicle.
Even better is that all five of the current models will be sold well under the R300K mark:
- Suzuki Swift 1.2 GL Manual: R219 900
- Suzuki Swift 1.2 GL+ Manual: R239 900
- Suzuki Swift 1.2 GL+ CVT: R259 900
- Suzuki Swift 1.2 GLX Manual: R264 900
- Suzuki Swift 1.2 GLX CVT: R284 900
This fourth generation Swift will unlikely see a new locally-launched Sport model in time for the Simola hillclimb. However, there are speculations that the new Swift Sport will get an additional boost of power, thanks to an 48V injection of electrical power, which could see the power going up to 115kW.
Whether the Sport will make it in time for the Simola hillclimb, we would love to see some Swift models tackling the 1.9km course.
Over the past four years, Suzuki has shown that responsible motorsport can be enjoyed by everyone, with all Swifts tackling the mountain with normal road-going tyres, whilst also delivering an exceptional fuel economy with it.
Why spend millions, when you could tackle the event for less than R100 000?
