Suzuki Swift 2013 News

The Suzuki Swift GTI — a cult car from the 1990s — is finally poised for a comeback.

As the Australian car sales race heads into the final quarter lap for 2013, most eyes are on what will be the top car. But further back in the field, there’s been a big improvement for several European models, which are posting sales lifts of up to 1000 per cent as a result of aggressive price cuts.Leading the charge is Fiat’s 500 which was slashed more than $10,000 in June, and now starts at just $14,000. This resulted in 310 buyers last month, compared to just 86 before the price drop. The little Italian car has increased in sales at the rate of 850 per cent every month since June, in a market that shrank by almost 15 per cent.Fiat as a whole is benefiting too, with the 1765 sales so far this year being more than a 500 per cent increase over the 328 at this stage in 2012. While the Fiat 500 is attracting customers, established competitors like the Holden Barina, Nissan Micra, Suzuki Alto and Swift and Toyota Yaris have meanwhile seen a decline in sales year-to-date.This means that for the first time, the 500 is outselling more than half its competitors. Meanwhile, Alfa Romeo’s small models, which also received price cuts recently, have returned positive results – albeit on fairly low numbers. MiTo has doubled in sales in the premium light car segment from 23 to 45, while its larger sibling, Giulietta – in a field that includes the Toyota Corolla, Holden Cruze and Mazda 3, found 324 new homes compared to just 88 before the new pricing strategy.The local HQ says the surge in sales is due to sharper pricing and specifications and more dealership support. “The success is a result of a combination of factors: an expanded and engaged dealer network, streamlined vehicle spec levels and sharper pricing – as well as strong and smart marketing support,” Fiat and Alfa Romeo spokesperson Karla Leach says.With the international launch of the new Alfa Romeo 4C sport car this week – estimated to cost somewhere around $75,000 when it arrives here -- the Italian brand is buckling up for the challenge of luring customers with a few more dollars to spend. Leach says Fiat and Alfa Romeo have serious intentions to keep strengthening their position here. “We have strong ambition for the continued growth of these brands in Australia,” she says. But it’s not just Italians aggressively tackling the entry level market.Renault last month introduced the cheapest Clio ever, firmly cementing the French brand into the budget light car segment with an entry-level price of under $17,000. Keen to be seen as a viable alternative, Renault has hit hard at competitors, offering five-year, unlimited kilometre warranty and fixed price servicing. Renault Australia managing director Justin Hocevar said at the Clio unveiling last month that the brand has high expectations of the car.“We have a fantastic value proposition in terms of a beautifully designed vehicle with high levels of personalisation, at an extremely competitive price.” he said. Traditional options like Mazda, Hyundai and Toyota still dominate the light and small car segments, but European rivals are fighting hard to gain credibility as mainstream brands.The big winners are the buyers, who may now afford to consider Italian design, French flair or German precision for the same price as more established mainstream manufacturers. The exception to the success story is Opel, which failed to accrue enough buyers in its very short stint in Australia. Despite competitive prices, the German brand disappeared in August, posting less than 1,000 sales this year between the Astra and Corsa small cars combined. 

A refreshed version of Suzuki’s Swift has appeared online, courtesy of the company’s Belgian website.Sporting a new front fascia with LED daytime running lights for the first time, a fresh wheel design, and side markers relocated to the door mirrors, the new Belgian model’s rear styling is unchanged from the model currently available in Australia.Australian Swifts switched from Japanese production to Thailand earlier this year, which brought several spec changes to the FZ model that has been available locally since early 2011.These styling revisions seen on the Belgian model will likely make their way onto local Swifts come mid-cycle refresh time, which will be due in the coming years.Don't hold your breath though, as Suzuki Australia spokesman Andrew Ellis confirmed with Carsguide that the revised model "is for European-spec only at this stage," and “we'll be staying with (the upgraded Thai-built model) for a while yet.”This reporter is on Twitter: @Mal_Flynn 

A Swift new Thai takeaway has failed to deliver the one thing Australian car buyers really want - a price cut. Production of the Suzuki Swift has just been switched from Japan to Thailand, a move that brings a little extra value but no change to the GA model's starting price of $15,990.There is more gear in the GL and GLX, but even that has brought a $300 price rise for the mid-level model. Suzuki Australia defends the latest deal by pointing to the existing dollar deal of its top selling model. “The GA is absolutely unchanged, and the price hasn't changed either. The price isn't going down because we're putting more stuff into the GL and GLX,” says Suzuki spokesman, Andrew Ellis.Suzuki switched the Swift from Japan to Thailand, and its newest factory, in a similar move to the one that sees Ford, Honda, Toyota and a wide range of other brands taking their supplies from the Asian manufacturing powerhouse.Thailand is now second only to Japan as a source of cars for Australia and last year we bought 171,878 Thai-made cars. “Swift is the first Thai car for us. Japan is now concentrating on domestic production,” says Ellis.“It is a greenfield factory that's only been building cars since the third quarter last year. In future we'll look at every possibility with cars coming out of that plant.''For the Swift, the new supply line brings cruise control and factory-integrated Bluetooth to the GL model, while the GLX picks up cruise control. Suzuki says the new deal is an $850 bonus on the GL, despite a price rise of $300, but there is no change to the showroom sticker of the GLX which is priced from $18,990.

The production version will star for the brand at Frankfurt Motor Show in September. Drawing styling cues from the Suzuki Swift S Concept from which it was based, the new Swift Sport is the first full model change since its original launch in 2006. It features more aggressive styling with a low-slung body and oversized grille. Suzuki promises both power and good fuel economy from the 1.6-litre engine, which is mated to a six-speed manual transmission -- both developed exclusively for the Swift Sport.  The new Swift Sport "offers superior cornering stability and responsive handling thanks to struts with internal rebound springs and an exclusive rear-suspension design", Suzuki says. Like the standard Swift, the Sport's safety is helped by a light, stiff, impact-absorbing body plus seven airbags (including a driver’s knee airbag) and ESC. “We are very excited about the preliminary release of the new Swift Sport, but we are still some way off finalising the Australian version,” said Suzuki Australian General Manager Tony Devers. “The Swift Sport will not go on sale here until next year, so we still have some time to work through the specification level suitable for the Australian market. What we do know is the Swift Sport will offer better performance, handling, economy and style than ever before. We can’t wait to launch the ultimate pocket rocket to our customers.”

The Swift Sport, unveiled to Australian media in Japan this week, may not carry the famous GTi badge (it no longer has rights to the name) but it has the firepower to outgun its predecessor. Powered by a high revving 1.6-litre twin cam four cylinder engine, the four-door hatch is quicker from 0 to 100km/h than GTi and runs rings around it when it comes to handling. What it lacks is the raw edge that made the original GTi so much fun to drive, because like the off road Vitara it didn't have to bow to anyone. In this critical area, we would have liked to have seen a larger, more powerful engine, but hey . . . the Liana started life with a 1.6 didn't it? To create the engine, Suzuki engineers have increased the stroke and upped the compression of the donor 1.5-litre unit. It gets a new block, new inlet and exhaust camshafts, new pistons and rings, connecting rods, crankshaft, larger capacity sports muffler, oil cooler, intake and exhaust manifolds and an electronic throttle body. The result is a compact engine that delivers 92kW of power at 6800rpm and 148Nm of torque at 4800rpm. This compares with the standard car's 74kW and 133Nm - a significant increase. Swift Sport is due to go on sale at the end of September and looks set to build on the momentum of a car that has become a runaway success since launch in 2004. To go with the extra power, the car's chassis has been strengthened with extra cross members, a close ratio, short throw five-speed manual box has been added, along with firmer damping and of course bigger, beefier brakes. Cosmetic changes have also been made, with the addition of a deeper front air dam, black WRX-style side skirts and small rear wing plus a new rear bumper that incorporates twin exhaust outlets. The car sits on 16 inch alloys with 195/50 series rubber, four-wheel anti-lock disc brakes and six airbags. It looks hot, especially in bright yellow and Suzuki claims the Sport is good for 8.29 seconds for the dash from 0 to 100km/h, with a top speed of about 200km/h. You pay a small penalty for this extra performance as the car takes 98 strength premium unleaded, but it still manages to sip the stuff at the same 7.5 litres/100km, with a 43-litre fuel tank. We got to put the Swift Sport through its paces at Suzuki's proving ground at Hamamatsu. Weighing in at 1100kg, and with a power to weight ratio of 12.0kg to the kilowatt, it goes hard but lacks torque down low. This is particularly evident from a standing start as well as when exiting corners, but wind it up and it's a ball to drive. Our confidence in the Sport's handling grew with each lap of the proving ground as we pushed harder and harder through corners. Pour it on and the car remains composed and manageable even at the extreme limits of adhesion. The rasp from the twin exhausts sounds the part and inside there are some nice touches too, including sports seats (we're told they're Recaros), three-spoke leather stitched sports wheel, silver look gear knob and stainless steel pedals. In terms of performance, the original GTi weighed just 750kg and, with a 74.3kW motor, boasted a power to weight of just 10.1kg/kW (0-100km/h took 8.6 seconds). It wasn't forced to labour under the additional weight of the safety equipment that is imposed on modern vehicles. Launched in 1986 the original GTi roared out of the gates, but was plagued by dreadful torque steer and could be a real handful in the wet. In comparison, the Swift Sport is much more refined and desirable car. At $23,990 it comes fully equipped with few direct competitors. Suzuki benchmarked the car against the Mini Cooper and Citroen's C2, while Ford's Fiesta Zetec could also be considered a rival. None provide the size, interior space and four-door utility of the Swift. Standard equipment includes air conditioning, power ancillaries, steering wheel audio and fully featured trip computer. But there's no spare wheel and no room for one either - just a re-inflation kit. Whether the Swift Sport is indeed the successor to the GTi that Suzuki has been looking for remains to be seen. The car has not been released in the United States, but like us, the Canadians have expressed interest in bigger engines too. The Suzuki Sport certainly looks the goods and handles exceptionally well, but the extra $6000 could stretch the budget. With no turbo, however, it remains within reach of P plate drivers.   Chris Riley is a roadtester on the CARSguide team. His work appears here and in the 96 News Limited Community Newspapers across Australia – including the Cumberland Newspaper Group, Leader Newspaper Group, Quest Newspaper Group, Messenger Newspaper Group, Gold Coast Sun, Townsville Sun.