All New Suzuki Swift is currently on
display at the 2017 Geneva Motor Show, with UK sales scheduled for June of this
year.
Suzuki conducted tests on European roads, where teams of local evaluation
drivers helped hone the new car. Testing the chassis commenced back in January
of 2016 in the UK and Germany, with as many as 90 different suspension
prototypes tested in total.
The new car measures just 3,840 mm long,
with 1,735 mm in width and 1,495 mm in height (1,520 mm for the 4WD model). The wheelbase is a decent 2.450 mm, though
overall the new car is about 10 mm shorter than the outgoing model.
Also worth noting is that compared to the Japanese
domestic model, the European Swift has a wider front and rear track, measuring
1,520 - 1,530 mm. Despite its size, there is 25% more luggage
space thanks to the 254 liter boot, or approximately 54 liters more than the outgoing model.
Inside, Suzuki found 23 mm of vertical and
lateral space for the rear seating positions, while the front seats have been
moved outwards by 10 mm, increasing the center-on-center distance
between them by 20 mm.
In terms of specs, standard equipment across the
range (starting with the SZ3 1.2 Dualjet model) includes six airbags, air
conditioning, leather steering wheel, DAB radio with Bluetooth and four
speakers, rear privacy glass, LED daytime running lights, 15" wheels, body
colored door mirrors and front electric windows.
Customers aiming higher can go for the SZ-T version,
available with a 1.0-liter Boosterjet engine and manual transmission. This spec
adds rear view camera, Smartphone link display audio, 16" alloys and front
fog lamps. Finally, SZ5 spec models come with auto air conditioning, 4.2"
color LCD display, 16" polished alloys, sat-nav, advanced forward
detection system (with Dual Sensor Brake Support), keyless entry & start,
and rear electric windows.
Speaking of engines, the previously mentioned
1.0-liter Boosterjet unit first debuted in the Baleno back in June and the
S-Cross back in October. It packs 111 PS, 170 Nm of torque and is
Direct Injection Turbocharged. As for the 1.2-liter Dualjet unit, it has
maximum outputs of 90 PS and 120 Nm, helping the Swift get from 0 to
100 km/h in 11.9 seconds for the SZ3 2WD, and 12.6 seconds for the
SHVS ALLGRIP model.
The SHVS mild hybrid system is a lightweight system
that uses an Integrated Starter Generator which acts as both a generator and a
starter motor. As for the ALLGRIP Auto 4WD system, it was first introduced on
the previous generation Swift in 2014 and is now available as an option on the
new-gen SZ5 model with the 1.2-liter engine.