First, they came for the manual transmission, and now, they come for the entire car – the ZC33S Suzuki Swift Sport and the Jimny are facing the end of the road in the United Kingdom as legislative challenges mount.

Alongside the two named models, Suzuki UK will also discontinue the Ignis and Swace in the coming months as the brand prepares to launch its first battery electric vehicle, reports Autocar.

The decision has been attributed to the UK's zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) mandate, which requires manufacturers to sell a growing proportion of battery electric vehicles (BEVs) over the next decade.

Essentially, this means 22% of cars in 2024 must be zero emissions, and that number rises to 28% in 2025 and 80% in 2030. Manufacturers face a GBP 15,000 (~RM 89k) fine for every internal combustion engine car sold above the permitted proportion.

In the article, Suzuki UK director Dale Wyatt was quoted as follows: “We’re exiting the ICE era with a focus on SUVs and the new Swift, then starting in the second half of 2025, we’ll begin a period of EV growth.”

This suggests the famous hot hatch won't return for this model generation, at least in the UK.

Suzuki has shown a few BEV concepts before, but the one that's most likely to go on sale globally is the eVX, which looks a lot like a BEV Vitara. Though details are scarce, it was announced with a 60 kWh battery to give it approximately 550 km range.

A BEV Suzuki Jimny is also slated to appear later this year.

Meanwhile, the all-new Swift made its global debut in 2023. It comes with a 1.2-litre mild hybrid (MHEV) as standard, though its usual complement, the Swift Sport, is yet to be announced.

In the interim, the ZC33S Swift Sport is sold in Malaysia (from RM 130,380 to RM 141,900 for the Silver Edition), and the Jimny from RM 158,900 to RM 174,900 for the Rhino Edition.