New Suzuki Swift headed for the UK in Spring 2024

The new fourth-generation Suzuki Swift will arrive on UK shores next Spring, the brand has confirmed. The news comes less than a month after the latest iteration of the Japanese supermini made its world debut at the Tokyo Motor Show.

You’d be forgiven for thinking this was a facelift, rather than an all-new model, as Suzuki has clearly gone for an evolutionary approach with the new Swift’s design. However, the new Swift does have more curved, softer edges compared to the out-going model, while the front end features a larger piano black grille, new headlights with an L-shaped lighting signature and the traditional Suzuki badge at the base of the bonnet, rather than the centre of the grille. 

The sleek new look is completed by clamshell-like bonnet and removal of the fog lights from the front bumper. Other tweaks include a new set of tail-lights and a more aggressive rear bumper, plus the new Swift features a proper set of rear door handles, rather than burying them in the C-pillar like the current model does.

11

The interior has received a much more significant overhaul, with a new dashboard design that has the central touchscreen sitting on top, so it’s more in the driver’s eye line. The nine-inch touchscreen itself is also a new addition, and comes with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone connectivity. Below that you’ll find the climate control switches and further down some USB charging ports. There’s a new set of driver instruments and a new steering wheel design, too, but Suzuki has stuck with physical buttons and controls in the Swift. 

Safety features on the new Swift include a braking assist system that uses radar and a camera to detect vehicles, bicycles and pedestrians in front of the car, and will apply the brakes if the system thinks a collision is likely. The new Swift also gets lane keep assist, lane departure warning, blind spot monitoring, adaptive cruise control and a camera built into the instrument panel to monitor if the driver is drowsy or not paying attention to the road. 

A new engine has also been developed for the fourth-generation Swift. It’s a 1.2-litre three-cylinder petrol unit, which Suzuki says offers more torque at low speeds, improving responsiveness and performance. As before, the Swift’s engine gets mild-hybrid assistance from an integrated starter generator that helps when accelerating and with efficiency. 

No power output or performance figures have been released for the new Swift just yet, but we expect they'll be very similar to the out-going mild-hybrid Swift’s, which takes 12.2-second to hit 62mph. Like the current model, the new Swift will be two-wheel drive as standard, with four-wheel drive and Suzuki’s AllGrip Auto traction system available as an optional extra.

There’s no news at the moment regarding the slightly hotter Suzuki Swift Sport, which was launched in 2018 as a rival to the sublime Ford Fiesta ST, and hasn’t been updated since 2020 when it received a mild-hybrid powertrain. 

The new Suzuki Swift’s starting price is likely to be slightly higher than the current model’s £17,199 entry-level price tag, but the official figure won’t be announced until next year. Even so, the Swift will still be one of the cheapest superminis on the market, rivalling the Citroen C3, Dacia Sandero and Renault Clio.

Now read our list of the best superminis...