WeeklySA_AdminDependable and Affordable: Tidy handling, frugal, fun to drive despite its mediocre three star safety rating
By Ali Mphaki
Now is the time, the time is now, bellows my good friend People’s Poet Mzwakhe Mbuli in one of his popular protest pieces.
In typical Mbuli style, “LangMan”, as I call him, further posits a quote I first heard those many years ago that no amount of ammunition can stand in the way of an idea whose time has come…
No doubt if one were to ask the People’s Poet to compose a prose for the fourth-generation Suzuki Swift, he would add phrases like “Yes, yes, its Suzuki Swift time. Suzuki Swift time has indeed come…”
To say the Suzuki Swift has taken South Africa by storm, would be an understatement. Since January 2025 the Suzuki Swift has held on tightly to its first position as South Africa’s best-selling vehicle, recording 1 842 units for the month of May. In the previous months of April, March and February, the Swift sold 2 053, 1 608, and 2 351 units respectively, as published by industry body naamsa.
If that’s not a record, I don’t know what is.
And if the truism hold that when one man is happy then another is sad, look no further than the VW Polo Vivo which amassed 1,543 units (three hundred less than the Swift), while its bigger sibling the VW Polo could only sell 767 units.
Already some pundits predict the Suzuki Swift sales will continue on its upward trajectory at least until year end or so. What could possibly eat into the growing band of Suzuki Swift enthusiasts is the recently launched Kia Picanto
While stats can be likened to a mini-skirt revealing but not showing all, figures and accolades don’t lie. Accolades keep coming for the Suzuki Swift having this week been crowned the UK’s most reliable used superminis, topping Warrantywise’s latest Reliability Index with a score of 88.6 out of 100.
The findings are based on real-world data from 2022 to 2025, confirming the Suzuki Swift as a standout choice for used car buyers seeking dependable and affordable motoring. In the recent 2025 SA Car of the Year competition it was no surprise when the Suzuki Swift was voted popular hatchback overall in the budget category, as well as being a runner-up in overall honours.
We are told the jury praised its best in class safety features, even though car safety experts Euro NCAP awarded it a mediocre three out of five stars when it was assessed in 2024. While it scored well for the frontal and side pole impact test, child safety was noted as disappointing. It ranked among the lowest-rated cars tested by Euro NCAP last year.
Whilst this may be so, it would be comforting to know all Swifts get six airbags, two Isofix points for the rear seats, child locks, a tyre pressure monitoring system and electronic stability control as standard.
Smaller and shorter as it is, despite its supermini status the interior feels roomy with tall seats and excellent passenger space inside.
Taller passengers though, like my “Legs Of Thunder” female friend may on long trips feel a bit cramped especially in the rear seat. With the back seats folded down you get 589 litres of storage, up 10 litres from the old Swift. The rear seats fold in a 60:40 configuration, but don’t lay flat.
Offered in a five-speed manual gearbox or a CVT automatic (we had the manual version for test), the 1.2-litre, three-cylinder petrol engine under the bonnet with 60 kW/112 Nm of torque, was brisk at acceleration with its shift action precise. With its lightweight and sloppy bonnet rest assured of a more a sure-footed handling and much more fun drive, while the steering, though light, gives enough feedback for you to manouveur the vehicle swiftly, excuse the pun, into whatever direction you take.
With rear parking sensors and a reversing camera as standard, the Swift has all the tech to make parking an easy affair
It can officially do 0-100km/h in 12.5 seconds. Put foot on the pedal and wind and tyre noise increases in decibels inside, probably to jolt your concentration levels, but its no big deal for a car of this magnitude. With the back seats folded down you get 589 litres of storage, up 10 litres from the old Swift. The rear seats fold in a 60:40 configuration, but don’t lay flat.
Whilst its rivals may offer better practicality, what seems to separate pretenders from contenders is the Suzuki Swift’s well-behaved drinking manners. On a normal drive it consumes 5,3-litres per 100km/h, costing you less visits to the filling station. In its latest guise, you get polished alloy wheels, electrically adjustable mirrors and automatic air conditioning. You also get the side indicators mounted in the door mirrors.
Yes, not much has changed in terms of its width and height as its predecessor, and only slightly longer, but no one can deny its Suzuki Swift time to shine.
Shine On!
MOTORING: Briefs
One EV is as polluting as three hybrids
Akio Toyoda, Toyota’s chairman, believes that the rush towards electric vehicles (EVs) is not the best path for the automotive industry. He emphasizes that a hasty transition could jeopardize millions of jobs in the supply chain.
Toyoda argues that EVs are still not as environmentally friendly as hybrids, claiming that the carbon footprint of the hybrids sold by Toyota since 1997 equals that of nine million EVs. He suggests that one EV is as polluting as three hybrids, especially when charged from fossil fuel-based power plants.
Despite criticism for its slow adoption of EVs, Toyota remains a dominant player in the automotive market, retaining its position as the world’s largest automaker for five consecutive years, thanks to its strong hybrid lineup and traditional internal combustion engine (ICE) models.
Thumbs down for Tesla
The broad public and investors have something in common these days: They don’t have a lot of love for either Tesla or CEO Elon Musk.
Tesla’s stock has undergone a withering sell-off, and the CNBC All-America Economic survey finds more than 47% of the public have a negative view of the company. Another 27% are positive on the electric vehicle maker, while 24% are neutral. That compares with a third of the public who have a positive view of General Motors with 51% neutral and 10% negative.
The survey found Musk to be a highly polarizing figure. Half of the public has a negative view of Musk, compared with 36% who see him positively and 16% who are neutral. Among Democrats, Musk’s net approval (positive minus negative) is -82 and -49 for independents. GOP respondents are +56.
The biggest problem for Tesla may be that many groups who are potential customers are far more positive about electric vehicles than they are about the company.
Volvo reinvents the
seatbelt
The Swedish brand that originally invented the safety belt in 1959 has given it another crack, designing a new ‘multi-adaptive safety belt’ that’s designed to respond and react better in the event of a crash.
In short, the new seatbelt uses data and additional sensors to better adapt to the size and weight of the occupant, meaning it can provide a more measured load limit during a crash.
Volvo says the new belt ‘adapts the setting based on the situation and individual’s profiles, such as their height, weight, body shape and seating position.’ In other words, larger or heavier people need a higher belt load in an accident than a smaller or lighter occupant. Doing so, according to Volvo, can limit head injuries in larger occupants and rib fractures in smaller ones.
The first car we’ll see this in is the new EX60, which Volvo confirms will officially launch in 2026.
Merc Trucks The Best In Reverse
Mercedes-Benz Trucks has just made headlines worldwide after smashing a Guinness World Record by reversing its all-electric eActros 600 truck for a staggering 124.7 kilometres without stopping – the longest distance ever driven in reverse by an articulated truck.
The feat, pulled off at the Motorsport Arena Oschersleben in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany, blew the previous record of 89km (set in the USA in a diesel truck) right out the water. Behind the wheel was 50-year-old Marco Hellgrewe, a German Armed Forces officer and truck enthusiast who previously set a similar record back in 2008.
Driving in reverse for over six hours on a track known for its sharp bends and tight corners – normally used for car racing – Hellgrewe managed an average speed of 20km/h, navigating 476 bends like a pro. But he’s not done yet. Mercedes-Benz Trucks plans to take the eActros 600 a step further by reversing an extra 30km on public roads to their new Global Parts Center in Halberstadt, raising awareness for road safety, driver image, and e-mobility.
