Fourth-generation light hatch to deploy electrified powertrains ahead of 2024 arrival
The all-new 2024 Suzuki Swift first appeared in spy shots last August and now it’s almost ready to show off its big, bold booty.
That’s the word according to Japanese media, which is now reporting the Mazda2 and Toyota Yaris rival will bob up in the next couple of months during the northern summer of 2023, and its Australian release is expected to follow in 2024.
The timing coincides with the end of the third-generation Swift’s six-to-seven-year product lifecycle, which began in 2017, and apart from a bold new design the Mk4 hatch is expected to bring increased equipment levels and electrified powerplants.
That could drive up the prices of the new 2024 Suzuki Swift, even after $2000 price hikes for the current model in March, positioning the popular between $20,490 and $27,990 for the Swift Sport.
— SRK Designs (@srkdesignsin) August 3, 2022
According to Japan’s Best Car website, the new Swift’s global debut is imminent and previous spy pics have influenced countless renders – including from Japan and India – that mirror the shape of the camouflaged vehicles seen last year.
They show the new model’s overall shape hasn’t changed dramatically – except for a more buxom rump – but that the Japanese runabout’s design will deliver a more contemporary aesthetic led by LED-heavy headlight clusters, an assertive new front bumper and slimmer tail-lights.
Suzuki Australia has been conspicuously tight-lipped about its top-selling car (and the second-best-selling light car in this country) and was careful not to reveal any details about the crucial new model.
“We can’t confirm anything regarding new Swift at this stage,” said a Suzuki Australia spokesperson.
The new Swift is almost certain to be offered with mild-hybrid and possibly even series-hybrid powertrains when it finally lands here in 2024, following scathing comments recently made by Suzuki Australia’s general manager Michael Pachota about the lack of local CO2 emissions regulations.
“Australia got the raw end of the deal,” he told carsales in relation to the lack of a national fuel-efficiency standard, which he said had left Aussie customers waiting for hybrid powertrains already rolled out globally in the current-generation Swift and other Suzuki models.
The new Suzuki Swift is set to bring the brand’s first hybrid powertrains Down Under, likely to include upgraded three- and four-cylinder petrol electric engines displacing between 1.0- and 1.2-litres. These have been engineered to reduce CO2 (and fuel consumption) in order to meet emissions regulations in the world’s strictest markets, such as Europe.
The powertrain strategy is expected to be mirrored for the flagship Swift Sport, which is set to gain a mild-hybrid version of the current (K14C) 1.4-litre turbo-petrol engine (103kW/230Nm) dubbed K14D. It’s all but certain to be tweaked in order to provide more power and torque in the new-generation hot hatch.
There’s also been talk that Suzuki may leverage its relationship with Toyota to provide more advanced and cleaner powertrain options. The Japanese car-maker confirmed earlier this year that would “deepen our co-operation relationship with Toyota Motor Corporation”.
In terms of the platform underpinning the new Swift, it’s widely expected to make use of the current model’s ‘HEARTECT’ small-car architecture, which isn’t exactly cutting-edge.
It will require significant upgrades in the infotainment and safety departments to level the playing field with strong-selling rivals like the Toyota Yaris and Mazda2, and to meet increasingly stringent safety regulations in some regions.
However, if Suzuki can keep pricing sharp, the new Swift is likely to maintain its position as Australia’s second most popular light car behind the aged but ultra-cheap MG3, which start a couple of thousand dollars lower at $19,490 drive-away.
Stay tuned for more details on the new-generation Suzuki Swift in the coming months.
Digital images: SRK Designs and Best Car
Keyword: New Suzuki Swift reveal imminent