2024 Suzuki Swift Hybrid

25 October, 2024: By Alex Forrest

The Suzuki Swift has been scooting around Australian roads for more than 40 years. In the 1980s and 90s, it almost became a byword for a small, cheap, fun city run-around car. Now, the Swift is having a go at reclaiming that notoriety with the label of the cheapest hybrid car on the market. But all is not as it seems.

Firstly, it’s only a mild hybrid, unlike some competitors, which offer full hybrid systems and the ability to drive on electricity only. So, does its starting price of $24,490 offset all that, making it tailored to your needs? Or is this little Suzuki pulling a Swifty? Let’s find out.

Watch Alex test drive the 2024 Suzuki Swift Hybrid through South Perth or read the transcript on this page.

Interior & Exterior

Remember that the Swift is one of the cheapest new cars on the market, and the interior finish and comfort does become acceptable. Against the cheapies of even five years ago, it’s clear the Swift is a big step forward. It means the largely black and grey dashboard area has been freshened up with cream-coloured highlights, and there’s a much bigger new central touchscreen.

But it’s still a small, light car, meaning there’s cloth seats, which in the rear are small with limited headroom. But there is a centre seatbelt in the back, so three people in there is theoretically possible. They’d have to be pretty good friends, though.

Externally, the most obvious change to be ushered in with the new Swift is the design of the front grille and headlights. The new Swift is also 2cm longer and 2.5cm taller than the previous model. It’s still cosy inside, but it’s also a small city car, so really, that’s not a big shock.

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Driving Experience

The Swift hybrid isn’t particularly fast or sporty, with 61kW and 112Nm from its assisted three-cylinder 1.2L engine. The Swift has less power and torque than the old one, and it weighs 50kg more. But at 957kg, it’s still pretty light, and that little bit of extra electric help does make a big difference, especially at low speed, where tiny petrol engines like this do struggle.

The Swift’s still small proportions make it easy to fit in tight spaces, but there’s more to it than that. It has large windows and relatively thin pillars, making it much easier to see out of than many small and mid-sized SUVs. It makes parking, manoeuvring, and, well, life just a little less stressful.

The Swift’s handling is neutral and predictable, and the CVT (the continuously variable transmission) is well matched to the engine’s capabilities. The Swift hybrid is also one of the few cars on our roads today that has a petrol particulate filter, and that’s the main reason why it needs our lower sulfur premium fuel, and that in turn helps keep its toxic emissions down.

And in a bonus for those who like to change their own gears, the Swift hybrid in the base model also comes as a manual, which is really unusual for any car wearing a hybrid badge.

Value For Money

The Swift hybrid is indeed cheap against its competitors, especially for a car with a hybrid badge on it. The MG3 Excite Hybrid+, which albeit is a full hybrid, costs $30,130 drive away. Despite the MG’s more comprehensive hybrid system, it still uses more premium fuel than the Swift auto’s 4L/100km. So on that measure alone, the Swift will still be cheaper to run. The MG does make more power and torque, though.

A Toyota Yaris hybrid will cost $32,200, and you’ll find it only wants 91 RON petrol, and it uses less of it at 3.3L/100km. But that only amounts to an average fuel cost saving of $230 per year, so it’ll take quite some years to offset the $5,000 price difference.

Boot space in the new Swift is up by 23L to 265L. Not huge, but plenty of space to fit $500 worth of shopping, especially given what that gets you these days. But don’t expect to move any large IKEA purchases with it.

The infotainment screen is bigger and mounted higher than before, which is better for keeping your line of sight higher. A centre armrest would be a nice to have. A spare tyre is one feature that’s missing in the new Swift, and all models now get a tyre repair kit.

It’s had an important safety equipment upgrade, with all variants now getting autonomous emergency braking, which can detect motorcycles and pedestrians in addition to other cars and trucks.

At this entry-level pricing, the equipment that you get is standard, such as wireless Apple CarPlay and improved safety gear, all make it pretty good value overall.

Safety

The new Swift hadn’t been rated by ANCAP when we made this video, and without a centre front airbag, it may not get five stars, but let’s wait and see. That said, it has had a major upgrade in safety gear over the last one.

Likes & Dislikes

So, what do we like about the Swift hybrid? Well, it is cheap to buy and run, there’s great visibility from the driver’s seat, and the effectiveness of the hybrid system really is a big plus. So, what do we dislike about the Swift hybrid? Well, a rotary dial for the volume control would be preferable over the buttons on the screen. There’s no spare tyre, and some more interior storage space would be good.

Verdict

The new Suzuki Swift hybrid does have its pitfalls like no ANCAP rating, no centre armrest, and a low frills interior. But it does get the basics right. The hybrid system is actually useful in the extra pep that it provides, and if it was a full hybrid like the Yaris, it would be so much more expensive.

With pricing that starts at under $25,000 for the manual, this is the cheapest hybrid on the market. Remembering, though, that it’s not a full hybrid. It will appeal to those looking for a small, modern, easy to drive city car that won’t break the bank.

Suzuki Swift Hybrid Specifications