2019-07-01_Muscle_Fitness_Hers

Righttime,rightplacefor

SuzukiSwift

Oneofourfavourite

smallcars,likedforits

price,buildqualityand

engine,hitthestreetsof

SouthAfricathis

month,aimingmostly

atnewyoungcar

buyers– the#millenni-

als.Wethinkthat’s

sellingthemselvesa bit

shortbecausethenew

SuzukiSwihas

broaderappeal,feeling

verywellsuitedtoour

uniquemotoring

landscape,regardlessof

age.

Twomodelsare

available,mostly

dierentiatedby

cosmeticchangeswitha

1.2-litrepetrolengine

and5-speedmanualor

4-speedauto.Fitness

Hersdrovethemanual

onlaunch,criss-cross-

ingKZN’sgreen

sugarcaneeldswiththe

peppyenginebarely

usingfuel– a relief

consideringtherecent

fuelincreases.

Besidesthewider,

shallowergrille,the

currentSwiis lower

(forhandling),wider

(forstability)and

shorter(formanoeu-

vrability)thanthe

outgoingmodel.

Shorterdoesn’tmean

lessspacethoughwith

excellentpackagingplus

a biggerbootwhichwas

oneofourmaingripes

withthelastmodel.

Abetterequipped

GLXmodelcouldarrive

laterthisyearwith

digitalclimatecontrol

andkeylessentrybutfor

nowtheprice(around

R170000)includes

functionssuchas

Bluetooth,forphone

andaudio,andbuttons

onthesportiersteering

wheeltoadjustvolume.

Insummary,thecar

continuestosetthe

benchmarkforfun

drivingandeciency,

ratherthanthe

superuous.Suzukiis

mostcondentinthis

spaceandplaystoits

strengthsremarkably

well.ere’salsoa little

discountonthe

standardpriceforthose

earlybuyers...Getit

n ow.

Volvo continues to be

a brand to watch

UNCRASHABLE

SWIFT

PROGRESS

From the XC90, to the

XC60, Volvo’s SUVs have

carried an imperious

style of fortitude.

Following the footsteps

of its globally-awarded

siblings, the XC40 enters

the crossover frenzy

where fashion, with a

sense of outdoor

experience, is everything.

And this packs a lot of

attitude into its petite

wheelbase with large

wheels, short overhangs

and clear, sharply cut

lines.

Power comes in either

petrol or diesel - both

doing a good job at

juggling e ciency and

performance although it

soon becomes clear that

Volvo is preparing its cars

for an autonomous future

with features like lane

keep assist, active cruise

control and the best

exterior cameras we’ve

come across. It all

combines to make XC40

quite placid in the chaotic

urban environment, and

with sensors for eyes,

wonderfully safe.

A detoxifying cabin

with the most supportive

seats, a large touchscreen

that operates just like

your smartphone and a

quality combination of

gloss blacks and metallic

 ourishes helps in

carving out a design

niche.

And the optional

packages are great value

compared to its more

expensive foes. It will take

a lot to knock Volvo

XC40 from Fitness Hers’

number one crossover

such is the originality of

its design and sense of

constant protection.

SUZUKI

SWIFT

Suzuki’s popular, cheerful

Swift has been given a raft

of updates for 2018

(^) 2019 JUL/AUG | M&F HERS | 53