Suzuki Swift in the production version revealed, it does not differ from the concept

The new generation Suzuki Swift will have a three-cylinder petrol engine and a continuously variable transmission in Japan. The plan is to export also abroad; whether the technique will remain unchanged is not yet clear.

When a car company shows a concept car, we usually have to wait a few years before its production version hits the roads. But when Suzuki unveiled the new Swift concept at the Japan Mobility Show a few days ago, the only thing that said it was a concept was the lettering in the license plate area.

The rest was, the whole world thought, a production car. And it was indeed so – the car company has now confirmed it with the premiere of the finished car for the Japanese market. It differs from the concept only in that the plaque in the place of the license plate only contains the words “Swift” and no longer “Concept”.

So there are no new features from the outside, we were able to see the car well already as a “concept”. It has a new but evolutionary design, a rounded nose with a relatively narrow grille and blacked-out pillars that give the impression of a floating roof. The headlights are LED on both ends of the car.

We learn that the car is 3,860mm long, 1,695mm wide and 1,500mm tall; the wheelbase is 2,450 mm. And also that under the hood will be a newly developed three-cylinder with a volume of 1.2 liters, which is “very efficient” and offers “sufficient torque from low revs”. However, power and torque figures are still under wraps.

In Japan, the engine will always be connected to a stepless CVT transmission, and all-wheel drive will be available as an option. The car will be available in XG, Hybrid MX and Hybrid MZ versions. The word “Hybrid” indicates the presence of a mild hybrid system, which means a starter-generator connected to the engine by a belt and a small battery. Fuel consumption should be lower than that of the previous model, which also offered a mild hybrid system.

The new swift will also reach foreign markets, hopefully including Europe. It is not yet clear whether it will get other engines, or whether it will also be available with a manual transmission. It should keep the Sport version, but its unveiling can be expected in the second half of next year at the earliest.