And is headed to America later this fall...

I'm gonna have to test drive both...

Keep in mind... current Suzukis (Aero/Reno) are rebaged Daewoos... but the New SWIFT is all Suzuki and it won Car magazine's CAR OF THE YEAR.

 

Current Swift comes out of a former eastern bloc country (the same one some Audi's do) - don't take for granted that the NA version would do the same - it could end up Korean sourced very easily... GM has a version of the Vue chassis being made there (daewoo korea) already for the EU....

 

The Fit/Jazz shipped to Europe and the UK is manufactured in mainland China. NA and Asian Fit/Jazz are not and will not in the foreseeable future.

As of this month the Australian Jazz is being sourced from Thailand taking advantage of the Free Trade Agreement. The switch was delayed because Thailand only just released the facelifted Jazz that Australia received in 2004. This has lowered the Jazzes new price and reduced 2nd hand values unless the market places cache in Japanese manufacture over Thai. The Australian large Accord as opposed to the Accord Euro (Japan) and the CRV are already coming into Australia from Thailand.

The Jazz/Fit bests the Swift in every respect despite the Swift being released many years later in Japan. The Swift Sport (GTi successor) is more comparable to the Fit but has seen limited release outside Japan. Honda fit and finish is superior to Suzuki even when both are manufactured in Japan. Honda NVH is also superior. The Swift failed to win Japanese car of the year in its debut year unlike the Fit and sells in substantially smaller numbers in Japan. In Australia its price advantage has just been destroyed by the sourcing of the Jazz from Thailand. Suzuki resale value is significantly lower than Honda particularly Swift vs Jazz. Maintenance costs are higher for the Swift and fuel consumption worse. The Swift has no flexible seating arrangement comparable to the Fit, accessibilty via the possible door opening angles and boot cavity clearance is less. Rear leg room is less in the Swift despite larger overall dimensions. Crash safety for the Swift is defintely less than the NA spec'd Fit.

As for appearance both have very different looks and this comes down to personal preference.

 

Anyone have pics or links of the Swift?

 

This is what the current Swift looks like in five-door form:



It's definitely not as good looking as the Fit, though.

 

Looks a little like the Nissan Versa to me...

 

I wouldnt be so quick about making judgements about a car based on how its doing in the public or any other politics that dictates the so called success or failure of a car in the public eye.

Honda has obviously been making cars way longer then Suzuki and has built a unforgettable reputation for the things we know Honda is good for. But in this case at least for me, its not about one companies reputation or what they stand for versus another, its one model versus another and which does the best job of achieving set goals.

The Fit, not sure if Honda is blatantly trying to hide its sporty character or not doesnt scream Sporty in anyway until maybe after you drive it and you get some kind of sense that this car has the potential to be sporty. The Swift Sport on the other hand has no confusion about its identity and is bold about the statement its trying to make.

Here are a few pics of what im talking about:





I couldnt get good pics of the interior but it comes with Recaro sport bucket seats matching the door panels with matching stitching, alot like the Honda Type R cars. Brushed aluminum pedals, leather wrapped steering wheel with matching seat/door panel color stitching. Its also shod with 16" wheels with 50 series tires. And to top it off its got a 1.6L DOHC 16V VVT I-4 making 125hp. The best part of all is the price, all that for under $15kUSD.

But dont take the things im saying the wrong way, I am just comparing how these cars are presented and not whether one is actually sportier performing or any other factor such as build quality or what not because I havent driven either to make those kinds of statements. This is strictly on the presentation of each vehicle alone. Just based on presentation, I would take the Swift Sport over the Fit in a heartbeat, not even something id have to think about. If only that was the only factor that counted in buying a car id be set but it isnt and thats where Honda's do well. Long story short, the Swift does a much better job of portraying the sporty character that it claims to have much better then the Fit.

 

The Swift doesn't even come close to being cooler than the Fit, IMHO.

 

As stated in one post it all depends on what you are looking for, need something to haul the bikes and grandkids not a sporty looking small car.

 

No way does it look better. But it does have a nice look to it...

 

It would come with a great warranty.

They already have a car out that looks A LOT like the Fit.

If Suzuki and Hyundai could get their MPG numbers up I will sure play.

 

Wow. I like it.

http://www.suzukisport.com/ss_racing/productf.html

 

Wow. The Swift Sport is a good looking car. Much better looking (IMHO) than the fit in terms of _looking like_ a fun to drive car. In terms of all the small hatches FINALLY making their way over here, I say the more the better! I like to have choices. While I'll probably side with the Fit since I know what I'm getting when I buy a Honda, I'll test drive the Swift and even wait a bit to see how it compares to the fit once released into the wild just in case I decide I like the Swift better.

 

Again with current Swift coming put of a limited production group in Hungary I doubt that Suzuki will bring the car from there -
How big a QC hit will it take if it turns Daewoo sourced?

 

I feel like hte fit is intentonally ugly for obvious reasons (*rice*)

 

I think the Fit looks better.

 

Wow look at all of the aftermarket parts... Hot!!!!

 

These last photos made me think Suzuki was going after the Mini as opposed to the Fit. Not a bad looking car but no way does it look as spacious as the Fit (which is why I'm thinking Mini competitor). We had a Samurai when they first came out and that car stuck around for a surprisingly long time, although it did have it's many many problems. And it was ugly but people loved it and always wanted to buy it, which is why we continued to fix that piece.

And come to think of ugly, my old 1985 Honda Civic wagon was no looker either, we called her the "Beast" but she was a beauty to me and I loved her versatility as I will love it when I get my Fit. It reminds me of my old 1992 Honda Civic VX hatchback that was crushed by a government van while parked. I loved that car, now I've finally found its reincarnated self with 4 doors.

 

Sorry to burst the bubble - you won't see this model of the SWIFT in Canada - I have spoken to Suzuki Canada - This car does not meet our safety standards, according to the Suzuki rep. I spoke with - and they have no plans on bringing this car in this format to Canada - Email them, call them, I did...

 

the front bumper reminds me so much of a MINI, so does the lights.