Swift sharpens up for success
Suzuki has tweaked its Swift in an effort to keep the vehicle at the top of the sales charts.
The five-door hatchback has been revised for the 2020 model year and given a range of safety and comfort upgrades.
The Swift is New Zealand’s best-selling new passenger car, with 1,622 sold in the first eight months of 2020. Only a trio of SUVs have sold more units in the year-to-date figures.
Gary Collins, general manager of marketing for Suzuki New Zealand, says: “We are confident that with the latest improvements the Swift will continue to maintain its popularity and dominate sales.”
Extra specifications include a new grille with a chrome centre strip, and GL and RS grade models join the hybrid version in the local line-up.
The GL model is the cheapest version on offer and comes with front fog lamps and 16-inch alloy wheels. For those with more to spend, the GL auto is equipped with a continuously variable CVT transmission and boasts a seven-inch touchscreen infotainment system with reversing camera.
A digital speed readout function has been added to the GL and RS models. LED daytime running lamps, electrically adjustable door mirrors, rear privacy glass, leather steering wheel, cruise control and speed limiter are all standard GL features. The 16-valve DualJet engine has variable valve technology and multipoint fuel injection and provides the GL manual with a combined fuel consumption of 4.6L/100km.
The RS gains rear cross traffic alert, heated door mirrors, blind spot monitor, rear parking sensors and a forward detection system to help avoid collisions.
There are LED projector headlights, headlamp high beam alert, clever adaptive cruise control, electrically folding and heated door mirrors, and infotainment includes a seven-inch touchscreen display with a host of multi-media features.
The Swift RS is fitted with a six-speed automatic transmission and steering column paddle shifters for manual override. It is powered by a one-litre, three-cylinder version of Suzuki’s BoosterJet turbocharged engine, which produces 82kW of power, a 24 per cent increase compared to the normally aspirated 1.2L motor in the GL. The RS engine delivers 160Nm of torque between 1,500 and 4,000rpm.
Buyers can select a black roof on RS models, which come in red or blue.
The GLX grade has been replaced by the new Swift Hybrid models, which are available in GLX CVT auto specification or in LTD CVT auto.
Pricing starts from $20,500.
