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The announcements from manufacturers about new sub-120g/km cars continues unabated and the latest is from Suzuki and their 1.3 litre Swift model.
Suzuki has managed to reduce the CO2 rating of the Swift 1.3-litre DDiS model from 124g/km to 119g/km which places it in the ‘B’ Band VED rating with an annual charge of just £35 per year, a saving of £80. And yes it will be yet another car able to drive around London for free when the new Congestion Charge rules come into force in October 2008, representing a saving of around £2,000 per year to a commuter driving into the capital. This also means that the 1.3-litre common rail diesel engine with turbocharger and intercooler with five-speed manual transmission is capable of 61.4mpg in the combined cycle. This is impressive, however many larger and more powerful cars such as the BMW 118d are also managing to sneak under the 120g/km emissions benchmark.
All Swift models come with radio/CD player, remote central locking and immobiliser, electric front windows, electric and heated door mirrors, steering wheel-mounted audio controls and tinted glass, while 1.5 GLX models and 1.3 DDiS gain air conditioning, alloy wheels, front fog lamps and keyless entry and start.
All models incorporate as standard driver and passenger front and side airbags, full length curtain airbags, front seatbelt pre-tensioners and force limiters, three point ELR seatbelts for all seats and child seat ISOFIX attachments on the rear seat. The Swift has a 4 Star Euro NCAP safety rating for occupant protection, 3 Stars for child protection and 3 Stars for pedestrian protection.
The 1.3-litre DDiS costs £10,515 and pricing for the Swift range starts at just £8,260 for the three door 1.3-litre GL model, rising to £11,915 for the high performance 123hp 1.6-litre Sport.
Update: The third generation Suzuki Swift unveiled with 1.2 and 1.3 litre engines
