When Suzuki launched the new Swift less than four years ago, it brought a blend of eye-catching good looks, Japanese quality and European-inspired driving dynamics to the light car segment.

Those attributes are still as strong today and Suzuki has announced that global production has recently passed the one million mark. Vehicles sold in Europe are built at Suzuki’s plant in Hungary which has so far contributed more than 306,000 to the total.

Swift is global in outlook and production – it was first built in Japan, followed by Hungary, China, India and more recently Indonesia and Malaysia – but its development was focussed firmly on the demands and tastes of the European market in terms of design and driving characteristics. The design team established a base in Europe, where it was able to gain a valuable insight into the European mindset and carry out extensive testing across the continent.

Swift was the first product of Suzuki’s radical innovation programme to strengthen its position as both a leading compact car manufacturer as well as one of the world’s foremost motorcycle brands. It introduced new ideas and design thinking that are defined in more recently launched Suzuki models including SX4, Grand Vitara and, the European only model, Splash.

This strategy will continue to be applied to new models in the future including the Alto next year and Kizashi in 2010.

Swift is available from just $15,990 (RRP) and offers a 1.5-litre petrol engine, with either manual or automatic transmission, in the guise of a five-door hatchback.

The distinctive styling and spacious interior are complemented by a comprehensive specification. All models feature front airbags, radio/CD player, remote central locking and immobiliser, electric front windows, electric door mirrors and air conditioning.

Topping the range is the 1.6-litre Sport which builds on feedback from Suzuki’s motor sport programme; it combines a sports-tuned version of the capable Swift chassis with a competition-honed, high-revving 1.6-litre VVT engine to deliver a mixture of responsive performance and agile handling that has instant driver appeal.