Suzuki has struck a chord with local consumers, offering affordable, reliable and frugal cars that have consistently allowed the Japanese brand to feature in the top 3 best-selling automakers within the local market over the past few years! There's a new Swift available, the brand's best-selling model, so it's safe to say that this is one of the most important passenger car introductions of the year. Here are my thoughts on the newcomer having driven it recently!
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Pros:
-Great value for money
-Refinement and stability at speed is impressive
-New engine is super frugal
-Improved interior quality
Cons:
-Poor audio system
-The engine feels more gruff than in its predecessor
History of the Swift*
While the Swift nomenclature can trace its roots back to the 80s as a rebadged Suzuki Cultus, the more widely accepted first-generation of the Swift emerged as the RS/ZC models, which first appeared in 2004. These popular hatchbacks were replaced by the second-gen AGZ model in 2010. These first two generations of Swift were the models that laid the foundations for much of the success that the Suzuki brand currently enjoys in the local market, being renowned as reliable, frugal and cheap to maintain.
Moving on to 2016, the A2L third-generation Swift was launched and was an immediate hit, offering an increasingly appealing small car package for the money. This model is built on the brand's HEARTECT platform and has become renowned for its low list price, low maintenance costs, and impressive fuel consumption. As you can see, the common thread with the Swift is that it's cheap, frugal and easy to maintain, all attributes the brand has looked to maintain with the new AOL-gen model.
*The models and drivetrains referenced are what was available globally, not specifically in South Africa
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Styling
The exterior of the latest Swift is perhaps the most controversial of all the generations offered locally so far. This is not necessarily bad as many of the previous-generation models played it quite safe when it came to styling, so the newcomer, with its pronounced grille, strong shoulder line and more boxy roof proportions, is certainly more distinctive.
A Sports version of this model will likely look fantastic, so let's hope Suzuki follows through with one nudge nudge, wink wink. Our press unit, the GL+ model, features 15-inch alloy wheels versus the steel wheels with hubcaps in the base model GL. The sportier wheels combined with the deep red metallic paintwork elevates the new model from a simple mobility solution to a more stylish piece of kit, with a degree of aspiration now associated with Suzuki's bread-and-butter product.
Interior & Space
The interior of the Swift is rather basic, and there are, as to be expected, quite a few hard plastic surfaces around. This is in keeping with the segment in which it competes, and I'd not classify the Swift as feeling cheap. The GL+-spec adds R20 000 to the list price of the most basic Swift but includes a multifunction steering wheel, which controls the 7.0-inch colour touchscreen infotainment system that includes wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and a reverse camera.
The infotainment set-up is pretty solid, offering reasonably good resolution, fast response to inputs, and quick smartphone connectivity initialisation while incorporating important vehicle information such as fuel consumption and range, also available in the tiny multi-information display in the instrument cluster. The system also includes a 4-speaker audio system, which, as I've come to expect from Suzuki products' speakers, is of poor quality, with the speakers breaking up at anything over 70% of the system's volume limit.
Drivetrain
The Swift's 1.2-litre three-cylinder petrol engine produces 60kW and 112Nm of torque. The brand pairs the new engine with a 5-speed manual gearbox sourced from AISIN, which sends power to the front wheels. The new engine, codenamed the Z12E, achieves a thermal efficiency of up to 40% while being lighter, having lower emissions and better low-end torque than the K12 from the outgoing model!
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Driving impression
With its slightly less powerful engine and marginally higher kerb weight, the latest Swift made me quite concerned that it had taken a step backwards. My feelings surrounding this weren't alleviated when starting the new car for the first time, where its three-cylinder motor sounds feel more gruff than the four-cylinder in its predecessor. However, in operation, I prefer the new engine to its predecessor. Three-cylinder motors have a better mid-range torque than four-cylinder motors with equal displacement, making the new Swift easier to pilot at low, medium, and higher speeds, as the torque band is more usable.
The zone between 2 500/4 000 r/min is where the engine operates best, and combined with a light clutch action and slick little gearbox, the Swift proved very easy to live with. The big news within the range is that the automated manual gearbox from the previous model has been replaced with a CVT, so I would like to experience that at some point. With a reasonably soft ride setup and surprisingly grin-inducing handling, the drivetrain made the Swift better to drive than I had anticipated. A big part of this, in my opinion, at least, is down to the rubber fitted to the car, a set of Bridgestone, which are superior to the Apollos fitted to previous generation models.
During my test week with the new Swift, it was unusually windy in Johannesburg. Something that is frequently an issue with products built and developed in India is that they begin to feel unstable at freeway speeds. This is the case with the outgoing Swift and many other budget cars, but I'm happy to report that the newcomer feels very stable at speed, even in some serious crosswinds. I was quite happy completing my daily commute in the little Swift, where it felt relatively solid and very easy to live with.
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Fuel economy
Suzuki claims a fuel consumption figure of 4.4 L/100km, but our real-world figure was 5.2 L/100km, which is still impressive.
Safety
Euro NCAP crash-tested the new Swift in 2024. Its 3-star rating included 67% for adult occupant safety, 65% for child occupant safety, 76% for pedestrian safety, and 62% for its safety assistance systems.
Pricing*
The GL+ is priced at R239 900, which is extremely competitive when we consider the Kia Picanto 1.0 LX manual is priced at R260 995, and the Hyundai Grand i10 1.0 hatch Premium, which is priced at R224 900.
*All models have a 5-year/200 000 km warranty and a 2-year/30 000km service plan.
Verdict
The latest Swift has improved in almost every area, from offering better quality to improved fuel consumption and a better overall driving experience. I would expect the new model to be a massive success within the local market, and I highly recommend you add it to your list of must-drive cars within the budget segment.
