Suzuki’s next Swift revealed
Suzuki Swift LEAKED
SUZUKI’S small car future will continue to take shape with an all-new Swift supermini, due in showrooms next year.
According to UK sales and marketing director Dale Wyatt, the recently launched Baleno takes care of the “rational end” of Suzuki’s small car range. This has allowed the brand to make the next Swift “much more emotional and expressive”.
As shown in our exclusive image, the next Swift will be slightly longer, lower and wider than the current car, providing a small boost in practicality. “Lightness and a fun drive will be the focus,” Wyatt told Auto Express. “Having the practical Baleno allows us to look at the dynamics of Swift.”
We have a good idea as to how the Swift will look thanks to images of the new car that leaked earlier this year (see panel). Our main image shows how the new car will adopt a striking design, with softer curves and a sloping roofline.
We can also expect a significant weight saving over the current Swift despite the increased proportions, thanks to the new lightweight chassis it shares with the Baleno. Entry-level cars should weigh around 900kg, which will bring benefits to fuel economy, emissions and performance.
The range will kick off with the Baleno’s new 1.0-litre three-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine. We also expect the naturally aspirated 1.2-litre mild hybrid powertrain to be made available – but as with the Baleno, a diesel engine is unlikely.
A Swift Sport will follow in 2018 powered by the 138bhp 1.4-litre Boosterjet four-cylinder turbo petrol from the Vitara S. That’s a similar power output to the current Sport, but a torque increase and reduced kerbweight will boost acceleration. There will be much more scope for personalisation and individuality with the new Swift, too, with a variety of exterior and interior customisation choices.
Despite this, as always with Suzuki, value for money will continue to be a priority and prices should stay close to the current car’s £8,999 starting figure. However, it remains to be seen whether the company will persist with the cheapest SZ2 trim level.
News Small car will be ‘more fun’ Due in showrooms next year “The next Swift will be slightly longer, lower and wider than the current car, providing a small boost in practicality”
BRITAIN’S MOT failure hotspots have been mapped out in a new study. And according to figures obtained by vehicle management service Automyze, drivers in Dundee have the least roadworthy cars, with 53 per cent failing their most recent Mots. No less than four of the 10 towns and cities with the highest numbers of MOT flops were in Scotland, with failure rates of nearly 50 per cent in both Aberdeen and Perth, too.
And it’s not just motorists north of the border who are having problems. Drivers in Truro, Plymouth and Exeter in the southwest also had failure rates significantly higher than the national average.
According to the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency, only 38 per cent of cars failed their initial MOT last year, with this dropping to 29 per cent after appeals.
Figures from the DVSA also show the most common reason for an MOT failure is for faulty lights and signals, with 18 per cent of cars failing as a result. Suspension and brake problems cause a further 20 per cent of failures, while worn or faulty tyres accounted for seven per cent of vehicles.
By contrast, the Isle of Man has the highest MOT pass rate in the UK with nearly 72 per cent of cars getting through first time. Nine of the 10 towns and cities with the lowest MOT failure rates were in the south-east of England, with London commuter belts such as Sutton and Croydon seeing over 62 per cent of cars passing.
Lucy Burnford, director of Automyze, said: “There could be a number of reasons why MOT failure rates are higher in Dundee, from the length of time people own their cars to the types of vehicle they own.
“However, some basic checks could bring failure rates down and save both time and money. Ahead of your vehicle’s MOT, it’s always worth doing some simple checks yourself to ensure anything straightforward like filling up the screen wash can be fixed in advance of your test.”
Cars most likely to fail in Dundee Highestgh pass rate on Isle of Man