It’s quite possibly the most-loved and most popular small car in New Zealand, perhaps even more so in 2024 than the ‘old’ Mini from the last century.
DriveLife went to the launch of the fourth generation Suzuki Swift back in June, and came away with mixed feelings. Generally, it’s a good improvement to the last generation of Swift, but as always, with less than a day behind the wheel at the launch, it takes a week actually using the car day-to-day to see how it really is.
So, after 40 years of the model, what’s the latest, top-spec 4th generation Suzuki Swift RSC like? Read on.

What We Like and Dislike About The 2024 Suzuki Swift RSC
What we like | What we don’t like |
Airy and spacious interior Physical AC controls Price Design Fuel economy Engaging drive Tight turning circle | Overly sensitive brakes Could be underpowered when loaded up |

What’s In The 2024 Suzuki Swift Range?
There are two models in New Zealand’s Suzuki Swift range:
- Swift 1.2 GLS Hybrid
- Swift 1.2 RSC Hybrid
Both have the same powertrain, a 1.2-litre, 3-cylinder petrol motor that has a 12-volt “integrated starter generator” for some very mild hybrid assistance. This motor has an output of 61kW of power, and 112Nm of torque. That’s the same amount of power and slightly more torque than the previous generation Swift Hybrid with its 1.2-litre, 4-cylinder engine.
You get a couple of transmission options with your Swift, and amazingly, one of them is a manual gearbox – but you can only order the manual gearbox with the base GLS model. The automatic is a constantly variable unit (CVT).
PRICING
- Swift 1.2 GLS Hybrid manual – $25,990
- Swift 1.2 GLS Hybrid automatic – $27,990
- Swift 1.2 RSC Hybrid automatic – $29,990 (tested)
This means that other than extra features, the RSC model is identical to the GLS automatic model.
Fuel economy for a manual Swift is listed at 4.0L/100km, while the automatic is 4.3L/100km. The previous generation automatic Swift was rated at 4.1L/100km, so the new model is actually less fuel efficient. The manual gearbox Swift can use 91-octane fuel, while the automatics require a minimum of 95-octane.
So, what’s the difference between the GLS and RSC for features? The GLS has 2-speaker audio, while the RSC has 6 speakers. Incredibly, the GLS has no USB ports at all, while the RSC has one USB-A and one USB-C port. The RSC also comes with blind spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, adjustable-height seatbelts, climate AC, heated front seats, 16” alloys (instead of 15”) and some other features.
You can see the whole feature comparison on Suzuki’s website.

2024 Suzuki Swift Colour Range
There’s a pretty reasonable range of colours to choose from for your new Suzuki Swift:
- Flame Orange
- Burning Red
- Frontier Blue
- White
- Platinum Silver
- Super Black
- Burning Red with Super Black Pearl (RSC only)
- Frontier Blue with Super Black Pearl (RSC only)
- White Pearl (RSC only)
- Mineral Grey (RSC only)
The RSC models come with a black roof option (‘two-tone’) at an additional $510.
Our Review Vehicle’s Optional Equipment
- Two-tone paint
Including the optional equipment, our review car’s retail price is $30,500.
For a full list of specs and options available for the 2025 Suzuki Swift RSC, head on over to Suzuki New Zealand’s website.
How Does The 2024 Suzuki Swift RSC Hybrid Compare To Its Competition?
With more than double the power and torque of the Swift, it’s easy to see that the MG3 Essence Hybrid+ is going to have a lot more get up and go than the Swift RSC Hybrid.
Since the RSC is the top-of-the-range Swift, we’ve selected only top-spec models for our comparison table.
Make/ Model | Engine | Power/ Torque kW/Nm | Seats | Fuel L/100km | Boot Space litres | Price |
Toyota Yaris ZR Hybrid | 1.5-litre, 4-cylinder petrol-hybrid | 85/180 | 5 | 3.0 | 270 | $38,990 |
Honda Jazz e:HEV Luxe Hybrid | 1.5-litre, 4-cylinder petrol-hybrid | 90/235 | 5 | 3.8 | 304 | $37,000 |
Mazda2 | 1.5-litre, 4-cylinder petrol | 81/142 | 5 | 5.0 | 250 | $32,590 |
MG3 Essence Hybrid+ | 1.5-litre, 4-cylinder petrol-hybrid | 155/250 | 5 | 4.3 | 293 | $31,990 |
Suzuki Swift RSC Hybrid | 1.2-litre, 3-cylinder petrol with mild hybrid assist | 61/112 | 5 | 4.3 | 265 | $29,990 |
Please note that DriveLife does its best to ensure the information above is correct at the time of publication, however, prices, specifications and models can change over time. Please bear that in mind when comparing models in the comparison table.

First Impressions Of The 2024 Suzuki Swift RSC
I’d hate to be a Suzuki designer, working on the Swift. Their mission is to keep it the same, but make it different. The Swift is such an iconic model of design, to go all-out and change it completely would be a sales nightmare.
Then you have to add into that mix that the previous generation of Swift is a fantastic-looking car. When I reviewed the Sport model, I wanted to buy it, almost on looks alone. Simple, clean, and a great looker – that’s a hard recipe to beat.

So, what of the latest generation Swift? For me, it’s an expected transition to a more current design – but I still prefer the previous generation. There’s nothing wrong with the overall design, the issue is Suzuki did such a fantastic job on the previous gen, it’s too hard to better that.
Those thoughts aside, the front is inoffensive, and certainly current design thinking. It’s all fresh and still carries that happy Swift face. Some of the bright and bubbly colours being offered in the new Swift will help it stand out, and congratulations to Suzuki for offering a good array of bright colours, instead of sticking to the subdued greys and silvers we are used to seeing.

Around the back, things are similar to the outgoing model with a stand-out for me being the tail lights. They look exceptionally cool and certainly lift the rear end of the Swift into 2024 – and the car still has a rear window wiper – phew! We’re seeing this essential item being removed from new models for the sake of design, and that’s a mistake.
Looking at the new model without the current gen to compare it to sees little changes; it’s still unmistakeably a Swift.

What’s The Interior Like In The 2024 Suzuki Swift RSC?
First impressions on opening the door of the new Swift are bright and welcoming interior. There are splashes of white used inside and that, along with an ivory headliner, means that the car feels so airy and spacious inside – it’s a world away from the completely black interior of the MG3 that we reviewed recently.

Helping this is that traditional Swift design feature – the almost upright windscreen. It’s one of those things that helps you recognise the car as a Swift from the outside, and also helps in not only making the interior feel spacious, but physically doing that too. I could see some potential MG3 buyers getting into the Swift and thinking, “this is so much better”.
The central screen is a huge improvement over the previous model, finally the Swift’s technology stack moves into this decade. The screen itself is not massive at 9”, but the clarity is there. It can be a little laggy between screens, and the “I agree” button that pops up every time you start the car can sometimes take more than one press to get it gone. The screen has 4 panels that aren’t customisable, but it does mean you get information on a variety of things rather than just one. The panels shown are audio, phone, SatNav and trip computer.




Connectivity is helped along with two USB-A ports in the front along with one USB-C port, and a 12-volt socket for your dashcam. There are two small cupholders in front of the gear lever, and a small cubby at the rear of the centre console.
I’m happy to report that Suzuki has not gone all modern with the gear lever, and it is in fact just a simple, old-school gear lever. No fancy dials for this, and it’s so easy to use without looking down. A great carry-over from the previous model. Sticking with the old-school theme is the handbrake; no electric handbrake in the new Swift, just a simple, manual handbrake. It does mean there’s no brake auto-hold functionality, but it’s still nice to use.

Behind the handbrake are the seat heater buttons. These are single-stage units, so it’s just on or off with no temperature adjustment. The beauty of this is that the buttons are usable when driving, without looking down. No going through screen menus to turn them off or on, just stick your hand down and hit the button.
While you can adjust the audio volume via the steering wheel, passengers need to use the touch buttons on the screen to do this – it’s a shame Suzuki has not included a rotary volume control on the screen.
Below the dashboard is another welcome old-school feature; air conditioning controls that are physical buttons. They just work, and again, there’s no going into menus on screens to adjust anything. It’s great that Suzuki has taken this approach with things like the AC controls and gear lever and stuck with what works well.

Although we’re testing the top-spec Swift, there is only manual seat adjustment – not that I expected any. I found it very easy to get the seat/pedals/steering wheel adjustment just right for my height and arm length, making a nicer week of commuting with the Swift RSC.
The front doors on the new Swift open out wide, however the rear doors not so much, perhaps meaning a trickier entry for some people who are less able. Rear legroom is very reasonable, and the slightly higher roofline means headroom is quite generous for the size of the car.

The boot is deep but quite narrow and has an identical amount of space compared to the old model; 265 litres with the seats up, but 10 litres more at 589 litres with the seats folded, although the rear seats do not fold down anywhere near flat.
Enough of the interior; the Swift has always been about the driver experience – they are a fun car to drive, no matter what powertrain they are fitted with. Is that fun-to-drive feeling carried over to the new model?




What’s The 2024 Suzuki Swift RSC Like To Drive?
We’ve long considered the Suzuki Swift to be one of the better affordable compact hatchbacks available for Kiwi buyers. Although, the Suzuki Swift Hybrid hasn’t scored quite as strongly with the DriveLife team compared with other Swift models.
The Swift Hybrid is a solid wee car, but when compared with other segment stalwarts, like the Toyota Yaris Hybrid or Honda Jazz Hybrid, the Swift Hybrid has usually come off second best. Of course, having been nearly four years since its last head-to-head with the Yaris Hybrid, it’s worth reassessing the state of the play.
Today, the new Swift Hybrid re-emerges with a newly revised powertrain, a fresh suite of safety features, and several other engineering tweaks to take on the incumbent competition. More importantly, the Swift brings all this to the table, while remaining one of the cheapest options in the segment.

Underneath the bonnet, the Swift Hybrid uses a 1.2-litre, 3-cylinder engine with a (high) 13.9 compression ratio paired with an Integrated Starter Generator (or “ISG” for short). The ISG is a 12-volt mechanical device with a 10Ah battery, which provides drivetrain assistance but without actually driving the vehicle. In other words, the Swift Hybrid is a mild hybrid.
If you’re not familiar, mild hybrids probably aren’t ‘hybrids’ in the sense that you’re thinking of a battery hybrid, like a Toyota Prius. Instead, a mild hybrid (and the accompanying ISG) is better thought of as an energy recovery system, which assists with functions like operating the start-stop system, torque filling between gear changes, and others. Like a battery hybrid, it’s charged via braking.









So, if this is merely an assistance system, is it as effective? Normally, the answer would be no.
However, the Swift Hybrid still makes a strongly compelling argument when it comes to achieving eco-friendly motoring. First off, the Swift Hybrid is lightweight, weighing only 984kg. That’s around 150kg lighter than the equivalent Toyota Yaris and more than 300kg lighter than the new MG3 Hybrid.
Second, the Swift’s high-compression petrol engine is designed to be low friction and ultra frugal, before tacking on the ISG.

The combination of a light frame, and small displacement engine with energy assistance means the Swift Hybrid is good for claimed fuel economy of 4.3L per 100kms. This is the same as the MG3 Hybrid, but narrowly behind the Yaris’ claimed economy of 3.0L per 100kms and the Honda Jazz’s 3.8L per 100kms.
Of course, real world results will vary. We achieved a fuel economy figure of 4.9L per 100kms during our test, which again, is behind the Yaris’ real-world test of 4.0L per 100kms. More surprisingly, the Swift bettered our recent test of the MG3 Hybrid, which scored 5.4L per 100kms. The MG3 is a ‘proper’ battery hybrid, by the way, but admittedly, that test included a drive from Auckland to Wellington, and long trips are not where mild hybrids shine for fuel economy.

The Swift even beats the MG3 on emissions, with a claimed 97g per km versus the MG’s claimed 100g per km. It’s still not as good as the Yaris at 71g per km or Honda Jazz at 91g per km.
Regardless, the Swift Hybrid is proof that this comparatively simple combination can perform just as, or nearly as well, in economy. Also, lighter vehicles are less harsh on consumables and components tend to wear less.
Still, fuel economy is one factor. How is the rest of the driving experience?

Well, don’t expect that hyper-frugal drivetrain to be a powerhouse. The Swift Hybrid only produces 61kW of power and 112Nm of torque (with the ISG providing a fill of 60Nm), which is perfectly fine for urban environments, and acceptable enough for the open road. The Swift’s CVT gearbox has been improved. The transmission has a crisper shift, and there’s less CVT ‘flaring’ at the top of the rev range between shifts.
It should be said that the Swift definitely feels in its element putting around town and in the suburbs. Its low to mid-range performance is solid, meaning it moves briskly off the line. The Swift’s lightweight chassis, along with quick steering, means it feels nimbler and is quicker to rotate compared with its heavier competition.

For these reasons, I found the Swift to be more engaging to drive amongst its peers, even though driving engagement is not what these cars are setting out to achieve.
The Swift Hybrid feels certainly pluckier to drive instead of plush. Its ride quality doesn’t feel quite as sophisticated when compared to the Honda Jazz or MG3. Its engine sounds a bit coarse when pushed, and the cabin does let in more tyre noise compared to those two. The Swift’s suspension dampening handles the bumps well enough, so they’re not reverberating straight into your buttocks. Although, competitors like the Honda Jazz do feel fractionally better.

I also found the brakes to be slightly too sensitive in the Swift, but I gradually got used to this.
Being a new-generation vehicle, the Swift Hybrid brings considerable updates to its safety technology. The adaptive cruise control features stop/start functionality (previously it would cancel at speeds lower than 30kph) and lane keeping assistance comes as standard. Both systems are well-calibrated too, which can’t be said for every competitor in this segment. The auto stop/start is quite eager to kick-on when at a halt, but starts up again just fine. Should any of these assistance systems give you grief, many have a hard button to switch them off.

If anything, the above sentence is a good representation of my feelings for the Swift Hybrid. There’s little nonsense in the Swift Hybrid. It’s simple, reliable and straightforward. Sure, some competitors are more refined and plusher on the inside, but the Swift is more engaging to drive.
Also, in the case of the Japanese competition, they command a decent premium over the price of the Swift Hybrid.
Altogether, the Swift Hybrid looks to be quite a solid car.

2024 Suzuki Swift RSC – Specifications
Vehicle Type | 5-door small hatchback |
Starting Price | $29,990 |
Price as Tested | $30,500 |
Engine | 1.2-litre, 3-cylinder petrol with mild hybrid assist |
Power, Torque kW/Nm | 61/112 |
Transmission | Constantly Variable Transmission (CVT) |
Spare Wheel | Pump only |
Kerb Weight, Kg | 1,389 |
Length x Width x Height mm | 3860x1735x1495 |
Boot Space / Cargo Capacity, Litres (seats up/seats down) | 265/589 |
Fuel tank capacity, litres | 37 |
Fuel Economy, L/100km | Advertised Spec – Combined – 4.3 Real-World Test – Combined – 4.9 95-octane or higher fuel required. Low Usage: 0-6 / Medium Usage 6-12 / High Usage 12+ |
Towing Capacity Kg, unbraked/braked | N/A |
Turning circle metres | 9.6 Small: 6-10m / Medium 10-12m / Large 12m+ |
Warranty | 3 years, 100,000km vehicle warranty 5 years, 100,000km drivetrain warranty 5 years, unlimited km Roadside Assistance |
Safety information | ANCAP Rating – 5 stars – Link (note this is the outgoing model’s rating) Rightcar.govt.nz – 5 Stars – QPT133 |
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