New-look Suzuki Swift arrives in Oz

The Suzuki Swift ‘Series II’ has arrived in Australia priced from under $19,000 drive-away for the GL Navigator manual variant.

Boasting a subtle new look thanks to a restyled front bumper and reworked 16-inch alloy wheels designs, the 2021 Suzuki Swift range comprises three models -- all with drive-away prices.

They start at $18,990 for the GL Navigator and rise to $21,490 for the mid-spec GL Navigator Plus then $25,290 for the top-spec GLX Turbo.

Regular list price are the same as drive-away prices, which means that when the promotional pricing ends the new Swift will cost between $1300 and $2300 more including on-road costs.

The brand’s updated flagship warm hatch, the Suzuki Swift Sport, was launched in June 2020 and is priced at $29,990 drive-away for the manual ($31,990 auto), or $26,990 plus ORCs and $28,990 drive-away.

Squaring off against the more expensive new Toyota Yaris hatch (from $22,130) and Mazda2 ($20,990), the upgraded Swift will seek to reclaim the third spot it lost to the Kia Rio ($18,090) in the light-car sales race. Both the Rio and Mazda2 have also recently been updated.

The Suzuki Swift’s toughest competitor in the price-sensitive light-car category, however, is the MG3 (from $16,490 drive-away), which is now the top-seller in the segment.

The enhanced Swift gets a few range-wide upgrades, including a digital speedo, auto-up electric windows and rear speakers, while continuing to offer a 7.0-inch touch-screen infotainment system with USB-enabled Apple CarPlay and Android Auto along with the Bluetooth connectivity for phone calls and music streaming.

Showing their budget nature, the two GL Navigator model grades get a tilt-adjustable steering wheel only – reach adjustment is offered exclusively in the top-spec GLX Turbo.

All models come with six airbags, but GL Navigator Plus and GLX Turbo variants add blind spot monitoring, heated door mirrors, reverse parking sensors and rear cross traffic alert, which warns drivers of objects approaching from either side of the rear of the vehicle.

However, the Suzuki Swift misses out on some of the advanced features now offered by the Toyota Yaris, like lane-trace assist with steering assist and road-sign recognition.

As was previously the case, all models except the base GL Navigator get adaptive cruise control and autonomous emergency braking (AEB) as standard, but all model-grades still score a five-star ANCAP safety rating from 2017.

If they were retested today entry-level models would miss out on a five-star ANCAP safety rating due to the lack of AEB

Rntry-level GL Navigator models are no longer available with AEB. The safety option pack ($1000) that was previously available, which added AEB and adaptive cruise control, is no longer an option.

However, Suzuki Australia says the safety pack option hasn't been axed, but has been renamed to the GL Navigator Plus, which is now $1500 more expensive than the GL Navigator model-grade.

With two-tone roof choices deleted as well, the only option for the Swift is metallic paint, for $595.

Powered by carryover engines, the Suzuki Swift GL Navigator models get a 1.2-litre four-cylinder petrol engine (66kW/120Nm) that drives the front wheels through a five-speed manual or CVT automatic, with fuel consumption claimed at 4.6L/100km and 4.8L/100km respectively.

The GLX Turbo is powered by a turbocharged three-cylinder petrol engine (82kW/160Nm) hooked up to the automatic transmission with fuel consumption rated at 5.1L/100km.

European Suzuki Swift models are offered with a fuel-saving hybrid powertrain, but Suzuki Australia is still yet to decide whether to sell the hybrid locally. The brand’s local boss, Michael Pachota, previously said we could see the Suzuki Swift hybrid here around early 2022.