[via Autoblog]
Suzuki has just dropped the first official photos of the new third generation Swift compact that goes on sale in Europe this Fall. The new hatch gets a slight smaller, but more powerful 1.2-liter inline-four that generates 93 horsepower thanks to variable valve timing on both the intake and exhaust cams. The manual transmission model now has a rating of 47 miles per gallon (U.S.) on the EU combined cycle with CO2 emissions of 116 grams per kilometer. That's 6.5 mpg better than the outgoing model.
The new Swift spans an extra two inches between the axles and 3.5 inches overall. Even with that extra size, the Swift is still a whopping 9.5 inches shorter than the Ford Fiesta hatchback, but it splits the difference between the standard Mini Cooper and the Clubman. Unfortunately, at this point we know of no plans for Suzuki to offer the Swift in the American market. In fact if the surprisingly good Kizashi doesn't start gaining some traction in the market, the brand as a whole might not be around in the States for much longer.
