The new Alto is being developed with its all-new 1.0-litre petrol engine and could be even leaner.
Autotrader - Sept. 5, 2006
The car will only be sold in Europe.
Suzuki’s next supermini will have an exceptionally economical petrol engine when it’s released in the latter part of 2007.
The car, which will be based on the Splash design study to be unveiled at the Paris Motor Show at the end of this month, will replace both the Wagon R+ and the Ignis in the Suzuki range.
The company demanded that the all-new 1.2-litre petrol engine must offer outstanding economy because the new car won’t be available with a diesel engine. Suzuki engineers say that 78 mpg (imperial) is already being achieved on the combined cycle.
The car will only be sold in Europe, and Suzuki plans to unveil the final production version at the Frankfurt Motor Show next September. As well as being used in the new Suzuki, the chassis will also form the basis of a new product from General Motors.
This won’t be the end of Suzuki’s quest for frugal petrol power, either. The new Alto is being developed with the same brief, so its all-new 1.0-litre petrol engine could be even leaner. This car should arrive in the middle of 2008.
Suzuki will also be expanding its range in 2009, with a new Focus-sized car at the beginning of that year, and a new Mondeo rival towards the end.
Not all new Suzukis are so far away, though. We’ve just driven the new Swift Sport, a stiffer and more powerful version of Suzuki’s excellent supermini. We reckon the car, which goes on sale next month for £11,500, is pretty good.
Hybrid Mode
