Suzuki Swift Sport still 18 months away
Hot hatch fans will need to be patient, as buyers snap-up the last of the breedThe runout model of the Suzuki Swift Sport -- the modern version of the Swift GTI hot hatch -- could well become a cult classic.
Production of the previous generation Swift ended in October after a six-year run, and once remaining stocks of the Swift Sport model (pictured) are sold locally there will be no more for at least 18 months.
Only 130 current model Swift Sports remain in dealer stock in Australia and they are expected to be sold by early next year.
"When we knew the model was going to be phased out, we ordered six months worth of stock," said Suzuki Australia general manager Tony Devers. "But it has sold so fast that we really only have three or four months' worth of stock left of that model."
As Suzuki prepares to launch the new generation Swift in Australia next February powered by an all-new 1.4-litre petrol engine, including a preview drive in Tokyo for Australian journalists early this week, the company remained tight-lipped about a successor for the Swift Sport.
"The Japanese media asked us the same question [about Swift Sport] but we have no comment to make," a senior Suzuki official said.
The Carsales Network understands that the technical partnership with Volkswagen, established earlier this year, occurred too late for the Swift to get access to the turbo or twin-charge engines that VW uses in its hot hatches. Plus there is the added complexity of Suzuki and VW having opposing engine layouts.
However, Suzuki hot hatch buyers will likely be rewarded for their patience.
"Suzuki is not saying when or in what configuration a possible successor to the Swift Sport might be," Devers said. "But we know Suzuki prides itself in the hot hatch market and I'd be surprised if they weren't working on something."
There was an 18-month delay between the launch of the previous Swift and the Sports version. Given the company's limited engineering resources, this is the likely timeline for the Sport version of the new model.
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