The all-new 2024 Toyota Wigo made a huge splash when it was launched in the Philippines on July 14, 2023.

Aside from the new chassis, transmission, and styling, the pricing really grabbed people’s attention. Starting at ₱609,000, the all-new Toyota Wigo undercuts its major rivals, such as the recently refreshed Honda Brio and the rather dated Mitsubishi Mirage hatchback.

But the base-model 2024 Toyota Wigo J also takes on one of the biggest names in small cars – Suzuki. And at this price, its rival is the equally cute Suzuki S-Presso GL MT, which costs just ₱620,000.

So which of these two base-model hatchbacks is best? We find out in this edition of Spec Showdown!

Wigo roomier

Despite the S-Presso’s rather tall body, the Wigo is actually larger.

The new Toyota is not only longer and wider than the Suzuki, but also has a considerably longer wheelbase. This means more room for passengers and cargo in the Wigo.

The Wigo is also the only car in its class to have powerful LED headlights and fog lights as standard. The Suzuki sticks to traditional halogen lights.

Style-wise, both of these little hatchbacks are cute in their own ways, so it’s a matter of preference.

S-Presso has more toys

When you’re shopping at this end of the car market, you really can’t expect much in the way of luxuries.

Both the Wigo and the S-Presso have fabric upholstery and acres of hard plastic that should hold up to carrying four passengers in reasonable comfort.

The Wigo does have a more stylish and modern cabin, taken from the larger Toyota Raize crossover. 

However, the S-Presso hits back with more generous equipment levels with its touchscreen infotainment system and electrically adjustable door mirrors, although it lacks electric windows in the back doors.

1.0-liter power

Since the Toyota Wigo and Suzuki S-Presso are small cars that will generally spend their lives in the city, these both have 1.0-liter inline-3 gasoline engines.

To help things along, both are mated to 5-speed manual gearboxes with very light clutch pedals for easy driving. Numbers-wise, the performance is identical for the two.

However, the Suzuki reaches peak power and torque at a lower rpm than the Wigo, which should mean more relaxed motoring.

In addition, the S-Presso has Engine Auto Stop-Start that automatically turns off the motor when idling. This can help save a little bit more fuel but at the expense of your starter's lifespan.

Reasonable safety kit

Back in the 1990s, a base-model hatchback like the Kia Pride CD5 or the Daihatsu Charade had absolutely no life-saving safety equipment.

Mercifully, things have moved on over the last 30 years, with car manufacturers including things like airbags, anti-lock brakes, and even traction control on the Wigo and the S-Presso.

While terms of safety equipment, the two are tied, we'd like to add that the 2024 Toyota Wigo, through its platform twin, the Perodua Axia, has been given a 4-star rating by the ASEAN New Car Assessment Program (NCAP).

The latest safety rating the Suzuki S-Presso has is from Global NCAP, using its older protocols from 2022. And that was a 3-star rating. 

Cheap and cheerful

So, both the Wigo J and the S-Presso GL MT provide basic transportation for four people and the flexibility to carry decent amounts of cargo.

They also have good safety equipment, such as front airbags and traction control, along with ISOFIX anchors for child restraints.

Although it’s not as well-equipped as the S-Presso, I give the win to the Wigo for being more spacious and considerably more modern. And with the money you save compared to buying the Suzuki, you can afford a nice 2-DIN head unit with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto at your suking audio shop in Banawe.

Which of these base-model babies would you go for?

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