Suzuki Swift 1.2

Steve Jobs advocated design and function as being an extension of ones self when bring his Apples to the market. Recently I have found myself wondering about the implications of this style of thinking. Ultimately this thinking led Jobs into a spiral of narcissistic injury, which he struggled to break free of until the day he died.

This extension of self is perhaps not as prevalent in the motoring industry but as I sat stuck in the hordes of Mordor traffic this week I began to wonder about the boxes motorists find themselves in. The classics like; “typical BMW driver” spring to mind. My question however is do people drive the cars they do because they unconsciously drawn to these qualities or do they actively seek to drive a car which reinforces their preserved personality?

Without getting pulled to deep into an existential debate around identity I would like to interject that perhaps a car means to us what we decide it means. That being said, does it matter if you drive a Tata or a Ferrari … okay well yes, that’s a silly example but it does bring me to my point; Suzuki.

Suzuki Auto South Africa recently added a 1.2 hatch and 1.2 Sedan to its Swift family, identifying a gap in the market in which motorists are looking for economy, function and style. The 1.2 Swift doesn’t pretend to be anything it’s not. It is a small hatch with big appeal and while it may not beat the boy racer next to you at the traffic lights, you’ll probably be able to afford the petrol to get to work.

The interior is surprisingly well finished unlike other cars in it’s class, the cabin is spacious and I dare say the controls flow across the dash in an intuitive manner which would have Steve Jobs trying to install a lightening connector to the dash in minutes.

The Swift 1.2 is offered in two specification levels. The Swift 1.2 GA is aimed at budget conscious, entry-level buyers while the Swift 1.2 GL adds rear electric windows, remote central locking, keyless entry and USB connectivity.

Suzuki may just be the apple that fell far from the tree as they find themselves in an arena fiercely contested by other manufacturers holding their own.