Suzuki Swift Diesel Earmarked for NZ

Press Release No: PRESS/AM12/11
Scheduled Release: 15 March 2012

Suzuki Swift Diesel Earmarked for Arrival in New Zealand

Suzuki is introducing its first ever small diesel-engined passenger car to the New Zealand market.

A diesel powered Swift five-door hatchback will add a new dimension to the country’s top selling light car.

Suzuki New Zealand is currently evaluating the new Swift supermini diesel and is finalising plans to have the highly economical car on sale by mid-year.

With a fuel consumption figure of 4.2 litres/100 km (67.3 miles per gallon) in the official combined cycle test, the diesel will be the most economical model in the Swift range.

It will also pack more engine torque, underscoring the car’s brisk performance, especially in the critical mid-range. The diesel has 46 per cent more torque than the 1.4-litre petrol Swift.

An additional bonus is the environmentally friendly CO2 emissions level of 109 grams/km, the lowest of any Swift variant.

The 1.3 Swift DDiS uses a high tech four cylinder, 16-valve Fiat-designed diesel which Suzuki builds under license.

This second generation, common rail turbocharged motor is a development of the Multijet power plant which won the International Engine of the Year award in 2005.

More recently the 55 kW (75 bhp) engine was updated with a new fuel injection management system that has up to eight injections per cycle instead of five.

The advanced injection controls high engine pressures up to 1,600 bar without being tied to engine speed or the quantity of fuel injected.

Thanks to a balanced hydraulic servo-valve, the innovative common rail injectors are able to more precisely control the quantity of diesel injected into the combustion chamber, with a faster and more flexible sequence of injections than was previously possible.

By reducing the amount of time between injections, these injectors optimise fuel introduction to the chamber and therefore make the diesel combustion process more gradual. This has a positive effect on fuel consumption, emissions, and noise, vibration and harshness.

The new generation fixed geometry turbocharger, combined with the advanced Multijet injection system, ensure the best possible turbo function at any engine operating level.

“We are excited about the arrival of the Swift diesel which is capable of a driving range of at least 800 kilometres, and will have a specific attraction to fleet and business users,” said Tom Peck, General Manager of Marketing for Suzuki New Zealand.

“Not only does the engine comply with stringent Euro 5 emission levels, but also offers lively performance allied to outstanding economy.

In the open road official Extra Urban fuel cycle, the Swift diesel returns a remarkable 3.6 litres/100 km (78.5 miles per gallon), while the Urban cycle figure is 5.1 litres/100 km (55.4 miles per gallon).

A Swift diesel driven by journalists Dave Randle and Peter Cracknell finished second overall in the 2011 MPG Marathon event in Britain, averaging a remarkable 3.27 litres/100 km (86.4 miles per gallon) 3.27 litres/100 km (84.6 miles per gallon) over a challenging 600 kilometre route that included major roads, motorways and dual carriageways. A second Swift diesel returned 3.34 litres/100 km (84.6 miles per gallon).

Recently launched in Europe, the diesel Swift is gaining a reputation for smoothness and response, with the maximum torque of 190 Nm available from as low as 1,750 rpm. The Swift accelerates from a standstill to 100 km/h in 12.7 seconds, and has a top speed of 166 km/h.

Pricing and specification will be announced closer to the launch date.

ENDS

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