Suzuki has an important new product at Japan's Mobility Show. It's called the Swift Concept, and despite being dubbed a study, it resembles the next-generation supermini, which we expect to feature a very similar styling inside and out.
The new show car is basically an evolution of the current Suzuki Swift. It has a similar footprint, an updated face with fresh LED headlights and a restyled grille, and smaller taillights. The tailgate appears to have a smaller opening, at least on the lower part where it meets the new bumper that still incorporates the license plate, and the round fuel filler cap still sits on the left rear quarter panel.
If there was one aspect the outgoing Swift needed to solve, it was the aging cabin design. The interior of the study looks more modern. It has a new flat-bottom steering wheel with multiple controls that's shared with other cars Suzuki currently makes, a new tablet-like infotainment system mounted above the slim central air vents, new climate controls, a redesigned center console, and a traditional instrument cluster with a small screen between the gauges.
We can see that the new Suzuki Swift Concept has an automatic transmission, and if we were to give credit to the local media, it is a CVT. While the Japanese automaker hasn't revealed anything about the powertrain, it has been reported that it uses a new three-cylinder mild-hybrid lump. Additional assemblies will likely join the next-gen Swift, including gasoline units with no electrification at all. These should be kept away from Europe, which is expected to get a hybridized powertrain.
It is yet unknown when Suzuki will unveil the next-gen Swift, but if anything, it could be a few months away from being presented in its final production attire, at least for Asian markets. The model will replace the outgoing iteration that entered production almost seven years ago with a facelift received in 2020. The current Swift is offered with various powertrains depending on where it is sold, and it has both manual and automatic transmissions.
In the Sport configuration, aka the warm hatch variant, it uses a 1.4-liter turbocharged engine lifted from the Vitara S, which produces 140 ps (138 hp/103 kW) and 230 Nm (170 lb-ft) of torque. This mill comes with an automatic or a manual transmission, both featuring six gears. The Suzuki Swift Sport has youthful styling, dual exhaust tips, and a few other bits and bobs.
Chances are it will also receive a direct successor, hopefully with a bit more power, which would improve the 0 to 100 kph (0 to 62 mph) acceleration of the current car that can do it in a little over eight seconds, topping out at 210 kph (130 kph).
After a series of unfortunate events put an end to Cristian's dream of entering a custom built & tuned old-school Dacia into a rally competition, he moved on to drive press cars and write for a living. He's worked for several automotive online journals and now he's back at autoevolution after his first tour in the mid-2000s. Full profile
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