Sydney show: Suzuki's special Swift

FRESH from its world debut at the Frankfurt motor show in Europe last month, Suzuki’s all-new SX4 WRC car drew much attention at the opening of the Australian International Motor Show.

Ditto for the Swift Super 1600 Junior WRC (JWRC) car. But the Japanese brand also had some significant news, and a new limited-edition Swift model, to make on the mainstream production-car front. Built to commemorate Suzuki’s stranglehold on the JWRC, and limited to 600 units, the Swift RE1 Rally Edition carries extra features worth a claimed $4000 for $1000 above the RRP. These include side skirts, a rear spoiler, six-stacker CD, ROH alloy rims and RE1 decals. The RE1 is available now, starting from $16,990. Suzuki Australia also announced that a turbo-diesel variant of its Grand Vitara compact SUV would become available in the first quarter of 2008, priced below $35,000. The Euro-IV compliant 1.9-litre “DDiS” common-rail engine produces 95kW at 3750rpm and 300Nm at 2000rpm.