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 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

FIVE-DOOR SUZUKI JIMNY IS FINALLY HERE

Over the years, the Suzuki Jimny compact SUV has become something of a cult figure with its retro looks and its semi-serious off-road ability. To date it’s only been available with three doors and so limiting its potential buyer base but now the long-awaited five-door version has arrived. Built in India, the new five-door Jimny joins the ongoing three-door Jimny and Jimny Lite and comes in a single variant, tagged XL – as in extra-large – although at 3820 mm long it’s hardly that. It is however 340mm longer than… Read more

SUZUKI JIMNY HERITAGE LIMITED EDITION

It could be having trouble getting stock, but that hasn’t stopped Suzuki releasing a ‘heritage’ edition of its tiny Jimny off-roader. Just 300 of the cars will be up for grabs, tapping into Jimny’s enviable 4×4 history from the 1970s, ’80s and ’90s – where it all began. Jimny Heritage will be available in manual only, with a choice of four colours: Jungle Green, Bluish Black, Medium Grey and White. In addition to the GLX grade on which it is based, the heritage edition adds: * Red front mud flaps… Read more

IGNIS: NICE WORK . . . IF YOU CAN GET IT

ignis

Forget retro styling with modern features, fuel efficiency, or staying true to traditional Suzuki design elements, it’s the interior of wide-open spaces that sets the Ignis GLX apart from other compact sports utility vehicles. There are no claims here of seating for five (the base GL covers that area), but four occupants have little to complain about as far as living room in the GLX, with its sliding and reclining 50:50 split fold two rear seats, is concerned. The test vehicle had ample leg room all round for the average-size… Read more