Suzuki came up with the Swift model as a subcompact vehicle back in 1983. The car remains in production to this day due to its sustained popularity in global markets. The Swift had come as a replacement to the Cultus model. In many markets, the Cultus and Swift are sold under their respective names. In Australia, the Swift was released as a rebadged Cultus, in the same manner that the first-generation Holden Barina was also a Cultus underneath.

It was not until 2000 that Suzuki launched the first generation of the Swift globally. 

Swift, the Rebadged Cultus

The first Swift, launched in Australia in 1984, was a commercial 3-door 2-seat GL trim, with a 1.0L petrol engine delivering 37 kW of power and 75 Nm of torque with a 5-speed manual gearbox. 

A year later, the company launched the GA and GC trims as well. The GA trim shared the specs of prior year's GL model, while the GL became available with a 3-speed automatic transmission. The GC model was a 5-door hatchback with an improved 1.3L petrol engine (50 kW, 104 Nm) paired to a 5-speed manual gearbox. A 3-door coupe version was launched in 1986 with the same specs as the GC model but with an improved petrol engine delivering 74 kW and 113 Nm.

In 1989, a 4-door sedan was introduced in Australia, with a more powerful 1.6L petrol engine capable of providing 70 kW of power and 133 Nm of torque. It had the option of either a 3-speed automatic transmission or a 5-speed manual gearbox. The 1.0L engine offered for the hatchback was also improved, with the power output now rated at 39 kW and torque at 80 Nm.

In 1991, a 1.3L petrol engine was added to the range of the sedan’s engines, allowing it to deliver 50 kW of power and 101 Nm of torque. A 4WD sedan called Full Time was also offered with the 1.6L 70kW engine.

The 5-door Cino hatchback came out in 1994 powered by the current 1.3L petrol engine. Suzuki dropped the sedan in 1996 and added a Cino Sport variant that same year. The only other trim level to remain that year was the coupe GTi. 

Suzuki continued selling the Swift-badged Cultus in Australia till the year 2000. It made a comeback in the second generation and remained in the Australian market to this day.

The First Generation (2000-2004)

The first generation of the Swift was released in Australia as the Suzuki Ignis hatchbacks, which we have presented in a separate article. 

For the first-generation Swift, Suzuki used its latest M family engines, which included 1.3L and 1.5L engines mated to either 5-speed manual gearbox or 4-speed automatic transmission. This generation was offered with 4WD and FWD options.

The Second Generation (2004-2010)

The second-generation Swift exuded a sporty appeal, departing from its previous modelling as a low-priced vehicle. The new Swift looked like an expensive subcompact and was received positively in the global market as well. Suzuki also invested heavily in the Swift's marketing campaigns and featured the global football star, Cristiano Ronaldo. 

In Australia, the Swift came out with the S trim, a 5-door hatchback equipped with a 1.5L petrol engine capable of delivering 75 kW of power and 133 Nm of torque, and available in both a 5-speed manual gearbox and 4-speed automatic transmission. 

A Sport trim was added a year later, with a 1.6L petrol engine paired exclusively to a 5-speed manual gearbox, delivering 92 kW of power and 148 Nm of torque. Suzuki also added various other trims with additional features, such as RE, LE, and S Limited Edition. 

In 2010, Suzuki added several new trims into the Swift lineup, including Beat, Extreme, and Q50. These came in addition to the previously existing trims. Except for the Sport, all other models carried the previously released 1.5L petrol engine.

The following trims were offered:

• S – 1.5L petrol engine, 5-speed manual gearbox and 4-speed automatic transmission (75 kW, 133 Nm)
• Sport – 1.6L petrol engine, 5-speed manual gearbox (92 kW, 148 Nm)
• Beat – 1.5L petrol engine, 5-speed manual gearbox and 4-speed automatic transmission (75 kW, 133 Nm)
• Extreme – 1.5L petrol engine, 5-speed manual gearbox and 4-speed automatic transmission (75 kW, 133 Nm)
• Q50 – 1.5L petrol engine, 5-speed manual gearbox and 4-speed automatic transmission (75 kW, 133 Nm)

The Third Generation (2011-2016)

Suzuki decided to give the Swift a visual makeover and also extended its wheelbase. A significant upgrade in the third generation over the previous generation included two upgraded petrol units with capacities of 1.2L and 1.4L. Both engines were built on the VVT technology.

In Australia, only the new 1.4L engine was introduced as part of the 2011 model lineup, in addition to the existing 1.5L and 1.6L engines. The 1.4L engine came as part of new trims called Classic, GA, GL, and GLX. It delivered a power of 70 kW and 130 Nm of torque and was available with both 5-speed manual gearbox and 4-speed automatic transmission. The 1.6L engine received an upgrade and now delivered 100 kW of power and 160 Nm of torque.

The 1.5L engine was discontinued in the Australian market in 2012. In 2016, a 6-speed manual gearbox was made available as part of the Sport trims.

The following trims were added to the second-generation:

• Classic – 1.4L petrol engine, 5-speed manual gearbox & 4-speed automatic transmission (70 kW, 130 Nm)
• GA – 1.4L petrol engine, 5-speed manual gearbox & 4-speed automatic transmission (70 kW, 130 Nm)
• GL – 1.4L petrol engine, 5-speed manual gearbox & 4-speed automatic transmission (70 kW, 130 Nm)
• GLX – 1.4L petrol engine, 5-speed manual gearbox & 4-speed automatic transmission (70 kW, 130 Nm)

The Fourth Generation (2017-present)

The fourth-generation Swift was built on the new Suzuki platform called Heartect, which offered a lightweight body to the car. Two engines were made available as part of this generation, including a 1.2L petrol engine (66 kW, 120 Nm) and a 1.0L petrol engine (82 kW, 160 Nm). The 1.2L engine was part of all GL trims and an HL trim, and the 1.0L engine was included in all the GLX trims. Both were available with either a 5-speed manual gearbox or CVT automatic transmission. 

In Australia, Suzuki kept the 1.4L petrol engine in some trim models of the Swift. This engine received an upgrade as well and delivered 103 kW of power and 230 Nm of torque.

These trims and engines have remained part of the Swift in Australia for all 2020 variants. The following trims have been introduced in this generation: 

• GL and HL – 1.2L petrol engine, a 5-speed manual gearbox and CVT automatic transmission (66 kW, 120 Nm)
• GLX – 1.0L petrol engine, 5-speed manual gearbox and CVT automatic transmission (82 kW, 160 Nm)

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