A proper head-to-head in South Africa — compare price, performance,
fuel economy or electric range, safety and the details that shape long-term ownership.
Includes a historical vehicle
Current, upcoming and historical vehicles can be compared side by side. Historical records keep their verified specifications, while price labels show last-listed context rather than current new-car availability.
Rolls-Royce Dawn vs Suzuki Swift: the short answer
Dawn holds a noticeable catalogue-index lead over Swift.
Five key differences
Exact selected derivatives
Swipe sideways to compare every column
Specification
Dawn
Swift
Maximum Power
Dawn420 kW @ 5250-6000 rpm
Swift60 kW
Maximum Torque
Dawn820 Nm @ 1600-4750 rpm
Swift113 Nm
Engine Size
Dawn6592 cc
Swift1197 cc
Combined Fuel Economy
Dawn6.99 km/l
Swift18.2 km/l
Ground Clearance
Dawn149 mm
Swift0 mm
Strongest published figure in that row; no road-test winner is implied.
Independent editorial assessment
Hagalu editorial ratings
When a variant is selected, its rating out of five applies only to that exact derivative; a model-range review is not inherited. Editorial ratings are separate from the Specification Evidence Index out of 100 and are not customer ratings.
Rolls-Royce Dawn
Dawn
Hagalu editorial ratingNot yet rated
No complete editorial rating is published for this exact variant. This is not a zero score.
Not yet rated means a complete review is not published; it does not mean the vehicle scored zero. Read the rating methodology.
What Each Car Gets Right (and Wrong)
Specification evidence leader
Dawn
Strengths
More powerful engine output
Stronger listed safety equipment
Stronger published practicality figures
Weak Spots
Lower fuel efficiency
Best suited to:Published PerformancePublished Practicality
Swift
Strengths
Better fuel efficiency
Weak Spots
Less powerful engine setup
Fewer listed safety features
Lower published practicality figures
Best suited to:Published Efficiency
Which One's Right for You?
Dawn
Buyers prioritising the stronger published powertrain figures
Buyers prioritising the more complete listed safety equipment
Buyers prioritising the stronger published space and capacity figures
Swift
Buyers prioritising the lower published fuel or energy use
Full Specs, Side by Side
Open a category, then swipe sideways to compare every column
Archived cars use verified historical spec records. Rows remain comparable; unavailable historical values are shown plainly rather than estimated.
Spec
Dawn
Swift
Model Introduced Year
2016
2026
Generation
Dawn four-seat convertible; this archive profile uses the MY17 World specification corroborated by a February 2018 South African road test.
Current market generation
Facelift History
The MY17 configuration is kept separate from the 2015 launch specification, which published different length, torque, acceleration, consumption and CO2 figures.
Current market specification
Facelift Launched Since
2017
2026
Facelift Version Ending
2023
Current
Body Style
Convertible
Hatchback
Model Year
2017
2026
Production Status
discontinued
active
Segment
Ultra-luxury convertible
Hatchback
Vehicle Type
Passenger car
Hatchback
Spec
Dawn
Swift
Length
5295 mm
3860 mm
Width
1947 mm
1735 mm
Height
1502 mm
1520 mm
Wheelbase
3112 mm
2450 mm
Ground Clearance (Default)
149 mm
0 mm
Ground Clearance (With Full Seating Load)
149 mm
150 mm
Fuel Tank Capacity
82 l
37 l
Boot/Cargo Space
321 l
265 l
Kerb Weight
2560 kg
920 kg
Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW)
3040 kg
1380 kg
Payload Capacity
480 kg
460 kg
Towing Capacity
0 kg
500 kg
Seating Capacity
4 seats
5 seats
Number of Rows
2 rows
2 rows
Doors
2 doors
5 doors
Minimum Turning Radius
6.35 m
5.2 m
Front Headroom
1018 mm
1000 mm
Rear Headroom
963 mm
950 mm
Front Legroom
1054 mm
1050 mm
Rear Legroom
937 mm
900 mm
Spec
Dawn
Swift
Engine
6.592-litre twin-turbo V12
1.2-litre Naturally Aspirated Petrol
Engine Code
N74B66A
Z12E/K12
Fuel Type
Petrol
Petrol
Hybrid System
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Engine Displacement
6592 cc
1197 cc
Cylinders
12
4
Cylinder Layout
V
Inline
Valves
48
16
Valves per Cylinder
4
4
Aspiration
Twin Turbocharged
Naturally Aspirated
Fuel System
Direct Injection
Multi-point fuel injection
Compression Ratio
10.0:1
12.0:1
Bore
89 mm
73.0 mm
Stroke
88.3 mm
85.0 mm
Maximum Power
420 kW @ 5250-6000 rpm
60 kW
Maximum Torque
820 Nm @ 1600-4750 rpm
113 Nm
Combined Power
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Combined Torque
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Motor Type
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Number of Motors
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Motor Location
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Drive Type
RWD
Not Officially Disclosed
Transmission
8-Speed Automatic
CVT
Top Speed
250 km/h
170 km/h
0-100 km/h
5.0 sec
12.0 sec
Quarter Mile
12.8 sec
18.0 sec
Drive Modes
Low
Not Officially Disclosed
Launch Control
Not Officially Disclosed
No
Rev Limiter
Not Officially Disclosed
6500 rpm
Power-to-Weight Ratio
164.1 kW/tonne
65.2 kW/tonne
Torque-to-Weight Ratio
320.3 Nm/tonne
122.8 Nm/tonne
Battery Capacity
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Usable Battery Capacity
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Battery Type
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Battery Voltage
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Electric Range
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
AC Charging Power
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
DC Charging Power
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
AC Charging Time
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
DC Charging Time
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Regenerative Braking
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Spec
Dawn
Swift
Gearbox
8-speed automatic / 8HP95
CVT automatic
Drivetrain Layout
Front-engine, rear-wheel drive
2WD
Transfer Case
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Paddle Shifters
No
No
Final Drive Ratio
2.813
4.3
Number of Gears
8
Not Applicable
Transmission Type
8-speed automatic / 8HP95
CVT automatic
Clutch Type
Torque converter
Torque converter / CVT
Gear Shift Type
Steering-column selector for 8-speed automatic
Floor-mounted selector
Drivetrain
RWD
2WD
4WD Engagement
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
4WD Hi Range
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
4WD Lo Range
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
4WD Selector
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Automatic Shift Paddles
No
No
Front Differential Lock
Not Applicable
No
Gearbox Type
8-speed automatic / 8HP95
CVT automatic
Low Range Ratio
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Low Range
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Axle Layout
Two axles
Front driven axle
Transmission Speeds
8
Not Applicable
LSD Available
Not confirmed
No
Differential Lock
Not confirmed
No
Gear Shift Indicator
Not confirmed
Yes
Rear Differential Lock
Not confirmed
No
Spec
Dawn
Swift
Claimed Mileage
6.99 km/l
18.2 km/l
City Mileage
4.59 km/l
16.0 km/l
Highway Mileage
10.10 km/l
19.0 km/l
Fuel Tank Capacity
82 l
37 l
Emission Standard
EU6
Euro 6 equivalent
AdBlue Tank Capacity
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Auto Start Stop
No automatic engine stop/start
Yes
Real-world Mileage
6.99 km/l
18.2 km/l
Charging Port Type
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Charging Type
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Fuel Tank Litres
82
37
Combined Driving Range
575 km
700
Electric Consumption
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Range Real World Mixed
522.93 km
600 km
Range Real World Highway
Not confirmed
650 km
Spec
Dawn
Swift
Airbags
6
6
ABS
Standard
Not Applicable
Electronic Stability Control
ESP
Yes
Traction Control
Standard
Yes
Hill Start Assist
Hill-start assist
Yes
Child Safety Lock
Not Applicable
Yes
ISOFIX Mounts
LATCH child-seat anchor system
Yes
Brake Assist
Dynamic Brake Control
Yes
Tyre Pressure Monitor
Standard
Yes
Engine Immobiliser
Engine immobiliser
Not Applicable
Seatbelt Warning All Seats
Driver and front-passenger seat-belt warning sensor
Yes
Front Parking Sensors
Front Park Distance Control
Yes
AEB
Available
Yes
BA
Dynamic Brake Control
Yes
Curtain Airbags
Not Applicable
Yes
Driver Airbag
Standard
Yes
EBD
Standard
Not Applicable
Engine Immobiliser
Standard
Yes
Hill Hold
Hill-start assist
Yes
Passenger Airbag
Standard
Yes
Seatbelt Pretensioners
Front and rear
Yes
Seatbelt Reminder
Driver and front-passenger seat-belt warning sensor
Yes
Side Airbags
Front side-impact airbags
Yes
Stability Control
ESP
Yes
TCS
Standard
Yes
Knee Airbag
Front active knee protection
No
ABS EBD
Standard
Not Applicable
Hill Descent Control
Not confirmed
No
Brake Override System
Not confirmed
Yes
Rear Cross Traffic Alert
Not confirmed
Yes
Spec
Dawn
Swift
Cruise Control
Automatic Cruise Control
Adaptive cruise control
Adaptive Cruise Control
Automatic distance-control cruise with stop-and-start traffic response
Yes
Lane Departure Warning
Optional
Yes
Parking Sensors
Park-distance system
Front and rear
Rear View Camera
Optional rear-view camera with top view
Yes
360 Degree Camera
Optional camera system with rear, top and side views
Yes
Autonomous Emergency Braking
Available
Yes
Auto Highbeam
Glare-free high-beam technology
Not Applicable
Auto Wipers
Rain-sensing variable-speed wipers
Yes
Rear Parking Sensors
Rear Park Distance Control
Yes
Reverse Camera
Optional rear-view camera with top view
Yes
Adaptive Cruise Control
Automatic distance-control cruise with stop-and-start traffic response
Yes
Park Assist
Front and rear parking sensors
Yes
Around View Monitor
Optional camera system with rear, top and side views
Yes
Forward Collision Warning
Pre-collision safety system
Yes
Lane Keep Assist
Optional
Yes
Blind Spot Monitoring
Not confirmed
Not Applicable
Rear Cross Traffic Alert
Not confirmed
Yes
Driver Fatigue Alert
Not confirmed
Yes
Traffic Sign Recognition
Not confirmed
Yes
Blind Spot Warning
Not confirmed
Not Applicable
Spec
Dawn
Swift
Seat Material
Leather
Fabric upholstery
Heated Seats
Front; standard
No
Ventilated Seats
Optional front ventilated seats
No
Ambient Lighting
Optional – Atmospheric Interior Environment
No
Steering Wheel Material
Leather
Leather
60 40 Split Seat
Not Applicable
Yes
Driver Seat Adjustment
Electrically adjustable with lumbar adjustment and memory
Manual adjustment
Passenger Seat Adjustment
Electrically adjustable with lumbar adjustment
Manual adjustment
Seat Trim
Leather
Fabric upholstery
Spec
Dawn
Swift
Climate Control
Individual front and rear climate controls
Automatic climate control
Power Windows
Standard
Yes
Keyless Entry
Comfort Entry keyless access
Yes
Push Button Start
Keyless ignition
Yes
Sunroof
Not Applicable
No
Electric Tailgate
Smart power opening and closing luggage-compartment lid
No
Rain Sensing Wipers
Standard
Not Applicable
AC Type
Individual front and rear climate controls
Automatic climate control
Wireless Charging
Not confirmed
Yes
Spec
Dawn
Swift
Infotainment System
Multimedia interface and navigation with Spirit of Ecstasy Rotary Controller
Touchscreen infotainment system
Bluetooth Connectivity
Standard
Yes
Number of Speakers
18
6
Digital Instrument Cluster
Analogue instruments with Power Reserve gauge
Digital instrument display
USB Ports
Standard
USB-A / USB-C
Infotainment Screen
10.25-inch high-definition display
9
Touchscreen
10.25-inch high-definition display
9
Apple CarPlay
Not confirmed
Apple CarPlay
Android Auto
Not confirmed
Android Auto
Spec
Dawn
Swift
LED Headlamps
Standard
Yes
Daytime Running Lamps
Standard
LED
Roof Rails
Not Applicable
No
Exterior Colour Options
Bespoke exterior colour commissioning
Multiple Suzuki factory exterior colours
Headlights
Standard
Yes
Panoramic Sunroof
Not Applicable
No
Fog Lamps
Not confirmed
Yes
Spec
Dawn
Swift
Wading Depth
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Terrain Modes
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
4WD System Type
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Approach Angle
Not confirmed
Not Applicable
Departure Angle
Not confirmed
Not Applicable
Locking Differential
Not confirmed
No
Breakover Angle
Not confirmed
Not Applicable
Spec
Dawn
Swift
Tyre Size
Front 255/45 R20 101Y; rear 285/40 R20 104Y
195/60 R16
Front Brake Type
Power-assisted ventilated disc
Ventilated disc
Rear Brake Type
Power-assisted ventilated disc
Disc
Spare Wheel Type
No spare wheel; run-flat tyres
Space-saver spare wheel
Wheel Rim Size
Front 8.5 x 20; rear 9.5 x 20
16
Handbrake Type
Electromechanical parking brake acting on the rear wheels
Manual parking brake
Spec
Dawn
Swift
Front Suspension
Double-wishbone pneumatic suspension with newly designed self-levelling air springs, active roll control and continuous electronic damping
MacPherson strut
Rear Suspension
Multi-link pneumatic suspension with newly designed self-levelling air springs, active roll control and continuous electronic damping
Torsion beam
Spec
Dawn
Swift
CO2 Emissions
326 g/km
125 g/km
Fuel Octane Requirement
Designed for 95 RON; minimum 91 RON
-
Spec
Dawn
Swift
Service Plan
4 years, unlimited kilometres
5 Years / 90000 km
Spec
Dawn
Swift
Ownership Role
Historical South African Dawn derivative launched locally in March 2016 and documented locally in 2018; the March 2022 global Dawn order-book closure is an outer bound, not proof of the exact South African withdrawal year, while production ended in 2023.
Suzuki ownership programme
Pricing Role
Historical price on application
Hagalu Research Team price estimate
Price Zar
Not confirmed
312500 ZAR
Starting Price
Not confirmed
312500
Starting Price Zar
Not confirmed
312500
Spec
Dawn
Swift
Warranty
4 years, unlimited kilometres
5 Years / 200000 km
In depth: how these cars differ
This Dawn and Swift comparison uses the exact derivatives selected above for South Africa. The catalogue index covers performance, efficiency, safety equipment, practicality and ownership cover only where comparable source-backed fields are present.
Performance index: Dawn 97 vs Swift 23.
Efficiency index: Dawn 31 vs Swift 69.
Safety-equipment index: Dawn 90 vs Swift 87.
Practicality index: Dawn 52 vs Swift 42.
Ownership-cover index: Dawn not separately scored vs Swift not separately scored.
These figures are Hagalu catalogue-comparison indicators, not customer ratings, crash-test scores, resale guarantees or a substitute for a road test. Each page shows its weighted source coverage beside the result.
Model imagery
Dawn and Swift image comparison
Open an image for its full canonical file or visit the model page for the complete vehicle record.
A transparent comparison of published catalogue fields. This is not a road-test score, owner rating or editorial review rating, and it appears only when every vehicle clears the same comparable-data threshold.
Evidence / 100
Evidence-index readout
Dawn leads by 16 points
Dawn holds a noticeable catalogue-index lead over Swift.
Performance
Dawn +74
Efficiency
Swift +38
Safety
Dawn +3
Practicality
Dawn +10
Moderate difference in the source-backed catalogue index.
Why this scoreView full breakdown
Evidence-index leader
Dawn
Performance
97/100
Efficiency
31/100
Safety
90/100
Practicality
52/100
Swift
Performance
23/100
Efficiency
69/100
Safety
87/100
Practicality
42/100
What the evidence means
Evidence indexRolls-Royce Dawn
leads the specification evidence index with 70 pts
vs 54 pts for Swift
In Hagalu's specification evidence index, Dawn leads. However, Swift may suit buyers prioritising different confirmed fields. Ultimately, the right choice depends on your driving priorities in South Africa.
Related comparisons
Continue with closely related South Africa models and comparable body styles.
There is no universal winner. Use the comparison table to match the models and available derivatives in South Africa on price, safety equipment, space, powertrain and ownership cover. The category indicators summarise published catalogue data; they are not a road test or customer rating.
Compare the published consumption or mileage rows for the exact derivatives using the same unit and test basis. A catalogue figure is useful for like-for-like comparison, but traffic, speed, load, weather and driving style can change actual fuel use.
Compare only equipment explicitly listed for each derivative, including airbags, stability control and driver-assistance systems. Confirm the exact trim with the manufacturer, and treat any independent crash-test result separately because equipment and ratings can differ by market.
A reliable five-year total cannot be calculated from catalogue data alone. Add the exact purchase and finance cost, fuel or electricity, insurance quotes, scheduled servicing, tyres and expected resale value. Check whether the selected derivative includes a service or maintenance plan.
Use the seating, boot or load-space, ISOFIX and safety rows as a first check. Then test the exact cars with your child seats, passengers and typical luggage, because published dimensions do not show every access or comfort difference.
Compare the published power, torque and 0–100 km/h rows when they are available for both exact derivatives. Vehicle weight, gearing and power delivery also matter, so catalogue outputs alone do not establish real-world overtaking or response.
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