REPORT: 2011 Suzuki Swift engineered to meet U.S. regulations
Suzuki Swift Sport Click above for high-res image gallery
There are things that Suzuki does well, and things it doesn't do so well. Among the former are its motorcycles and small cars like the Swift. Among the latter, well, just take a look at their success in the North American market. Unfortunately, the company doesn't offer the Swift – an almost universally praised little hatchback – in North America, a decision which Suzuki admits in hindsight was a mistake. But the company has been hard at work on a successor to the hot-selling hatch, and rumors have been circulating that this version could, in the end, make it Stateside.
The latest news comes from the mouth of Suzuki's chief engineer Takashi Nakayama via Car and Driver, who says the next-gen Swift is being developed with United States crash and emissions regulations in mind. Although that doesn't mean it will necessarily make it here, it does give Suzuki the option. In the meantime, the company is toiling away, preparing the ground for the arrival of its new Kizashi sedan while getting by on a lineup consisting of the underrated SX4, ho-hum Grand Vitara, what's left of XL7 stock and the rebadged Nissan Frontier known as the Suzuki Equator.
Gallery: Suzuki Swift Sport
[Source: Car and Driver]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Ashley Jones 2:03PM (10/26/2009)
Since when did we have a Suzuki in America? Did they come last year?
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Tourian 2:09PM (10/26/2009)
Seriously. I don't think there's a dealer left within 150 miles of me, or more.
Jason 9:33PM (10/26/2009)
Um, since like 1985?
Joey Mazz 1:11AM (10/27/2009)
Most of the suzuki dealerships in the phoenix area have closed down and my roommate has to drive across town to get service on his forenza... rebadged daewoo :(
Mitchell Scott 2:04PM (10/26/2009)
Great news. This segment looks like it's finally gonna heat up in America.
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akboss302 2:08PM (10/26/2009)
Yeah! This should be interesting. Cruze vs Fiesta vs Swift vs ...
Luis 2:29PM (10/26/2009)
Um, the Cruze is waay too big to be in this category...It belongs with the Focus and Corolla in the ~$18k market, and when there it's already outdated by the competition.
I saw lots of these Swifts in Australia, cute car. Now, about those blacked-out A-pilars...we're going to be seeing a lot of those (Toyota FT-86, Saab 9-5, etc).
Mike7 2:45PM (10/26/2009)
Yaris, Swift, Mazda2, Fiesta, Spark, Versa, etc...
waijai 2:06PM (10/26/2009)
I used to totally despise small cars such as these, but as I get older the appeal seems to grow. I guess my boy racer days are slowly dying and the practicality factor grows.
www.tunedperception.com
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Jeff H. 2:13PM (10/26/2009)
Looks as though they are trying to compete a lot with Mini. With the SX4 Crossover, now this little thing.
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PJ 2:17PM (10/26/2009)
Suzuki's been hanging by a thread for quite some time now in the USDM. While the Swift is a (by all accounts) a neat little car, I'll be very surprised if their car division hasn't pulled out by 2020. Now that I think of it, their last real "hit" was the '93-'98 Sidekick...
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Kellman 2:18PM (10/26/2009)
Maybe they could re-badge them as GM cars and call them a Chevy Metro.
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MeiSooHaityu 2:17PM (10/26/2009)
Suzuki is pretty well known for poor quality when it comes to its cars in North America. It would need to over come that to sell cars, if the segment gets more crowded.
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mk15 2:26PM (10/26/2009)
I think they have that more or less solved. I've sat in a Swift a couple of times this year, not bad, I think about on par with Toyota in terms of fit. But obviously the quality is not out of this world given their price point.
James 3:45PM (10/26/2009)
You're referring to the Suzuki of old thanks in part to the old GM/DAT regime...passing rebadged Daewoos with questionable quality as Suzukis in NA...
Since Suzuki discontinued peddling "Daewoos" and started selling homegrown talents like the SX4...Suzuki is now Ranked 9th for 2009 (huge jump up from 38th in 2008) for the Most Improved in JD Powers Initial Quality Study.
http://www.jdpower.com/corporate/news/releases/pressrelease.aspx?ID=2009108
http://www.jdpower.com/corporate/news/releases/charts/2009108a.gif
With the Kizashi and now hopefully the new Swift makes it to the US...
Suzuki is on a roll...a hidden gem among Japanese automakers. Heck I'd consider Suzuki (possibly the Kizashi) in my list to replace my B5 Passat.
chilipepper 2:18PM (10/26/2009)
I saw a lot of these during a recent trip to Bermuda. I hope they do bring it here.
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neptronix 2:24PM (10/26/2009)
i disagree.. i had a suzuki esteem as a youngster and it was a great car, they had good vehicles in the early 90's and late 80's. ever since the 2000's where they started selling rebadged daewoos ( aerio, forenza, etc etc ) did they really go down the drain.
Apparently they are making their own cars again.. they've certainly got their work ahead of them, as far as fixing their reputation goes.
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mk15 2:31PM (10/26/2009)
Suzuki is strong outside of the USDM. As an example, they're one of the top players in India where small cars are more popular.
heltersceltic 5:58PM (10/26/2009)
@neptronix: The Forenza was a Daewoo but not the Aerio. "The Suzuki Aerio (called the Liana (Life In A New Age) in Europe, South Asia and Australia) is a compact car that was built by Suzuki Motor Corporation." Assembly : Kosai, Japan
daleam 2:29PM (10/26/2009)
Meh.
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