Top ANCAP Safety Rating for Suzuki Swift

The new generation Suzuki Swift, New Zealand’s best selling light car, has been awarded a top ranking in independent new car safety standards.

In the latest Australasian New Car Assessment Programme (ANCAP) tests announced in September the Swift was given the maximum 5 Star rating for all automatic versions.

A 5 Star level offers a high level of protection and survivability for the head, body and legs of both driver and passenger. The safety of a car is based on the three key areas of structural integrity, safety features and safety assist technologies and ANCAP recommends buyers choose 5 Star rated vehicles.

ANCAP is the leading independent vehicle safety advocate for Australia and New Zealand. It provides consumers with transparent information on the level of occupant and pedestrian protection and collision avoidance capabilities provided by vehicles in the most common types of serious crashes.

The Swift has been the favoured choice for buyers of small cars in New Zealand for several years and in the January to August year to date sales was a clear leader, capturing 23.5 percent of the class.

“Achieving the top safety threshold in these latest crash tests underpins the competence of the latest Swift,” said Gary Collins, General Manager of Automobile Marketing for Suzuki New Zealand.

“Apart from its good looks and reputation for being fun to drive, the reassurance of high safety standards is yet another asset for the model,” he said.

The latest technology HEARTECT platform uses ultra-high tensile steel so structural rigidity is not compromised, while weight saving enhances efficiency.

All automatic versions of the new Swift have achieved the 5 star ANCAP rating, while the entry level GL manual is rated at 4 stars due to not including a reverse camera as standard equipment.

With prices starting from just $19,990, plus on road costs, the Swift hatchback remains the most popular model in the Suzuki automobile lineup.

Since the introduction as a global model, the Swift has won more than 60 awards, including Car of the Year accolades. Cumulative world sales exceeded five million last year.

In the latest industry figures Suzuki has further increased its penetration of the local new car and SUV market, with sales up 37 percent in the year to date period, compared to the same time in 2016.

Sales of Suzuki’s SUVs have leapt by 69.2 percent in the same period with strong demand for Vitara and S-Cross models while the newly introduced Ignis hatchback is the third best selling Suzuki model.