While it’s built on the same HEARTECT platform as its predecessor, this new Swift still remains perfectly compact for city living.

Up front, the Swift now boasts a piano-black grille, flanked by sharp light signatures that bring a bit more attitude to its face.

Out back, new three-dimensional tail lamps make for a slick, modern touch. 16-inch wheels with polished alloy rims complete the look.

The Swift is also flexing its colour palette, adding some fresh new hues to the lineup.

Entirely new options include Cool Yellow Metallic and Caravan Ivory Pearl Metallic, while fan favourites like Frontier Blue Pearl Metallic and Burning Red Pearl Metallic have been given a new pearlescent finish.

Inside, the Swift gets rid of the old rotary knobs, replacing them with sleeker, neater-looking buttons, complemented by a digital control panel for adjusting temperature and fan speed. 

And Suzuki’s clearly heard our cries for more charging options. You’ll now find two USB-A ports and one USB-C port up front.

Pop the hood and you’ll find Suzuki’s newly developed 1.2-litre three-cylinder engine. It’s pushing out 82bhp and 112Nm of torque, which is a slight boost over the outgoing four-cylinder engine.

This new engine is also lighter, more responsive, and kinder to the environment, with Suzuki promising lower emissions.

At just 945kg unladen, the Swift has managed to shed some pounds. And like before, the Swift’s engine is paired with a 12-volt mild hybrid system that includes a lithium-ion battery, an integrated starter generator, and an electric motor pushing 3bhp and 60Nm of torque.

This powertrain is mated to a newly developed 6-speed CVT, designed specifically for the new engine. The car even comes with paddle shifters so you can have some fun playing with the “programmed” gear set points.

With this new setup, Suzuki claims an impressive combined figure of 20.4km/L, and the Swift remains eligible for A2 VES banding.

On the safety front, Suzuki has packed the Swift with an enhanced range of features, including Suzuki Safety Support. The car now offers Adaptive Cruise Control and Lane Keep Assist, making life on the road just that bit less stressful.

Now available for sale, the Suzuki Swift starts at $146,888 inclusive of COE.

Test drives can be booked at the Suzuki Singapore showroom at 10 Chang Charn Rd, #01-00 Link (THM) Building, Singapore 159639.

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The fourth generation BMW 1 Series, codenamed F70, has just seen its global unveiling. Market launch is scheduled for October 2024. Two models feature for the unveiling – the 120 in both base spec and M Sport trim and the fire-breathing M135 xDrive.

The 120 in both base spec and M Sport will feature a turbocharged 1.3-litre inline three-cylinder engine putting out 170hp and 280Nm of torque through a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox and driving the front wheels.

A 48-volt electric motor is integrated into the gearbox for braking regeneration, to assist while moving off and as a starter-generator to charge the mild hybrid battery pack. 0-100km/h is dispatched in a claimed 7.8 seconds and on to a top speed of 226km/h.

Presumably, there should be a 116 for Singapore’s market when it lands here. Details at a later date.

The M135 xDrive, on the other hand, sports all-wheel drive through its seven-speed dual-clutch transmission, which is connected to a turbocharged two-litre inline four-cylinder engine putting out 300hp and 400Nm of torque.

The 0-100km/h sprint is done and dusted in a claimed 4.9 seconds, and the top speed is 250km/h. Boy racers rejoice!

Notice how the ‘i’ nomenclature after the model number has been dropped?

That’s because ‘i’ is now solely reserved for BMW’s electric vehicle line-up. This makes sense, since ‘i’ stood for fuel ‘injection’ previously, and since all internal combustion engines have been fuel injected for at least three decades, dropping it makes sense.

Length increases by 42mm to 4,361mm but wheelbase remains at 2,670mm. Width also remains 1,800mm while height increases by 25mm to 1,459mm. This should offer a bit more headroom on the inside.

The outside now looks sharper than the outgoing F40 model. BMW’s vertical LED daytime running lights (DRLs) and turn signals feature in the LED headlight housing, which now comes as standard. Adaptive LED headlights with glare-free matrix high beam and cornering light function will be optionally available.

Naturally, the M Sport 120 gets a more sporty look, with the hottest visual vibe reserved for the M135.

On the side, BMW Individual high-gloss Shadow Line includes a graphic number ‘1’ in the Hoffmeister kink, and comes as standard.

Two solid and seven metallic paint colours will be available as standard. One can also customise with four BMW Individual Paint options and a wide selection of BMW Individual special paint colours.

The 120 M Sport comes with side skirt accents in black and brake callipers in blue, while the M135 sports red callipers.

Two-part taillights that feature 3D effects and light pipes stand out in the rear end. The M Sport and M135 receive a diffuser element, with visible quad tailpipes for the latter.

A 10.25-inch instrument display and a 10.7-inch infotainment screen feature prominently in the interior of the 1 Series, as do backlit ambient lighting elements.

The base spec 120 comes with a standard sport steering wheel, while the M Sport sports a redesigned M leather steering wheel with shift paddles. The gear selector is also redesigned.

M135 receives the M leather steering wheel but with a red accent at 12 o’clock, and even more prominent shift paddles.

The interior of the new 1 Series is leather-free as standard, although leather can be optionally specified. Sport seats in Econeer fabric are standard, while the M Sport can be optioned with Veganza and Alcantara.

The latter is standard in the M135 with its sports bucket-type seats.

Boot space is also pretty decent. Owing to the 120’s mild hybrid battery, cargo capacity is 300 litres with the rear seatbacks up, or 1,135 litres with them folded down completely in a 40:20:40 split.

The M135 on the other hand, has 380 litres with the rear seatbacks up, and 1,200 litres with them fully down.

Naturally, these will be the launch specifications for Germany. Other markets would likely receive their own specifications including Singapore. More to come when the new 1 Series comes to town.

Photo Credits: BMW

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