Suzuki Swift News

Back in 1995, the most popular SUV in Australia was the then-new and pioneering Toyota RAV4, way down at number 43. How things have changed, with SUVs sat at seven of the top-10 spots, and then (mostly diesel-powered) ladder-frame-chassis utes making up the difference. Here are 10 reasons why Australia’s (and the world’s) SUV obsession have made motoring worse than in past decades for people who love cars.

The Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) has published its latest round of safety scores and the two vehicles included are re-tested versions of popular hatchbacks based on testing conducted by Euro NCAP.

Suzuki came under a brief volley of fire for its use of the ‘hybrid’ badge when it launched the current Suzuki Swift, a car with only mild-hybrid capability.

The little Yugo hatchback made by now long-gone Serbian brand Zastava Automobili appears to be making a return to a market that's increasingly being dominated by new Chinese brands, and in another twist, it won't be electric.Made from 1980 to 2008 the Yugo was popular in the United States, India, Egypt and Eastern Europe. The little car was also sold in Australia before Zastava Automobili ended operations.The Yugo brand, however, has been bought by German university professor, Dr Alexander Bjelic, who plans to resurrect the small hatch that's yet to be named.While a production version is still far off, Dr Bjelic used the recent 2025 Munich Car Design Event to show off a concept version. The catch is, it's a tiny scale model in a plastic box for now with Dr Bjelic aiming to have a full-size prototype ready for the 2027 Belgrade Expo. The model shows off the little hatch’s retro-cool looks with a modern twist on the Yugo hatch. The futuristic looks may be reminiscent of a tiny version of Hyundai's Ioniq 5 electric SUV, but Yugo says its upcoming car will be powered by an internal combustion engine. The brand said an electric variant may also become available at a later point.The original Yugo hatch was known for its affordability but had a poor reputation for reliability and build quality. While the car was sold in Australia along with 76 other countries, it's uncertain whether the resurrected version will be sold in Australia.If the Yugo hatch did make it Down Under it would be up against fierce tiny rivals such as Volkswagen's Polo, the Skoda Fabia, Toyota Yaris, Suzuki Swift, MG3 and Mazda2.Still, if Yugo can price the car lower than its competitors and arrive with a design that looks as good as the concept then it could be onto a winner. 

Big screens and displays in cars can make interiors look modern and minimalist but what happens if they fail?

A fresh round of real world tests from the Australian Automobile Association (AAA) has detected several cars that use a lot more fuel than claimed.

The Federal Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communication and the Arts has issued a safety recall notice impacting 5731 Suzukis sold new in Australia between 2022 and 2023.

It appears Suzuki is saving its most exciting releases for the Indian market.Debuting at the 2025 Bharat Mobility Global Expo in New Delhi last week were two new concepts of the brand’s most iconic models – the Swift ‘Champions’ and the Jimny ‘Conqueror’.According to Carscoops, though, Suzuki said the models are purely for demonstration purposes to gauge consumer responses.None of them actually feature chassis or powertrain upgrades, rather, they are just cosmetic and accessory upgrades.That said, it could signal that Suzuki is gauging demand for future special-edition Swift and Jimny variants, such as a successor to the Swift Sport as Suzuki looks at adding more fuel-efficient variants to its line-up.The brand has already confirmed the Sport will wrap up production in Japan next month, with Suzuki planning on releasing a special-edition ZC33S Final Edition Swift Sport in Japan from March.=Plans for Australia remain unconfirmed, however, Suzuki Australia General Manager, Michael Pachota, told CarsGuide he was hopeful a replacement was in the works after Suzuki switched the entire swift hybrid to a 1.2-litre mild-hybrid set up late last year.“I hope so,” he said. “At this stage, we haven’t been told if there’s going to be a vehicle that replaces Swift Sport down the track in the current guise.”That could suggest a mild-hybrid iteration of the current Swift Sport, which remains equipped with the previous-generations 1.4-litre turbo-petrol engine that adds an additional 42kW of power over the mild-hybrid's 61kW.It could be a case of adding cosmetic upgrades as opposed to extra power, as is the case with the track-ready Champions concept, which adds an aerodynamic body kit with a rear spoiler, a front splitter and a small rear diffuser.There are blacked-out multi-spoke alloys wrapped in slick tyres with a white racing graphic, along with a huge Swift decal adorning front bonnet and door panels.Moving over to the Jimny, it too gets a fancy ‘Jimny’ and ‘4x4’ graphic in a rugged khaki and black paint scheme, along with all terrain tyres which literally spell out ‘All Terrain’ in white.Additionally, there's a front winch, roof racks with mounted recovery tracks, a rear-mounted spare tyre, ladder, a side-mounted cargo box and a miniature shovel.Maruti Suzuki, Suzuki's Indian arm, has also extended unique exterior treatment to other models, though none that are currently on sale for the Australian market.

It’s no secret times are tough. The cost of living is sky high and cars don’t seem to be getting any cheaper. 

What are the Top 5 cars of 2024? Some of the previous years’ top-five still resonate strongly today – namely the Honda Civic Type R, Subaru WRX, BMW 5 Series and Kia EV9. Will any of the class of 2024 do the same in 12 months’ time?