SUZUKI JIMNY XL FIVE-DOOR

A five-door version of the Suzuki Jimny. Who would have thunk? It should make getting in and out of the back a little easier, not that you would want to volunteer to sit in the back. And not that the Jimny XL (that’s what it is designated as) is likely to offer that much more legroom than its sibling, but let’s crunch the numbers and find out. STYLING From the front there’s little to tell the three- and five-door versions of the Jimny apart. Both feature Suzuki’s stylised five-slot radiator… Read more

SUZUKI SWIFT SPORT TURBO

It’s ironic that the Swift Sport Turbo is the oldest, unchanged model in the Suzuki lineup, but at the same time still manages to shine as the star of the lineup. Yep. The third generation Sport dates back to the 2017 Frankfurt motor show, it’s still a great little performance package at a super affordable price, and proof positive of the old saying: if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. In June, 2020, Suzuki added a 48-volt mild hybrid to the car for the European market, but alas Australia never… Read more

SUZUKI SWIFT HYBRID GLX

Wow. Considering that Toyota launched its first hybrid in 2001. It beggars belief that it took Suzuki until 2024 — 23 years later — to release its first hybrid offering. Talk about dragging the chain. Not only that, but it has been added to a small fuel efficient hatchback that arguably doesn’t really need it — the Swift. The Hamamatsu-based company has however taken a slightly different approach, because the hybrid does not directly power the wheels. So let’s take a closer look at this latecomer to a party that… Read more

SUZUKI S-CROSS ALLGRIP PRESTIGE

Originally known as the SX4, the current model dates back to 2021 and shares its chassis with the Vitara. S-Cross brought a major makeover in styling, with a new front and rear-end design. Inside, the dashboard was updated, with an instrument cluster and 4.2-inch LCD multi-info display from Vitara, A floating 7.0-inch touchscreen became the focus of the infotainment system. Driver assistance was also upgraded with a 360 degree camera, blind spot monitoring, and rear cross-traffic alert. Interior space remains exactly the same as the previous generation. The SX4 S-Cross… Read more

SUZUKI VITARA TURBO ALLGRIP

The Suzuki Vitara occupies a special place in Australian off-road folklore. It used to be able to go anywhere the big 4x4s like Patrol and Land Cruiser could go – it laughed in the face of danger. But this all changed with the arrival of the fourth and current generation of Vitara that no longer sits on a ladder chassis and is no longer a real off-roader. In fact, it shares a chassis with the S-Cross model which is about as soft as they come, with front or all-wheel drive… Read more

SUZUKI IGNIS – A LITTLE BIG CAR

  Suzuki Ignis first went on sale in Australia as a three- or five-door tall hatchback. It was discontinued in 2005 before returning in 2016 with a similar shape than before but now with the very popular SUV acronym. At just 3.7 metres long and just under 1.7 metres wide Ignis is the smallest SUV on the Australian market where it competes against larger compact SUVs like Kia Stonic and Hyundai Venue. If we accept that Ignis is really a tall hatchback there’s also the Kia Picanto which is marginally… Read more

MIGRATORY SWIFT LANDS ‘HYBRID LITE’

Among a plethora of petrol/electric powertrains – pure electric, hybrid and plug-in hybrid – allied to automobiles, Suzuki has taken a different flight path with ‘hybrid lite’, an integrated starter generator for its fifth generation Swift. Unlike in some other EVs, where the electric motor can drive the wheels independently, the ISG in the top-selling compact swings into action to give the internal combustion engine extra shove when the accelerator is pressed. Taking power from a lithium-ion battery recharged when the brakes are applied, the ISG also kicks in under… Read more

SWIFT MOVE TO ELECTRIC POWER AFTER 41 YEARS

Swift might not be the most appropriate word, but after 41 years in Australia, the titular Suzuki vehicle that has consistently been near the top of the compact car segment, has gone hybrid. Core of the 2024 Swift is a petrol / electric power system and stop / start motor created especially for improved fuel efficiency in the built environment. Core of the works is an integrated starter generator that swings into action to give the vehicle extra shove when the accelerator is pressed. The ISG takes power from a… Read more

SUZUKI LOOSENS GRIP ON S-CROSS COSTS

It’s been a long and lonely road for the Suzuki SX4 since it landed Down Under in the mid-noughties. For a start, the compact SUV created about the same enthusiasm as pair of sensible shoes, and after a decade, had a name change. It’s now the S-Cross.   With all-wheel drive models first up, Suzuki has come to the party with a couple of S-Cross front-wheel drives at up to $5000 less than their AWD siblings. All are powered by the same 1.4 litre turbocharged petrol engine, mated with a six-speed automatic… Read more

JIMNY DOORS OPEN FOR GREATER OPPORTUNITY

Who’d have thought that, with a name sounding like a sleeveless under garment, or fitness centre for tiny tots, the Jimny would have cornered the market in its segment as an all-round, on-road / off-road compact. A matter of three doors has not held the small SUV back. In fact it has become something of a cult car. Now a five-door version has shown up Down Under. In GLX premium spec, the newbie is not just a stretch version, sitting on a 340 mm longer wheelbase. The ladder frame chassis… Read more