Suzuki started a new chapter with the 2005 Swift and designed it as a sporty, city-segment hot-hatch even though it didn’t offer any thrilling performances in the five-door version.
For some markets, the 2005 Swift was the first of its kind, but the Japanese carmaker built a few generations before it, either in Hungary or in Japan. In the U.S., those generations were mostly known as Geo Metro or Pontiac Firefly. Maybe they were not perfect or desirable, but they surely existed and cannot be ignored. But the 2005 model was a major step forward for Suzuki, and it changed the city segment.

With its rounded shapes and vertical, swept-back headlights, the Swift stood apart from its competitors due to its high greenhouse and tall door panels. Its blacked A- and B-pillars made the car looked like it had a floating roof. Its 3.7m (12.14 ft) length qualified it as a city vehicle, while its 2.4m (7.8 ft) wheelbase was just 10 cm (4”) shy of a Golf MK4’s. In the rear, the designers installed the taillights on the rear quarter-panels, which looked like shoulders.

Inside, Suzuki used its kei-car experience and installed tall seats that led to plenty of legroom for both front and rear passengers. Even though it was often criticized for the driving position, a big part of its customers were happy since they were shorter and could see from a bigger height than on most of the other city-segment vehicles.

Under the hood, Suzuki offered a choice of three engines. The 1.3-liter turbo-diesel version was carried over from Fiat. While most of the vehicles sported a front-wheel-drive configuration, Suzuki provided an all-wheel-drive system for specific markets.