Suzuki Auto South Africa will showcase its fourth, and most advanced, generation of its Swift at this year’s Festival of Motoring (FOM) at Kyalami this weekend.
The all-new Suzuki Swift was first shown at a global reveal in March this year, and it has since gone on sale in major markets, including Japan, India and Europe. The South African introduction is scheduled for Spring 2024, with no fewer than five model variants in the line-up.
“The Suzuki Swift introduced South Africans to the Suzuki brand in 2008 and it has since found over 85 000 homes here. Today, the Swift often leads its segment and even the passenger vehicle market in general, and we know that fans at FOM and in the market in general are excited about this fourth-generation model,” says Brendon Carpenter, Brand Marketing Manager of Suzuki Auto South Africa.
The Suzuki Swift is one of the all-time best-selling Suzuki models ever, with over 9 million units of its previous generations sold across the world.
This Swift is all new, with new innovations to be found in the drivetrain (including a smooth and frugal new CVT transmission option), suspension, chassis and steering and interior design.
The new Swift will be available in three specification levels, namely GL, GL+ and the luxury GLX models and as a boon for fans, the GL+ and GLX specification levels will be available with the choice of manual or CVT transmission.
The new model introduces a new 3-cylinder engine, codenamed Z12E, in South Africa. With this new 3-cylinder 1.2 litre engine, the Swift delivers 60 kW at 5 700 rpm and 112 Nm at 4 300 rpm. The new engine delivers its power to the front wheels through a five-speed manual or CVT transmission.
All models will have six airbags, hill hold control, ABS with emergency brake support, and electronic stability control as standard, setting a new benchmark for vehicle safety in its class.
In the range-topping GLX models, the 7” infotainment system is upgraded to a large, high-definition 9” infotainment system. The leather clad steering wheel adds controls for the cruise control system and of course the GLX with CVT transmission also has paddle shifts.
The list of features on the GLX models further extends to automatically folding side mirrors, keyless entry with push-button start and of course the automatic headlights.
The Kia Carens nameplate makes its return to South Africa, this time as a seven‑seater designed with families in mind. It combines Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV) styling with Multi-Purpose Vehicle (MPV) practicality, offering space, comfort and efficiency, Kia says.
Volvo has confirmed that its vehicles will now integrate Google’s Gemini artificial intelligence system. This development builds on the company’s existing collaboration with Google, which already provides Android Automotive OS and Google services in Volvo models.
New vehicle sales in 2026 continued their positive trend in April, with the 47 979 units sold marking the best April figure since 2013. This represents a remarkable performance by local automotive retailers despite a host of economic headwinds and a challenging trading environment.
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Volvo has confirmed that its vehicles will now integrate Google’s Gemini artificial intelligence system. This development builds on the company’s existing collaboration with Google, which already provides Android Automotive OS and Google services in Volvo models.
New vehicle sales in 2026 continued their positive trend in April, with the 47 979 units sold marking the best April figure since 2013. This represents a remarkable performance by local automotive retailers despite a host of economic headwinds and a challenging trading environment.
April 2026 marked a turning point in South Africa’s economic landscape, as global energy markets were jolted by escalating geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, according to naamsa | The Automotive Business Council.
