2024 Suzuki Swift Hybrid review: Meet the cheapest electrified car now on-sale in Australia

There is a worthy argument EV Central shouldn’t even be reviewing the 2024 Suzuki Swift Hybrid.

For a start it’s not even a hybrid, it’s a mild hybrid. In other words it can’t actually run on electricity alone, only assist its petrol engine.

You really can’t get any less electric than this and still claim to be electrified.

The worthy counter-argument is it is electrified and as we have already covered separately here, its $24,490 drive-away price means it’s now the cheapest new vehicle sold in Australia that provides any form of electric assistance to its driving wheels.

In fact, it’s outright one of the cheapest new vehicles you can now buy in Australia.

So we’re gonna cover it. If you don’t agree, well you don’t have to read this review. If you really feel outraged you could always cancel your subscription … oh that’s right.

2024 Suzuki Swift Hybrid price and equipment

There are four models in the fourth-generation Suzuki Swift line-up. Pricing starts at $24,490 for the Hybrid manual, rises to $26,990 for the Hybrid auto, $28,490 for the auto-only Plus and and tops out at $29,490 drive-away for the auto-only GLX flagship.

The old line-up spread between $23,990 and $31,290 drive-away. So that’s an impressive holding of the line at a time of rampant and often egregious price increases.

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The key change is under the bonnet where all models are powered by a 1.2-litre triple-cylinder petrol engine that combines with a five-speed manual transmission in the cheapest model and with a CVT in the rest.

The bit we’re most interested in is the e-motor and tiny (capacity undisclosed) 12v lithium-ion battery – yep not even 48v – that provide low-speed acceleration assistance and an ultra-smooth restarting experience.

The 61kW/112Nm outputs are modest, but so are the 4.0L/100km (CVT) and 3.8L/100km (manual) fuel consumption claims.

While a heap of equipment isn’t a Swift Hybrid thing, the new model does get a more sophisticated autonomous emergency braking system that’s fitted to all models (previously the base model missed out).

Other important safety gear that’s all-new or now available across all models includes lane departure warning, adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist, traffic sign recognition and high beam assist for the LED projector headlights.

Other stuff includes a larger 9.0-inch touchscreen sitting higher on the dashboard that incorporates sat-nav, AM/FM and DAB radio, wireless Apple CarPlay, wired Android Auto and air-conditioning that upgrades to climate control in the GLX.

Some stuff is downgraded or deleted. The base model goes from 16-inch alloys to 15-inch steelies, there’s no spare tyre and no foglights.

2024 Suzuki Swift Hybrid: What we think

Measuring up at less than 3.9m long and weighing in from just over 900kg, the Swift Hybrid is as close to a Japanese kei car as we currently get in Australia, this side of Suzuki’s own titchy Ignis.

And maybe it’s the logical downsizing limit for Australia. As good as the kei car concept is, it’s hard enough being eye-height with the knobby tyre of some brute ute in the Swift let alone the miniaturised Mitsubishi EK X Stephen Corby recently reviewed.

At least the Swift is still big enough to jostle its way along in the traffic stream without being beat up too much.

But it’s not big enough to swallow a family of four. The rear-seat is squeezy and the lack of amenities back there is an obvious place where money has been saved. The boot too – at just 265 litres – would struggle to fit a few packets of noodles and a slab of beers let alone a family’s weekly shop.

This is couples and singles transport. Put that friend who annoys you in the rear seat. Up-front the story is better: the seats are supportive, the layout of the dashboard and instruments sensible, storage is acceptable and the trim presentation a pleasing dual-tone, albeit hard to the touch.

But the best bit of the Swift is undoubtedly the way it drives.

Being a motoring journalist these days is to suffer battle fatigue from an endless stream of binging, bonging, steering wheel-grabbing, ill-handling and soggy riding Chinese cars that have great showroom appeal but are poorly calibrated to drive.

The Swift is comfy to ride in, light steering and nimble handling. Its lane keeping systems are well tuned, easily switchable and actually keep the car centred in its lane. See, it’s not that hard if you know how.

Now to the powertrain. Electrical assistance is surreptitious, mainly because the engine makes that distinctive, growly and aggressive song triples are known for.

Response to the throttle is usually prompt and there’s no drama keeping up with the traffic.

The battery is tiny and watching on a touchscreen graphic as it depletes and renews up and down hills is evidence of that.

The CVT is monotonous in its droning, which makes the manual gearbox’s ability to mix things up something some people will enjoy. Alternatively the GXL comes with paddle shifters for the CVT.

And so to the fuel economy. In the real world on a predominantly urban loop the Swift Hybrid auto averaged an entirely respectable 4.6L/100km.

Jeepers – real hybrid numbers.

The downer is the Swift Hybrid requires more expensive premium unleaded fuel.

2024 Suzuki Swift Hybrid: Verdict

Apart from being misleadingly named, the 2024 Suzuki Swift Hybrid is a very honest vehicle.

It is priced well, has an acceptable level of equipment for the money and drives with a cohesive positivity that needs to be emulated by a bunch of other brands.

All in all the cheapest electrified car on-sale in Australia today is not a bad way to get a taste of all this EV stuff.

A very faint taste mind you.

SCORE: 4.0/5

2024 Suzuki Swift Hybrid specifications

Price: $24,490 (drive-away)

Basics: Petrol-electric mild hybrid, 5 seats, 5 doors, passenger car, front-wheel drive

Range: Zero (It can’t run solely on electricity)

Battery capacity: 12v lithium-ion

Powertrain: 1.2-litre three-cylinder petrol-electric

Output: 60kW/110Nm (electric motor: 2kW/60Nm)

Combined output: 161kW/112Nm

Transmission: CVT

Fuel: 3.8L/100 manual)/4.0L/100km auto (ADR Combined)

CO2: 90g/km (ADR Combined)