Launch drive of the : Suzuki Swift

apmotomedia
Nov 8, 2024
6 min read

by Aphiwe Nzimande.

We traveled to windy Cape Town Stellenbosch to get our hands on the brand new Suzuki Swift. Now in its fourth generation, the car that has quickly grown on Mzansi people's hearts has undergone many cosmetic changes, as can be seen on the completely different exterior and some gains in the interior. The drastic changes, though, are beneath the skin as Suzuki has decided to drop a power-plant and change the automatic transmission.

Exterior Styling

The new Swift gains a more radical and dynamic nature in its style as the front gets a revised set of headlights that come with daytime running lights, a sleeker blacked-out grille, and a clamshell-shaped bonnet that gives off a longer appearance to the vehicle.

The side profile of the car is reminiscent of the previous generation, which is not a bad thing at all. Now, you get 12-inch diamond-cut style alloys, redesigned door handles - especially for the rear doors where the handles were located in the C-pillar, and the car grows lengthier by 20mm. You get a new range of colors to choose from (my favorite being the all-new Novel Orange), and a two-tone paint option can be available in the first quarter of 2025.

The GLX model features keyless entry and ignition, automatic lights, cruise control, a reverse camera, and a leather-trimmed steering wheel.

At the rear, the tail-lights have been tweaked for a sharper angular appearance than the curved tail lamps found in the outgoing Swift. The boot space is measured at 265 litres which gladly swallowed my 1 luggage case, and when you're carrying long items, you can now fold away the seats in a 60:40 split. Altogether, this car now has a more modern and upmarket demeanor that I believe should rile up its competition with ease.

Interior

Step into the cabin and the interior layout is similar to that of a Baleno, but that's not a bad thing at all because it's a very nice place to be in. You have a 7-inch infotainment display as standard (the GLX gains a 9-inch infotainment display) and a new set of dials that feature a display showing you important stats such as range, fuel consumption, tire pressure, etc. Other amenities include automatic climate control. In addition, six airbags are standard across the range (Depending on the chosen specs, six airbags are standard across the range).

From launch, the Swift line-up will comprise of five derivatives, available with the choice of one engine (for now that is the case, there might be an addition) option, a duo of transmissions (depending on the trim level), and three levels of specification.

Speaking of spec, the new Swift is available in entry-level GL, mid-tier GL+ and, as mentioned, range-topping GLX trim grades.

Power plant

Suzuki have decided to ditch their tried and tested K12 4-cylinder engine and will now utilise a brand-new powertrain, the Swift will now employ a 1.2-litre, three-cylinder petrol engine coded : Z12E.

The Z12E unit produces the same 60 kW and 112 N.m of torque, exclusively sent to the front axle from 5 700 r/min and 4 300 r/min, respectively.

The Swift has also made drastic changes to the transmission options. While the previous generation had either a 5-speed manual or AMT to choose from, now the Swift employs a CVT transmission which retains the same number of gears as the previous AMT. When choosing the newly added CVT, you also gain Start/Stop functionality, with the top-spec GLX CVT model gaining paddle-shifters, which I think is epic.

The Drive

As we took off on the road in pairs to later switch grades and turns to drive, i first got my hands on the mid spec model GL+ automatic which features the all new CVT transmission and i will spare you the same old "it droans and doesn't have the best calibration" narrative for a more positive approach.

The all new Suzuki Swift has had a improved fuel efficiency capability of around 11% and a huge factor that determines consumption is the gearbox (besides heaving an anvil for a right foot) and what I'm getting at is that, the gearbox is a good fit in aiding efficiency and that was the case as we hit a stretch of road that had various obstacles that hinder a good figure like heavy traffic even with lenient driving, however, the gearbox handled everything thrown in it's way fairly good apart from the casual jerkyness it sometimes produces when coming to a standstill from full motion.

The routes planned out were nothing short of breathtaking alongside stunning mountain passes of Franschhoek where I got to feel the nimbleness and handling of the Swift, which surprised me because of how composed and planted it was tackling the bends. The steering has just enough feel to let you know where the nose is tipping in and enough feedback coming out of a corner comfortably without rattling the occupants inside like you'd shake a snow globe. It's no Civic Type R, but it did give me the impression that you can put your foot down ever so slightly if you're in a hurry around a bend and not almost do something you weren't intending to do.

The new engine that now drops a cylinder (3 cylinder) performed quite well despite slighty showing telltale signs of being a little bit on the under powered side as we climbed the mountain passes however that isn't something that some smart downshifting can not fix and it's worth noting that geographically, altitude is not on our side.

I feel the engine and CVT gearbox found in this current generation Swift get the job done swiftly (pun intended). However, the CVT may not be to the liking of everyone, even though these gearboxes are way better and improved than they used to be. I personally love the note this new Z12E unit produces when you decide to have a case of undiagnosed narcolepsy on your right foot.

After getting to one of our rendezvous points for some activities, we switched cars with other duos and that landed me at the wheel of the top spec GLX manual transmission, and very soon your reminded that you're in the higher spec with the presence of more soft touch fabrics and a leather wrapped steering wheel for your fingers to have a sensory field-day around the cabin.

Once settled and ready for takeoff in my newest chariot, I quickly learned that the engine requires quite a lot of throttle or building up revs to properly master a takeoff and avoid stalling. However, you won't have a problem if you're at an incline as the manual Swift comes equipped with Hill Assist as standard, which gives you a couple of seconds to balance your clutch and accelerate for a smooth sailing takeoff. Otherwise, the gearbox shifts are like butter, and that makes it a peach to drive.

Final Verdict

Suzuki has done a very good job of making just enough improvements to this car without making too many unnecessary adaptations like obnoxious big screens or weird, all-out technologies that you really could do without. This is sometimes the case with most facelifts and next-generation iterations of vehicles nowadays. They have also done well with pricing (as can be seen below), as the Swift falls just between its rivals with an attainable starting price and tops out just under its top competition, in the form of the Polo.

It remains this little great package that is so fun to drive and packed with all the amenities that make a vehicle pleasurable to live with. The cabin is cozy and well-insulated, which makes it good for driving at highway speeds. Connectivity of both Android and iOS phones is seamless if you're looking to jam to your favorites or even plan your daily commute routes. I especially appreciate how all GL+ models have a reversing camera as standard. Even though our time was brief with the vehicle, it was a very good experience. However, it's certain that we'd need some more time with it to really see what it's really capable of.