The new Suzuki Swift has been launched in Thailand.
Like the previous-generation Swift that we’re familiar with, the 2018 Swift is
an eco car in the Kingdom, which means that it’s powered by a 1.2 litre engine
and is affordably priced.
The K12M “Dualjet” engine makes 83 PS and 103 Nm of
torque at 4,400 rpm. The MPI engine with auto start-stop is E20 compatible and
is mated to a CVT automatic gearbox – there’s no base manual option.
That’s less power than before, but the new Swift is
a Phase 2 eco car that meets the more stringent 23 km/l fuel economy and 100
g/km CO2 emissions requirement. The previous model was a Phase 1 eco car that
had to meet 20 km/l and 120 g/km levels. The Swift is a featherweight B-segment
hatchback, weighing in at 875-910 kg.
In Thailand, the Swift will take on fellow eco car
hatchbacks like the Mazda 2, Mitsubishi Mirage, Nissan March and market leading
Toyota Yaris. Four trim levels are available – GA, GL, GLX, GLX-Navi – priced
from 499,000 baht to 629,000 baht.
That’s a fair bit more than what Perodua charges for
the Myvi, which tops out at 1.5 litres and comes with more equipment than the
range-topping Swift. Begs the question of whether Malaysians are as deprived as
we seem to think, car-wise.
Speaking of equipment, the base Swift GA is rather
sparse – two speakers, no vanity mirrors, no rear hand grips, no rear power
windows, no central locking/remote, reflector halogen headlamps, steel wheels –
although there are two airbags ABS and ESP.
The 609,000 baht GLX is more like it,
with things such as leather wrapped telescopic steering, steering audio
buttons, cruise control, keyless entry and push start, auto air con, six
speakers, meter LCD panel, fog lamps, LED DRLs and projector LED headlamps as
standard, among other goodies.
The GLX wears 16-inch alloys and a
sportier exterior with a red line on the grille. Going all the way to the
GLX-Navi will net one a seven-inch touchscreen head unit with navigation, Apple
CarPlay and MirrorLink.
