Shock as new Suzuki Swift scores poorly despite international rating

A favourite car for young and old drivers has received a terrible safety rating following tests in Australia.

Suzuki has been smashed with a one-star safety rating after a sub-par performance in an Australian crash test.

The brand’s reputation took a hit when the Australiasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) handed down a one-star rating for the latest Suzuki Swift.

ANCAP says the result stems from structural differences between local examples of the Swift and those tested overseas.

2024 Suzuki Swift ANCAP crash test. Picture: Supplied

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Carla Hoorweg, chief executive of ANCAP, said “earlier this year ANCAP was informed of physical differences between locally-supplied Swift models and those supplied in Europe so we conducted a range of additional crash tests on local vehicles and found some areas of concern”.

“In comparison to the three-star rating achieved by Swift vehicles sold in Europe, vehicles

sold in Australia and New Zealand performed differently when crash tested,” she said.

“The design of some of the structural elements and restraints in locally-sold Swift vehicles appear to lack robustness leading to variation in crash performance.”

Not many small cars receive a high ANCAP safety rating due to rigorous testing. Photo: Supplied

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The safety body found problems in local crash tests that indicated poor chest protection for vehicle occupants.

It’s a stark contrast to the four-star rating Japan’s independent body, JNCAP, issued for the Swift.

ANCAP attributes the difference to changes in structural absorption bars around the radiator and wheel arches.

The safety body regularly raises the bar for requirements that must be met in order to receive a five-star rating.

ANCAP’s top light car picks are more expensive than the Swift.

Front centre airbags, driver monitoring systems and child presence detection features help cars achieve five star ratings, though they also drive up prices.

Small cars struggle to receive strong ratings under ANCAP’s current system.

For instance, the MG 3, another popular budget choice, received just three stars this year.

While the Toyota Yaris holds a five star rating, this was awarded back in 2020 under older testing criteria.

If reassessed today the Yaris may receive a lower score. The same is true of VW’s Polo and the Audi A1, cars that hold five-star ratings achieved under less stringent test criteria.

Despite the poor rating, the Swift does come with a suite of safety features including autonomous emergency braking (AEB), lane keep assist (LKA) emergency lane keep (ELK), blind spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert.

But the lack of a driver monitoring system and rear occupant detection deterred it from receiving a higher rating.

– with David McCowen