Suzuki Launches 4x4 Variants of New Swift and Kizashi in Germany

Suzuki is broadening its European lineup with the launch of all-wheel drive variants of its newly introduced 2011 Swift supermini and Kizashi sedan. Starting with the Swift, the 4x4 model is offered exclusively with a 94-horsepower 1.2-liter gasoline engine linked to a 5-speed manual gearbox. The company said it returns a fuel economy of 6.7 lt/100km urban, 4.9 lt/100km highway and 5.5 lt/100km combined, with CO2 emissions of 129g/km.

The five-door Swift 4x4 is priced in Germany at €14,490 [US$21,000] with standard features including air conditioning and an MP3-capable CD radio with steering wheel controls and a USB port.

The Kizashi 4x4 sedan features Suzuki's so-called intelligent all-wheel drive system (i-AWD), which allows the driver to manually switch the car from front- to all-wheel drive with the push of a button, with power coming from a 178HP-strong 2.4-liter four-cylinder gasoline engine paired to a continuously variable automatic transmission.

According to the Japanese automaker, the Kizashi 4x4 averages 11.3 lt/100km in the city, 6.6 lt/100km on highway and 8.3 lt/100km on the combined cycle, with CO2 emissions of 191 g/km.

Prices in Germany start from €29,900 [US$41,000]. The standard equipment package features a two-zone automatic climate control, Xenon headlights, ten-way power adjustable and heated driver's seat with memory function, and more.

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Suzuki May Recall up to 280,000 Swifts and Three other Models Worldwide

Own a [previous generation] Suzuki Swift supermini produced between May 2007 and September 2009? If so, there's a good chance you'll need to visit your local dealer in the coming weeks as the Japanese automaker said it will recall 90,617 units of the Swift and three other models in Japan, with another 192,000 cars sold abroad also possibly subject to the recall.

Suzuki said the recall is due to problems with the cars' exterior mirrors as over time, strong vibrations could cause screws to loosen and possibly result in the mirrors falling off.

In a filing with Japan's transport ministry, Suzuki said it has received 77 complaints on the matter but no accidents have been reported.

Source: Reuters

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2011 Suzuki Swift: New Photo Gallery and Complete Specs

You might remember that we reported on the all-new 2011 Suzuki Swift earlier this month, but now we have a fresh batch of photos including the first shots of the supermini's interior as well as the complete spec sheet for both the five-door and the yet to be revealed, three-door version.

Starting with cabin, the pictures reveal that the dashboard design and layout is clearly inspired by the larger Suzuki Kizashi sedan with restrained metallic accents and a similar styling for the center console that houses new switchgear and LCD displays for the audio system and A/C.

As we noted in our previous post, despite the fact that the 2011 Swift is based on a new and longer platform, the car's exterior styling is a subtle evolution of the outgoing model's design.

At launch, Suzuki will offer the European version of the Swift with a choice of two engines, a new 1.2-liter petrol that makes 94HP and 118Nm / 87 lb-ft of peak torque, and a revised 1.3-liter turbo diesel with 75HP and 190Nm / 140 lb-ft.

Both engines are offered with a five-speed manual gearbox, while the petrol unit is also available with an optional four-speed automatic transmission.

According to the Japanese company, with the 1.2L petrol unit and a manual gearbox, the Swift accelerates from zero to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 12.3 seconds [Auto: 13.5 sec] and achieves a top speed of 165 km/h (103 mph). It returns a combined fuel consumption of 5.0 lt/100km, equal to 56.5mpg UK and 47.0mpg US [Auto: 5.5 lt/100km].

The diesel powered model completes the 0-100 km/h sprint in 12.7 seconds and goes on to a top speed of 165 km/h (103 mph), while returning 4.2 lt/100km, equal to 67.3mpg UK and 56.0mpg US.

2011 Suzuki Swift Spec Sheet

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New Suzuki Swift Breaks Cover: No Really, It's a Completely New Model

We know many of you will have a hard time believing us just by looking at these photos, but this is not a facelift of any sort; it's actually the all-new generation of the Suzuki Swift and it was unveiled today at the firm's Magyar Suzuki Corporation production facility at Esztergom, in Hungary.

Evidently there's not much to say about the 2010 Swift's exterior styling. We can understand Suzuki's "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" mentality to a certain extent - the current Swift is one of best-looking cars in the segment in our opinion- but a fresher approach would have been welcome.

There are no official photos of the interior, but some leaked cell phone pics on the net suggest that the dashboard and center console design of the car are heavily inspired by the Suzuki Kizashi sedan.

Underneath the body panels, there's an all-new platform that increases the 2010 Swift's wheelbase by 50mm to 2,380mm and the car's overall length by 90mm to 3,850mm. The new Swift is also slightly wider (+5mm) and taller (+10mm) and comes with wider front (+10mm) and rear tracks (+5mm).

Suzuki also claims that extensive use of higher strength steel makes the new bodyshell lighter and stiffer than before while it also helps improve impact safety for pedestrians as well as occupants.

Along with the new platform, the 2010 Swift also gets a new petrol unit and a revised diesel engine.

A 1.2-liter petrol engine with Dual VVT (Variable intake and exhaust valve timing) replaces the outgoing 1.3-liter unit. It produces 94-horsepower at 6,000rpm, slightly more than the outgoing 1.3-litre unit, while torque is also improved to 118Nm (87 lb-ft) at 4,800rpm.

Fuel consumption for this engine on the combined cycle is 5.0 lt/100km, equal to 56.5mpg UK and 47.0mpg US for the manual transmission model, an improvement of 0.8lt/100km or 7.8mpg UK over the previous 1.3-litre unit.

Emissions are much lower as well as the new 1.2-litre engine with manual transmission produces 116g/km on the combined cycle; representing a 24g/km or 17 per cent improvement over the 1.3. An optional automatic transmission will be available for the petrol engine from launch.

The reworked 1.3-liter diesel engine produces 75HP and according to Suzuki, it emits 109g/km (down from 119g/km) and has a combined fuel consumption of 4.2lt/100km, equal to 67.3mpg UK and 56.0mpg US (previous model: 4.5lt/100km or 62.8mpg UK).

Suzuki is also planning a replacement for the Swift Sport model.

More details and photos will be released before the car goes on sale in Europe late in the summer. No official word yet if and when Suzuki plans to bring the new Swift to North America.

	New Swift	Previous Swift
Length	3,850mm	3,760mm
Width	1,695mm	1,690mm
Height	1,510mm	1,500mm
Wheelbase	2,430mm	2,380mm
Front Track	1,480mm (16-inch wheels)	1,470mm
Rear Track	1,485mm (16 inch wheels)	1,480mm

New 2010 Suzuki Swift Gallery

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Outgoing 2008 Suzuki Swift Gallery