1 Mar 1984
Suzuki’s first foray into passenger car sales in Australia was the front-wheel drive Swift, a Japanese-built light car also sold here as the Holden MB Barina.
It initially arrived as a two-seater three-door hatchback commercial van with a 440kg payload, in 37kW 1.0-litre three-cylinder GA and 49.5kW 1.3-litre four-cylinder GA and GL guises.
In January ’85 Suzuki re-introduced these variants as five-seat passenger cars and added an attractive six-light five-door GC hatchback, as well as a GL 1.0 three-door three-speed auto.
During '85 two more three-door Swifts appeared, the GC and GLS Sport. A light five-speed manual gearbox was standard.