2021 Suzuki Swift: Expectations and what we know so far

2021 Suzuki Swift: What we know so far

Just like most currently available models, it’s highly likely that Suzuki Philippines will be carrying over the current Swift for the 2021 model year. While that might be the case for the local market, others including the U.K., other territories in Europe, and Japan already have the facelifted 2021 Suzuki Swift.

That said, Suzuki PH sources the Suzuki-made hatchback from Thailand, which like us is yet to receive the facelifted Swift. Regardless, it will eventually make it to Thailand, and then to Philippine shores.

So what can we expect from the fresh-faced 2021 Swift? Let’s talk about that.

The facelifted Suzuki Swift for the Japanese market

2021 Suzuki Swift: Exterior

Being a facelift of the current fourth-generation model, the 2021 Swift offers the same roofline, the same stance, and the same overall shape. Its front end however now features a new grille adorned with a horizontally oriented chrome strip. It also comes equipped with new LED headlamps which are standard for all U.K. and Japan-spec variants.

Aside from the new grille, wheels, and lights, not much has changed

Towards its sides, the Suzuki hatchback features a new set of dual-tone alloy wheels. The rear of the new Suzuki Swift however remains unchanged.

The side of the UK-spec 2021 Swift

2021 Suzuki Swift: Interior

Inside, the 2021 Swift gets a few updates. The seven-inch touchscreen for example now comes with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. That’s on top of the Bluetooth connectivity, AUX port, USB ports, and iPod connectivity the old one already comes with.

The interior of the UK-Spec Swift Hybrid

Driving the facelifted Japan-spec 2021 Swift is also easier thanks to the new adaptive cruise control. Other than the aforementioned, nothing else has changed for its interior.

2021 Suzuki Swift: Engine and Performance

The facelifted Suzuki Swift for the Japan and UK markets still uses the same 1.2-liter mill found on the current version. It can deliver up to 82 horsepower and 113 Nm of torque to the front-wheels via a five-speed manual gearbox, or a continuously variable transmission.

Do note though that some markets have other powertrains for the Suzuki-made hatch. There’s a 1.0-liter turbo engine that can churn out up to 100 horsepower and 150 Nm of torque.

The more environmentally friendly one is a 1.2-liter mild hybrid system that can produce up to 129 horsepower 235 Nm of torque. This makes it the most powerful Swift variant, but do note that this is only available for the Japanese market.

The K12M engine is still available on the facelifted Swift

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In Europe, the turbocharged Swift also gets the AllGrip all-wheel-drive system, similar to that found on the Suzuki Jimny.

While these are interesting engines, we’re sure that if Suzuki PH introduced the facelifted Swift here, it would still be using the 1.2-liter inline-4 that the current local version is equipped with.

2021 Suzuki Swift: Safety

When it comes to safety, Suzuki gave the facelifted UK and Japan-spec Swift a lot of features. All variants now come standard with parking sensors, a reverse camera. Other variants also come with several driver-assist features like radar brake support, lane departure warning, rear-cross traffic alert, traffic sign recognition, and blind-spot monitoring.

2021 Suzuki Swift: Final thoughts

Just like most cars, the Swift varies greatly in terms of specs depending on where it is sold. In Thailand, Suzuki recently launched the sporty Swift GL Max Edition. In Australia, they have the turbocharged Swift Sport. With Suzuki Philippines, we currently have the Special Edition Swift variants that look sportier than the regular variants.

The aggressive looking Australia-spec Swift Sport Turbo

The point here is if ever the facelift version 2021 Swift gets here, there’s a chance that it might not come with any of the improvements we mentioned so far. It might even lack the chrome strip found on the grille.

As such, there are some crucial features that we really hope Suzuki would provide the future 2021 Philippine-spec Swift. That’s the better smartphone integration, the reverse camera, and rear parking sensors. Those features could make a lot of difference for this already brilliant hatch.

2021 Suzuki Swift: Expected Price

Currently, the Philippines-spec Swift’s price ranges from Php 755,000 for the entry-level manual variant, to Php 848,800 for the top-of-the-line Special Edition CVT variant.

If the facelifted 2021 Swift ever makes its way here, we can expect a slight price increase even if Suzuki PH decided to just add parking sensors, a reverse camera, and better smartphone integration.

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