2017 Suzuki Swift: First details 22 | 03 | 2017
THE NEW SUZUKI Swift will go on-sale at Scottish dealerships on June 1; and we’ve driven the car for the first time today in Monaco. Official prices for the Japanese car maker’s latest compact supermini won’t be announced until May, but they are expected to start around £10,000, an increase from the current entry-point of £8995.
What we do know is the car will be up to 10% lighter, 19% more powerful and 8% more fuel efficient than the outgoing model. It will also be available in three trim levels — SZ3, SZ-T and SZ5 — and features Suzuki’s new Advanced Forward Detection System.
The Swift is one of Suzuki’s principal core models. Since it was first launched in 2005, 5.4 million have been sold globally, with 1m in Europe and 127,000 in the UK. In its first full year (2018) of sales, Suzuki expects to sell 12,500 in the UK, with 70,000 across Europe. The car is built at Suzuki’s Sagara plant in Japan.
The new advanced forward detection system combines a monocular camera and a laser sensor for advanced safety functions, including autonomous emergency braking, lane departure warning and high beam assist. It also uses millimetre-wave radar to enable adaptive cruise control.
Three trim levels will be available — SZ3, SZ-T and SZ5 — and there will be a choice of two petrol engines and one petrol-hybrid. There will also be a choice of five-speed manual and six-speed automatic gearboxes.
The SZ3 is powered by an 89bhp Dualjet 1.2-litre four-cylinder engine capable of returning 65.7mpg and emitting just 98g/km CO2. Six airbags, air conditioning, leather steering wheel, DAB radio with Bluetooth and four speakers, rear privacy glass, LED daytime running lights, 15in alloys, body coloured door mirrors and front electric windows are all standard.
Buyers stepping up to the SZ-T models gain the option of choosing from a 109bhp Boosterjet 1.0-litre turbocharged three-cylinder. Both economy and emissions suffer, with figures of 61.1mpg and 104g/km CO2. You do, however, get rear view camera, 7in touchscreen with Mirrorlink, Apple Carplay and Android Auto, 16in alloys and front foglamps in addition to the SZ3 spec.
The range-topping SZ5 is the only spec to get the extra mild-hybrid powertrain option, again sen in the Ignis. Mating the Boosterjet unit and an integrated starter motor, it generates electricity through regenerative braking and reduces CO2 emissions to 97g/km.
Power will come from a choice of three engines, two petrol and one petrol hybrid; a 1.0-litre three-cylinder Boosterjet turbo; a 1.2-litre four cylinder Dualjet; and a 1.0 Boosterjet mated to Suzuki’s mild-hybrid system.
The entry-level 111PS 1.0-litre three cylinder Boosterjet turbo engine returns 61.4mpg at the pumps and emits 104g/km CO2, while the 90PS 1.2-litre four cylinder Dualjet engine is good for 65.7mpg and 98g/km CO2.The mild hybrid version reduces CO2 to 97g/km.
The 1.0-litre engine will scamper from standstill to 62mph in 10.6secs when mated to the standard manual transmission; the optional automatic shaves 0.6s off the sprint. Where permitted, maximum speed is 121mph for manual and 118mph for the automatic.
The 1.2 Dualjet’s figures to 62mph are 11.9s for the SZ3 2WD and 12.6s for the SHVS ALLGRIP equipped model.
Suzuki’s ALLGRIP Auto four-wheel drive system is available as an option on the SZ5 model with 1.2-litre engine. First introduced in the previous generation Swift in 2014, the fully automatic and permanent four-wheel drive layout transfers additional torque to the rear wheels when required via a viscous coupling.
At 3840mm, the new Swift is 10mm shorter than the outgoing model, while its wheelbase is 20mm longer at 2450mm. It’s also 1735mm wide and 1495mm tall (1520mm for the 4WD).
These figures have helped to create more interior room, including 20% more luggage capacity at 265-litres, which is an increase of 54 litres over the current Swift. The new model is also 15mm lower and 40mm wider, further accentuating its low and wide stance resulting in a lower centre of gravity. Interestingly, the European Swift is 40mm wider and has a wider track than the Japanese Domestic model.
Some elements have been carried over from the previous model, albeit in an ‘enhanced” format; these include blacked-out A-pillars and vertically arranged front and rear lamps. As with eh Ignis, the rear door handles are mounted in the pillars.
Inside the cabin, Suzuki has created white accents and satin chrome additions, in conjunction with black, to give the car a “more sporty” feel. The instrument cluster features either a colour or monochrome LCD in the centre, with a coolant temperature and fuel gauge incorporated within the two main gauges.
Other interior features include a centre console turned five degrees towards the driver, front seats with optimised shape and spring position with heightened side bolsters, new design steering wheel with ‘D’-shape section and an LED auto air conditioning panel (SZ5 models).
As for safety, the 2017 Swift gets six airbags, while air conditioning, DAB Radio, privacy glass, LED daytime running lights and Bluetooth are standard on all models.
SZ-T adds smartphone link display audio, rear view camera, front fog lamps and 16in alloys, while the SZ5 adds auto air conditioning, sat-nav, LED headlamps, polished 16in alloys, rear electric windows, Dual Sensor Brake Support and Adaptive Cruise Control.
As mentioned previously, the SZ5 available with ALLGRIP Auto 4WD system.
The new Swift is available with a choice of 10 colours with full personalisation options for both exterior and interior trim.
Some highlights of the 2017 Suzuki Swift include:
Dual Sensor Brake Support (DSBS) – SZ5 Grade
The advanced forward detection system supports numerous safety technologies, chief among which is collision-mitigating Dual Sensor Brake Support (DSBS). With DSBS, at vehicle speeds from approximately 3mph to 62mph, if the system determines a risk of collision with a forward obstacle, it issues both an audio and visual warning. If there is a high risk of collision with a forward obstacle and the driver panic brakes, the system deploys brake assist, increasing braking force. If the risk of a collision increases even more, the system applies full automatic braking in an effort to avoid the collision or reduce damage.
High beam assist
At speeds of 25mph or higher, high beam assist is designed to automatically switch the headlights between “High” and “Low”, depending on the presence of other vehicles and also the lighting environment.
Adaptive cruise control
When there is a vehicle in front, the adaptive cruise control system uses millimetre-wave radar to gauge the distance to it and automatically maintains vehicle-to-vehicle distance in line with the setting selected out of three possible settings. When there is no vehicle in front, the system maintains the speed (from 25mph to 100mph where permitted) as input by the driver.
Lane departure warning function
When the vehicle is travelling at vehicle speeds of approximately 37mph or above and is departing the lane without the driver using a turn signal, the system vibrates the steering wheel and lights a warning indicator in the instrument cluster to draw attention to lane departures caused by factors such as inattention to the road.
Weaving alert function
When the vehicle is traveling at vehicle speeds of approximately 37mph or above and is weaving from side to side within a lane, the system sounds a warning buzzer and lights an indicator on the instrument panel. This quickly draws the driver’s attention to weaving caused by drowsiness or other factors.
Advanced Multi-information display – SZ5 grade.
The SZ5 model is equipped with a 4.2 inch high-definition colour LCD display that shows a range of information including engine output and torque data, fuel consumption, average speed, acceleration and brake operation as well as driving G-force tracking. For the SHVS model an energy flow diagram is also included.
Guide Me Lights.
For convenience and safety after parking the car at night or when returning to it, Swift SZ5 is fitted as standard with a ‘guide me light’ function that enables the dipped beam headlamps to remain on for 10 seconds after the door is locked / unlocked. This facility can also be adjusted to up to 25 seconds duration via the settings mode of the instrument cluster.
Display audio system with navigation and smartphone connectivity
The audio system for both SZ-T and SZ5 models has a Smartphone Linkage Display Audio (SLDA) with a large seven inch touch panel display that enables intuitive operation. On the SZ5 grade a three dimensional navigation map makes landmarks easy to distinguish and the system also allows the driver to use certain smartphone applications with MirrorLink, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connection.
Apple CarPlay is the smarter and safer way to use iPhone in the Swift. Apart from making calls it also facilitates receiving directions for optimised traffic conditions, listening to music, accessing email, text messages and more.
Related: Roadtest — Suzuki Ignis
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Jim McGill