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Suzuki Swift IV. Normally I wouldn’t write so early about a car that can still be bought new, but I couldn’t resist. This car is so popular and is such a massive succes that I can’t ignore it. Unlike the women who have no qualms with ignoring me.

Do you know how women know me as? Usually it’s “Hey, you, behind the bushes! What are you doing there?”. Unlike the Suzuki Swift IV, which is another Swift which is received with open arms by pretty much everyone on the planet, Oceania included. Yep, Suzuki literally went so far that they opened up shop in the Fiji Islands, Melanesia.

How come? Well the Suzuki Swift IV remains the cheapest hybrid on the market, the cheapest 4×4 on the market and the cheapest hybrid 4×4 on the market and overall one of the cheapest decent cars on the market. Even if the fourth generation has had a more drastic makeover than Rachel Levine, Suzuki Swift IV remains an excellent city car and it started to gain traction even here in Europe. I’ve said it before, europeans are starting to get tired of used cars that need to be constantly repaired and so are now are buying more and more new cars. And the Suzuki Swift IV is an entry-level car that even the eastern europeans can afford. We are in the 10000 euro price gap and here you have enough options, but the Swift is so good that it is neck and neck with a car already famous for the fact that you get a lot of bang for your buck: Dacia Sandero. I would have said the Logan first, but then I remembered that we don’t get the Suzuki Dzire (Suzuki Swift with a boot, much like how a Jetta is a Golf with a boot) so I will compare it with the Sandero.

• Let’s start with the main party piece, namely the engine. The great advantage of the Swift is that it comes standard with a 1.2 aspirated 90 horsepower and 120 Nm torque, 4 cylinders petrol engine. This aspect is very important because the Sandero comes with a 0.9 turbocharged petrol with 90 horsepower and 140 Nm of torque, delivered by 3 cylinders. Technically the Sandero accelerates faster from the traffic light, but the Swift will be much more reliable because 1. the engine is not unbalanced and 2. it does not have the stress caused by the turbocharger. And then comes the fact that at 11,015 euros it also comes with a 12v Mild Hybrid system, which makes it the cheapest hybrid on the market. And as top performers, the Suzuki Swift is 100 kg lighter than the Sandero and has a maximum speed of 180 km/h, with an enormous advantage of 5 km/h over the Sandero. As if you’re going to go at this speed with one of them.


• The dimensions are very similar between Swift and Sandero, Sandero being taller and Swift being wider. The only notable difference is in length, Sandero having 20 cm more. For some women, that makes all the difference in the world (even if it’s a number on a spec sheet), but for most city drivers (like 99% of it’s customer base) you might be better off with the Swift.


• In terms of equipment, on the other hand, Swift lags behind because Sandero punches the Swift in the testicles and leaves him in a puddle of it’s own bodily fluids. Sandero comes with automatic air conditioning, alloy wheels and front and rear electric windows. Swift, on the other hand, recovers from the concussion and retaliates with superior safety systems – front / rear side airbags (Sandero has only the front), curtain airbag and retractable pedals.

And this is comparing it with the European market, a market famous for being snobby at cheap cars and always wanting to buy quality cars. And if the Suzuki Swift IV managed to make quite a dent in the European market, that speaks volumes about it’s quality. On the international market the story stays the same, even though it’s price is not that appealing (most versions start at 12-13000 euros, be it Bangladesh, Pakistan, Australia, Egypt or Japan), it’s still one complete car that can do just about anything, cheaply and reliably. Except for Japan, where they had some really juicy versions available.

Suzuki Swift IV Engines

Petrol

• 1.0 Turbo K10C of 102 and 111 horsepower – The engine that could have, but failed. An excellent and fast engine, which is worth buying if you can find one. Unfortunately, it was withdrawn in September 2019 in Europe by the modern emission tests, taking it’s older brother with it. Why? I’ll explain to you about the other engine. But outside of Europe, where this engine is abundant, it’s a modern and sturdy little engine.


• 1.25 DualJet K12C and K12M of 78 and 90 horsepower – Even the ancient DualJet had to deal with the watchful eye of the emissions police of the automotive industry. A simple, naturally aspirated, 4 cylinder petrol engine, with timing chain and without specific issues. Except that in 2020 it was also retired. But this was one of the last naturally aspirated mohicans of the European engines. Slightly slower but slightly more durable than the 1.0 K10C Turbo engine, but you won’t go wrong with either. Except if you’re bent on having an CNG modified engine, as the Indian Maruti Swift got a special CNG variant, downtuned to 78 horsepower.


• 1.4 Turbo K14C of 140 horsepower – 1.4 BoosterJet made a sensation especially on the Vitara and it quickly became THE engine to have, and on the Suzuki Swift IV it was only available on the Sport version. Unfortunately, the Boosterjet engines chug down so much petrol, it is like a british guys enters the Old House for the first time after the quarantine and is quite thirsty, and this was bad for the emissions figures. Suzuki had a choice whether to withdraw the 1.0 engine or the 1.4 engine from the list, and they made the right choice.

Diesel

1.3 D13A DDiS of 75 horsepower – This Fiat sourced diesel is singing it’s final hurrah, under the bonnet of the Maruti Swift. It’s India exclusive and there is nothing to worry about, with this tried and tested engine. Sure, it’s not the best at urban driving, but overall it was one of all time hits.

Hybrid

• 1.2 K12D MHEV of 90 horsepower – But the emissions police doesn’t stop in Europe and they start spreading all over the world, so Suzuki is forced to retire the old 1.25 naturally aspirated K12C and launch an all new 1.2 K12D with all flavors of hybrid, with mild hybrid for most of the world but there was also an full hybrid model available in Japan only, and it was the only Swift with an 5 speed clutchless automatic (AGS). Other than that, there is nothing special to report to his allround great engine.


• 1.4 K14D Hybrid of 130 horsepower – Much like the 1.25 naturally aspirated, the 1.4 K14C was also retired in 2020 and the K14D replaced the Swift Sport. It’s got a mild hybrid, it’s got a smaller turbo, it’s got 130 horsepower and is Euro 6d compliant.

Suzuki Swift IV Common Issues

• In today’s pretentious world you have to offer a minimum of technology relevant to our times, technology with which Suzuki Swift IV does not get along at all. Well, actually Suzuki doesn’t get along very well with technology overall. And on the Swift there are various issues that can range from infotainment to safety and warning systems.


• The paint is thinner than that vague line of cloth that holds tight an entire attempt of a bikini, worn by a young visitor of summer adventures, somewhere at a beach.


• The spare wheel is optional, all you get as standard is a repair kit that you can keep where the sun don’t shine.


• Only those capable can escape life, and apparently the Suzuki Swift IV cannot escape the traumas of the past in terms of the quality of the interior materials. The same cheap plastics worthy of a college student dorm, with which we are used to at Suzuki. The same memorable screech of the dashboard. The same squeak of the plastics. 

Suzuki Swift IV Verdict

Finally we have a car that can go toe-to-toe with the european market. It’s just that many people can’t get past that design that you either like or don’t like. There is no middle ground when it comes to the looks of the Swift IV. However, the fact that you see a lot of Swifts on the street means that we europeans are also starting to see the light. We’re starting to see the light of cheap, reliable and fun cars. Too bad it’s happening now that the Swift is no longer built in Hungary, but we still can buy this massive succes of a car. You can buy it even if you live in the Fiji Islands.

Which engines do I recommend? The 90 horsepower 1.2 DualJet petrol engine is all the engine you’ll ever need, at least on the Swift.