All-new Suzuki Swift - Old vs new

The Suzuki Swift is a global offering from the stable of the Japanese automaker. The fourth-gen Swift, having seen light in late 2016, has finally landed in the Philippines. With a lot of cosmetic upgrades both at the front and at the back, the all-new Swift packs new tech and safety features and sports a cabin with a youthful vibe.

Without further ado let’s take you into the details of what’s new in the 2018 Suzuki Swift and does it get better than the previous-gen model? Let’s get this started.

Exterior Design

The 2018 Swift gets a completely new design language that’s taken a curvier route ditching the older boxy and bulky style, making it look much more elegant. Unlike the dominating swept-back headlamps on the previous-gen Swift, the headlamps on the new model are a lot sleeker and also get LED daytime running lights.

The two-piece honeycomb grille has made way for a single compact unit at the centre which comes with blacked out horizontal slots. The fog lamps get bigger than before and carry a modern look. At the rear, the Swift gets the Juke-like C-pillar with hidden door handles while the tail section gets an all-new LED tail light cluster. The boot lid is wider than on the old Swift. There is a new bumper as well. Additionally, a new set of alloys are on offer that characterizes its sportier avatar. The new Swift is 40 mm wider than the old model and comes with an enhanced wheelbase of 2450 mm, up by 20 mm.

Cabin

The cabin gets detailed attention from the designers. It is all-black with silver accents here and there. Unlike earlier, the circular theme runs along the entire range of gauges including the centre AC vents, controls, knobs and even on the new racing car-inspired information dials placed right in front of the driver’s eyes. The freshness continues with a flat-bottom steering wheel wrapped inside a soft material for utmost comfort and a touchscreen infotainment system for your entertainment needs. As said, the legroom, shoulder and knee room for the passengers at the back have been enhanced.

As a result of increased width, there is a plenty of room inside the cabin. The boot space is bumped up by 58 litres, from 210 litres on the old Swift to 268 litres on the new one.

Features

The new Swift comes loaded with features that were not the case with the older model. It now features automatic climate control, keyless entry, push-button engine start-stop, a flat-bottom steering wheel and a 7-inch SmartPlay infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto support. There are additional connectivity options like MirrorLink connectivity, Bluetooth, USB, AUX and built-in navigation. Moreover, it gets rear parking sensors with a rear-view camera and speeds sensitive auto door lock and the night adjustable IRVM.

As far as safety is concerned, the all-new Swift gets dual front airbags, ISOFIX with child seat anchors, seatbelt reminder, immobiliser and ABS with EBD and brake assist as standard across the entire range.

Engine

The all-new Swift draws power from the same 1.2-litre four-cylinder gasoline engine that generates 82 PS of peak power and 113Nm of peak torque, mated to 6-speed automatic or a 5-speed manual transmission, unlike the previous-gen model that featured only the manual gearbox. The setup is capable of returning a fuel economy of 22 kmpl.

Based on the new HEARTECT platform, the new Swift is lighter and peppier than before. It weighs up to 85kg lesser than the older model.

Pricing

As compared to the rival Honda Jazz, which is priced at Php 847,000, the next-gen Swift is a lot affordable at PhP 755,000. Though the new 2018 Swift offers less power than the rival Jazz it's a fine combination of style and practicality. The 2018 Suzuki Swift is available in three different variants with prices as mentioned below-

• Suzuki Swift GL MT: Php 755,000
• Suzuki Swift GL CVT: Php 799,000
• Suzuki Swift GLX CVT: Php 899,000