Take a glance at the new Suzuki Swift and you'd be forgiven for thinking that this new car is nothing more than a facelift of the version launched in 2005. Sure, the lights are a little more expressive and the overall look has been brought up to date, but what's the big deal about?
Well Suzuki has actually made huge changes to its all-important, Hungarian-built supermini. It's bigger in every dimension, gaining 90mm in length (of which 50mm is between the wheels), 5mm in width and 10mm in height. The body's construction is new too, featuring high strength steel to reduce weight yet enhance rigidity. That should improve the car's dynamics, as should a wider track and larger wheels as standard.
It's all change under the bonnet too, where a new 1.2-litre petrol engine will replace the current 1.3-litre version. Despite the drop in capacity, the new unit is more powerful and yet also more economical than the outgoing engine. Peak power is 93bhp at 6,000rpm, with maximum torque of 87lb.ft produced at 4,800rpm. Combined cycle economy is quoted as 56.5mpg and CO
2 emissions are 116g/km.
A new 1.3-litre turbodiesel engine betters those figures with 67.3mpg and 109g/km, which represents decent improvements over the current model's numbers.
Further details will become available later in the summer ahead of three- and five-door versions of the new Swift going on sale in the autumn.
We drive the new Swift at the end of August, so keep an eye out for the First Drive on the
Suzuki Road Tests page.
Shane O' Donoghue - 11 Jun 2010