The 2025 edition of the Simola Hillclimb has once again delivered a potent blend of precision driving, palpable excitement and passionate competition. And among the standout names lighting up Knysna’s famed hill is Suzuki Auto South Africa (SASA), showing that you don’t need huge horsepower to make a significant impact — just agility, enthusiasm, and a good dose of heart.
As a Tier One OEM sponsor of this prestigious motorsport event, Suzuki’s presence was as bold as it was refreshing. Not only did they field a trio of showroom-stock passenger cars, they also brought along two of their latest GSX-8R sportbikes for electrifying demo runs that wowed spectators with their power-to-weight prowess.
Punching Above Their Weight: Suzuki’s Trio of Stock Stars
In a motorsport world dominated by heavily modified machinery, Suzuki’s decision to run completely stock passenger cars was both brave and brilliant. Day one action saw the plucky trio — a Suzuki Jimny 3-door, a 4th generation Swift GLX, and a 3rd generation Swift Sport — tackle the twisting tarmac of the Simola Hill with grit and grace.
Motoring journalist Sean Nurse took the wheel of the Jimny and methodically chipped away at his times throughout the day. Initially hovering around the 1:09 mark, he eventually clocked a best of 1:06.761, shaving nearly three seconds off his early runs.
“The Jimny surprised me,” said Nurse. “It’s more stable than expected and really predictable. I’ve stripped some weight out and I’m flat in third gear almost the whole way — it’s a proper test of momentum and commitment.”
Nurse’s performance all but guarantees him a place in Sunday’s Class B9 Final, especially as only three competitors are entered in the class.
The challenge in Class A1, where the two Swift entries reside, is a sterner one — with seven contenders and far more powerful machinery to contend with. But for Suzuki, this event is as much about proving a point as it is about podiums.
“All we want to show is that you don’t need to spend millions to have fun on the hill,” said Suzuki Brand Marketing Manager, Brendon Carpenter. “That’s always been the spirit of this event for us — accessible fun, precision engineering, and plenty of flair.”
Swift Thinking: Page and Kok-Kritzinger Go for Glory
TV presenter and motoring personality Ernest Page took on the hill in a standard Swift GLX. Armed with 60kW from its 1.2-litre, three-cylinder HEARTECT engine, Page made the most of the Swift’s featherweight chassis and high-revving character to post a best time of 1:04.8 — an impressive effort in such a competitive class.
“We dropped three seconds between the first and second runs once we understood the grip levels,” said Page. “And yeah, I even ran the aircon on one run just to see how much it hurt us — turns out, about three seconds! But that’s what this weekend is about — experimentation, experience, and enjoyment.”
Meanwhile, Cape Town-based racer and Wiele2Wiele presenter Jeanette Kok-Kritzinger brought a fighting spirit to her debut Simola outing in the Swift Sport. Despite a shaky first run where nerves took centre stage (“I forgot to change gears!” she laughed), she rapidly improved, eventually breaking into the 57-second bracket with a best of 57.142sec — tantalisingly close to the top three.
“With the car dialled in and cool morning air tomorrow, I believe there’s more time to be found,” she said. “The Swift Sport’s low weight and handling are its secret weapons — I’m having a blast and I’d love to sneak into the Class Finals.”
Two Wheels, Double the Thrill: GSX-8R Demos Wow the Crowd
Adding even more excitement to the weekend were high-speed demo runs from Suzuki’s new GSX-8R sportbikes. With their sharp handling and potent parallel-twin engines, the GSX-8Rs tore up the hill in spectacular fashion — proving that Suzuki’s engineering excellence extends seamlessly from four wheels to two.
A Nod to Heritage, a Commitment to the Future
For Suzuki, involvement in the Simola Hillclimb isn’t just about competition — it’s about celebrating a motorsport legacy. Brendon Carpenter made the connection clear:
“People forget how deeply hillclimb racing runs in Suzuki’s veins. You can’t talk about this discipline without mentioning ‘Monster’ Tajima and his legendary hillclimb exploits. We’re bringing that same DNA to Simola, and this weekend’s cars proudly wear liveries inspired by iconic Suzuki racers from the past.”
Final Push for Glory
As the curtain prepares to fall on the 2025 Simola Hillclimb, Sunday’s schedule will feature more qualifying runs, followed by the highly anticipated Class Finals and the prestigious Top 10 shootouts. With their sights set on performance and passion — rather than podiums alone — the Suzuki team has already proven that underdogs can steal the show.
Win or lose, these featherweight fighters from Suzuki have captured the imagination of fans and proved a powerful point: the thrill of motorsport doesn’t come from brute force, but from heart, handling, and a healthy dose of fun.
