Fast Lane: New Suzuki Swift, Merc’s latest two-door and Jeep’s muddy outing

Fourth-generation Suzuki Swift to arrive in late 2024

Suzuki has unveiled its all-new fourth-generation Swift hatchback. The new model measures 3,860mm long, 1,695mm wide and 1,500mm tall, with a wheelbase of 2,450mm. It promises to deliver the same fun-to-drive factor and comfort of its predecessors.

The Swift has a dramatically redesigned front section, from the bonnet to the headlights to the bumper. It is powered by a new 1.2-litre engine with a 12-volt mild hybrid system.

The car is expected to land here as early as the third quarter of 2024.

Mercedes two-door a mix of C- and E-class qualities

Mercedes-AMG has unveiled the new CLE53 Coupe, powered by a mild-hybrid six-cylinder in-line twin-turbocharged engine driving a variable all-wheel-drive system. The two-door entry-level performance car combines the agility and sportiness of the C-class with the space and presence of the E-class.

Its 3-litre inline-six engine employs an exhaust gas turbocharger and an electric compressor. It makes 449hp and 560Nm of torque (600Nm with 12-second overboost). An integrated starter-generator briefly supplies an additional 23hp of power and 205Nm of torque.

The starter-generator also feeds a 48-volt on-board electrical system.

The car is equipped with a nine-speed automatic transmission and rear-wheel steer.

Jeeps play in the mud

Within Singapore’s cityscape, the Jeep Wrangler rarely has the opportunity to stretch its legs. But on the sodden grounds of Sarimbun Scout Camp, in the far north-western reaches of Singapore, it can exercise its knobbly tyres into a gleeful mud-caked mess.

Capella Auto, Singapore’s Jeep distributor, took a group of its customers to do just that across a special off-road course there. 

Over a soggy Saturday afternoon, the Wrangler owners helped one another overcome boggy ditches, slide up slippery slopes and squirm through grimy fields.

Every obstacle presented its own unique puzzle and something to learn.

Fleeting instances of grip and momentum had to be maximised before they evaporated and left a car flailing and stuck, needing to be winched out by another.

Fewer young drivers in the United Kingdom

New data in Britain reveals that there are 360,000 or 9.2 per cent fewer 17- to 26-year-olds holding a full driving licence in 2023 compared with five years ago.

An analysis of Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency data by automotive marketplace CarGurus found there were 3.54 million 17- to-26-year-olds with a full driving licence in August 2023, compared with 3.9 million in June 2018.

But there was a 16.8 per cent increase in the number of provisional licence-holders over the same period.

This suggests that Gen Z drivers remain keen to get behind the wheel, but are likely being held back by a number of factors. These include a sharp rise in motoring costs as well as cancellations of driving tests and a backlog of driving licence applications caused by Covid-19.