New safety kit drives Suzuki Swift prices up
SUZUKI Australia’s updated new Swift Series II has officially landed Down Under with the pint-sized city car now brandishing more standard safety kit, upgraded technology and revised styling.
Now priced from $18,990 plus on-road costs, the GL Navigator still kicks off the range in manual form with the automatic carrying a $1000 premium.
The new starting price is $1300 upstream compared to the outgoing – now ‘Series I’ – model, however the base trim actually misses out on all of the key safety gear added to the rest of the range.
Blind spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, heated door mirrors and reverse parking sensors have all been added to the GL Navigator Plus (formerly GL Navigator Safety) and top-tier GLX Turbo, both of which have also seen price increases of $1800 (now $21,490) and $2300 (now $25,290) respectively.
With the GL Navigator missing out on the new kit, its price increase can be attributed to an increase in standard equipment, with all variants now scoring a digital speedometer and auto-up windows.
In an added sweetener, the lower and mid-tier variants also pick up rear stereo speakers as found in the GLX Turbo.
The rest of the standard equipment list reads the same as before with all variants boasting electronically adjustable door mirrors, cruise control, Bluetooth connectivity, speed limiter, black-coloured A- and B-pillars, daytime running lights and front, side and curtain airbags.
Visually, the new Swift can be distinguished by its new front bumper and radiator grille combination and new sportier alloy wheels.
While the looks and standard kit have been updated, the underpinnings and engines of the Swift range has been left as is, meaning the familiar 1.2-litre four-cylinder petrol engine powering the GL Navigator and GL Navigator Plus continues to develop 66kW/122Nm and remains hooked up to either a five-speed manual (GL Navigator) or continuously variable transmission (CVT).
The GLX Turbo meanwhile continues with its smaller but turbocharged 1.0-litre three-cylinder petrol unit good for a gutsier 82kW/160Nm, paired exclusively to six-speed automatic transmission.
According to Suzuki Australia general manager Michael Pachota, the launch of the new Swift was a “milestone for the light car segment” thanks to its “class leading value” and new safety technology.
Through the first seven months of 2020, the Swift proved the fourth-most popular sub-$25,000 light car behind the MG MG3, Toyota Yaris and Kia Rio, occupying 13 per cent of the segment’s sales with 2686 deliveries.
2020 Suzuki Swift pricing*
| GL Navigator | $18,990 |
| GL Navigator (a) | $19,990 |
| GL Navigator Plus (a) | $21,490 |
| GLX Turbo (a) | $25,290 |
| Sport | $26,990 |
| Sport (a) | $28,990 |
*Excludes on-road costs
