The Escudo is practical, fuel-friendly
What you need to know:
The Escudo is built to serve you as an honest servant over a long time. Suzukis are built to be efficient and practical, and so is the Escudo which lives by that slogan
The Suzuki Escudo is not as popular on Ugandan roads as other cars such as the Toyota RAV4 or the Kia Sportage yet they are all categorised as compact Sport Utility Vehicles (SUVs) and have the same seating capacity of five. The latter are popular among private motorists and the former among government ministries, with few driven by private motorists.
For instance, Susan Tumuhairwe’s Suzuki Escudo 2007 model was a sentimental purchase. When it was time to get rid of her three-door Toyota RAV4, she wanted to buy a Toyota Vanguard. However, when her father, who owned an Escudo died, she decided to buy the same car as a tribute.
Tumuhairwe, who has driven the Suzuki Escudo for close to two years, says on the highway, her 2,000cc petrol engine Escudo will give her approximately 12km per litre of fuel and approximately 10 or less kilometres in urban areas due to slow moving traffic.
She has previously driven her Escudo to Kasese District in western Uganda where a full tank was able to take her up to Mbarara where she topped up again.
The Escudo’s full tank carries 65 litres of fuel, which costs close to Shs300,000.
Service
Unlike most cars whose service intervals are after covering an additional 5,000 from the mileage after service, Tumuhairwe services her car after covering between 6,500km and 7,000km.
“I usually drive from my home in Entebbe to Kampala City Centre or Mukono for work and I service after three to four months. I use one type of oil and with this, I am guaranteed more mileage compared to when I use other oil types,” Tumuhairwe says.
On average, Tumuhairwe spends Shs200,000 or slightly more on service, depending on what needs to be done. This cost will include replacing oil and fuel filters, brake fluid, topping up of engine coolant, brake pads, engine oil and a few other serviceable parts.
When she had just acquired the car, it was in roadworthy condition but with time, the air conditioner pump became faulty.
“My mechanic said the Escudo’s air conditioner pump experiences fast wear and tear. Apart from the AC pump, there are no other parts that break down fast, except parts such as the side mirrors that are often stolen by vandals in traffic jam or when you park in an unsafe place,” Tumuhairwe says.
Downside
Much as the Escudo is more comfortable and offers better fuel economy compared to the Toyota RAV4, one of the cars Tumuhairwe has driven, she argues that the Escudo has low ground clearance, although it appears raised.
“It is not a good off-road car. On marrum roads with humps, you will find it hard to manoeuver. The Escudo also has a step as you enter the car that is prone to damage since it serves as an extension of sorts to the rest of the car body,” she explains.
Safety
According to blog.beforward.jp, standard safety features included seatbelts for the first generation, airbags and anti-lock braking systems (ABS) for the second generation.
In the third generation, standard safety features include side curtain airbags, rear and front head airbags, ABS, electronic stability, and traction control.
Standard safety features for the fourth generation Escudos include seven airbags, ABS, rearview camera, seatbelt pretensioners, and force limiters that limit the rearward movement of the brake pedal.
Other features include a dual sensor brake support, a braking technology that makes use of laser radar and monocular sensors to enable preemptive collision detection and the traffic sign recognition feature that makes use of a front-facing camera that scans the road ahead to detect any changes in
Exterior
According to carfromjapan.com, there are three versions of Suzuki Escudo available from the year 2008, all having spectacular looks. The Suzuki Escudo price for the base version is most affordable but does not lack the interior features.
The good looking broad bonnet ends on the chrome grill that is enclosed between two broad headlights. In the Sports versions there is added alloy wheels and sunroof.
With the luxury version the alloy wheels are even more extended with no change in exterior but added options in interiors.
The most popular models of Suzuki Escudo includes 2005, 2006, 2003, 2008, 2007.
Cost
According to Eddie Matovu, a car importer, the cost of importing a Suzuki Escudo is approximately Shs46m. However, if you choose to buy one from a bond, it will cost between Shs46m and Shs52m.
Specs
Drive type: AWD/FF/FR
Engine capacity: 1,371 - 3,195cc
Number of seats: 5
