Suzuki Swace, a new hybrid for Suzuki thanks to its collaboration with Toyota

Suzuki and Toyota are two brands that have worked closely together for several years to grow on a more global scale: Toyota wants to do so in emerging markets, while Suzuki wants to expand both its brand and its product, mainly in the European market. The result of this collaboration was the first joint model, the Suzuki Across, a plug-in hybrid SUV that will arrive at dealerships this autumn and will soon be joined by a new member, the new Suzuki Swace.

If the Suzuki Across is a Toyota RAV4 reworked to fit the Suzuki range, the new Swace follows the same philosophy and uses the Toyota Corolla Touring Sports as its base. The changes are not aggressive, but they are enough to set it apart and adapt it to the Suzuki design language. As a result, we find a more restrained front end thanks to a new bumper that modifies the grille and houses the fog lights at the ends, while a gloss black trim forms a link between the Bi-LED light unit. There are no changes to the sides or the rear.

The similarities are more than evident inside, where the only discordant note compared to the Corolla Touring Sports is the Suzuki logo on the steering wheel. This should not be seen as a negative: the Suzuki Swace benefits from the materials and finishes of Toyota, as well as from the interior space thanks to 982 mm between the front and rear seats and plenty of legroom. In addition, the boot offers 596 litres of capacity without folding down the seats. If we choose to fold them, they lie completely flat, leaving a large loading area in front of us.

As you can imagine, the technology in the Suzuki Swace is inherited from the Corolla Touring Sports, so we find elements such as an 8-inch touchscreen multimedia system with Bluetooth and connectivity via Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and Mirror Link, wireless charging for smartphones, USB/AUX ports, heated front seats, S Flow automatic climate control with passenger detection and ambient lighting, among others. We should also not forget that the Suzuki Swace makes use of the renowned safety and driver assistance systems of Toyota, equipped with, for example, the Parking Assist, Pre-Collision System, Adaptive Cruise Control, Lane Departure Alert, E-Call and Blind Spot Monitor, among others.

Mechanically, the Suzuki Swace uses the most powerful version of the hybrid system fitted to the Corolla Touring Sports. Under the bonnet we find an electric motor and a 2,000 cc petrol engine, which together deliver a combined output of 184 CV and 190 Nm of torque, linked to the e-CVT automatic transmission. Its responsiveness can be adjusted through the Normal, ECO or Sport driving modes, depending on the type of driving you want to do.

At the moment we do not know the price of the Suzuki Swace in Spain, although this is a mystery we will soon solve, since sales in Europe are scheduled to begin this coming winter.