FOLLOWING its launch in Japan last year, Suzuki has unveiled the European version of its new Swift supermini at the Geneva Motor Show.

The Swift is an important model for Suzuki and has notched up 5.4 million sales globally in less than 12 years, making it the Japanese car maker's fastest seller.

The car sits on the same platform Suzuki has used for its new Baleno and Ignis models and the new Swift is some 120kg lighter overall.

Although slightly shorter than the previous model the new Swift has a longer wheelbase which has created more interior space. Luggage space is also up 25 per cent to 254 litres.

Engines in the new Swift will include Suzuki's new 1.0-litre three cylinder Boosterjet turbo block with an output of 111bhp and the more established 1.2-litre Dualjet power plant which develops 90bhp.

The new Swift will also be availabe as a four-wheel drive model with the ALLGRIP 4x4 system an option on the top range SZ5 model fitted with the 1.2-litre engine.

Acceleration time to 62mph is 11.9 seconds for two wheel drive 1.2-litre Swift and 12.6 seconds for the ALLGRIP four-wheel-drive model.

The SZ5 models comes with a 4.2-inch high definition colour LCD display in the instrument panel that shows a range of information including engine output and torque data, fuel consumption, average speed, acceleration and brake operation as well as driving G-force tracking.