The curtain closed on the 2025 Simola Hillclimb with Suzuki Auto South Africa once again proving that performance isn’t always about power. With grit, enthusiasm, and a strong sense of camaraderie, all three Suzuki entries delivered spirited performances—capped by a podium finish in Class B9 for Sean Nurse in the ever-charming Suzuki Jimny 3-door.
Though Nurse’s third-place finish came in a field of three, the AutoTrader writer’s improvement throughout the weekend told a far richer story. In a vehicle more often spotted crawling up mountain trails than sprinting up tarmac, Nurse managed to trim down his times from around 1:09 to an impressive 1:06.404 by the final run.
“It’s been an awesome weekend, and I had a lot of fun,” said Nurse. “I think the Jimny surprised a lot of people with the times it’s managed up the hill. I was here to compete against myself and to have a little bit of fun; and to show people that the Jimny is more dynamic than most people probably expect. A podium is a podium. It just says you came third in your class at Simola Hillclimb—I’ll keep that with me forever.”
Indeed, considering the Jimny’s modest 68.2kW per ton power-to-weight ratio—less than half of the 134.5kW/ton competitor ahead of it—its performance was nothing short of commendable.
Joining Nurse in flying the Suzuki flag high was ALL THINGS MOTORING host Ernest Page, piloting a 1.2-litre Swift GLX in Class A1. While a spot in the finals eluded him, Page’s passion for both the event and the Swift was clear.
“A fantastic experience—I was smiling the entire time,” he shared. “Overall, I’m happy with the car’s performance and we also averaged a consumption of only 5.7 litres per 100km over the entire day. The new Swift GLX is clearly a safe, fast, fun car for the right person.”
Jeanette Kok-Kritzinger, known for her role on Wiele2Wiele, delivered one of Suzuki’s standout performances of the weekend in the third-gen Swift Sport. Her turbocharged 1.4-litre Boosterjet engine, mated to a six-speed auto, helped her notch a best time of 56.538 seconds—just shy of the Class Finals cut-off.
“What an awesome, fantastic experience!” said Kok-Kritzinger. “For me, my performance is a personal victory. Yes, I missed out at the class final, but what a privilege to be here. What a privilege to be part of this world-class event.”
Amid the celebrations, the event was also marked by tragedy with the passing of veteran competitor Pieter Joubert. The motorsport community was united in mourning, and Suzuki’s Brand Marketing Manager, Brendon Carpenter, expressed heartfelt condolences on behalf of the team.
“It is a very sad day for motorsport in South Africa,” said Carpenter. “The drivers, at their own discretion, decided to participate in the remainder of the event, as per the request of the Joubert family. I think they’ve put on a really good show despite the somber mood.”
Carpenter also highlighted Suzuki’s satisfaction with their drivers’ performances: “The Jimny reached the Class Final by default, inheriting third place, but I think to be just over 10 seconds off second place with a 1.5-litre four-cylinder was a great result. The rest of the drivers said that they had a lot of fun, and I think for us that is what it’s all about—that’s the win in our case.”
The 2025 edition marked the 15th running of the Simola Hillclimb and Suzuki’s fifth year as a proud sponsor of the event. As always, the Hillclimb lived up to its reputation as one of South Africa’s most beloved motorsport festivals, drawing fans, families, and fierce competitors together for a celebration of speed, skill, and sheer driving joy.
