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.
L4 has a modest catalogue-index lead, while Swift remains close.
Swift starts ZAR 71,000 cheaperL4 from ZAR 299,900 · Swift from ZAR 228,900
Five key differences
Exact selected derivatives
Swipe sideways to compare every column
Specification
L4
Swift
Maximum Power
L4108 kW @ 5500 rpm
Swift60 kW
Maximum Torque
L4225 Nm @ 2000-4000 rpm
Swift113 Nm
Engine Size
L41499 cc
Swift1197 cc
Combined Fuel Economy
L414.3 km/l
Swift18.2 km/l
Ground Clearance
L4160 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.
LEPAS L4
1.5T Pantera 6DCT
Hagalu editorial rating
4.3/5★★★★★★★★★★
Desk research · Exact variant
Hagalu Editorial Team ·
Editorial assessment, not a customer rating. Not road-tested for this review.
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
L4
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?
L4
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
Spec
L4
Swift
Model Introduced Year
2026
2026
Generation
First-generation LEPAS L4 compact SUV
Current market generation
Facelift History
The L4 launched as the first LEPAS model in South Africa in 2026.
Current market specification
Facelift Launched Since
2026
2026
Facelift Version Ending
Current
Current
Body Style
SUV
Hatchback
Model Year
2026
2026
Production Status
Active
active
Segment
Compact SUV
Hatchback
Vehicle Type
SUV
Hatchback
Spec
L4
Swift
Length
4406 mm
3860 mm
Width
1820 mm
1735 mm
Height
1635 mm
1520 mm
Wheelbase
2700 mm
2450 mm
Ground Clearance (Default)
160 mm
0 mm
Ground Clearance (With Full Seating Load)
170 mm
150 mm
Fuel Tank Capacity
51 l
37 l
Boot/Cargo Space
458 l
265 l
Kerb Weight
1346 kg
920 kg
Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW)
1844 kg
1380 kg
Payload Capacity
498 kg
460 kg
Towing Capacity
1200 kg
500 kg
Seating Capacity
5 seats
5 seats
Number of Rows
2 rows
2 rows
Doors
5 doors
5 doors
Minimum Turning Radius
5.275 m
5.2 m
Front Headroom
1005 mm
1000 mm
Rear Headroom
975 mm
950 mm
Front Legroom
1040 mm
1050 mm
Rear Legroom
890 mm
900 mm
Spec
L4
Swift
Engine
1.5-litre Turbocharged Petrol
1.2-litre Naturally Aspirated Petrol
Engine Code
SQRE4T15C
Z12E/K12
Fuel Type
Petrol
Petrol
Hybrid System
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Engine Displacement
1499 cc
1197 cc
Cylinders
4
4
Cylinder Layout
Inline
Inline
Valves
16
16
Valves per Cylinder
4
4
Aspiration
Turbocharged
Naturally Aspirated
Fuel System
Multi-Point Electronic Fuel Injection
Multi-point fuel injection
Compression Ratio
9.5:1
12.0:1
Bore
77.0 mm
73.0 mm
Stroke
80.5 mm
85.0 mm
Maximum Power
108 kW @ 5500 rpm
60 kW
Maximum Torque
225 Nm @ 2000-4000 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
FWD
Not Officially Disclosed
Transmission
6-Speed DCT
CVT
Top Speed
185 km/h
170 km/h
0-100 km/h
10.2 sec
12.0 sec
Quarter Mile
17.6 sec
18.0 sec
Drive Modes
Eco, Normal, Sport
Not Officially Disclosed
Launch Control
No
No
Rev Limiter
6500 rpm
6500 rpm
Power-to-Weight Ratio
80.2 kW/tonne
65.2 kW/tonne
Torque-to-Weight Ratio
167.2 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
L4
Swift
Gearbox
6-speed dual-clutch automatic
CVT automatic
Drivetrain Layout
Front-engine, front-wheel drive
2WD
LSD Available
No
No
Transfer Case
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Differential Lock
Not Applicable
No
Paddle Shifters
Not Available
No
Final Drive Ratio
4.13:1
4.3
Number of Gears
6
Not Applicable
Transmission Type
Automatic
CVT automatic
Clutch Type
Dual clutch
Torque converter / CVT
Gear Shift Indicator
Yes
Yes
Gear Shift Type
Automatic
Floor-mounted selector
Drivetrain
FWD
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
Not Available
No
Front Differential Lock
Not Applicable
No
Gearbox Type
Automatic
CVT automatic
Low Range Ratio
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Low Range
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Axle Layout
4x2
Front driven axle
Rear Differential Lock
Not Applicable
No
Transmission Speeds
6
Not Applicable
Spec
L4
Swift
Claimed Mileage
14.3 km/l
18.2 km/l
City Mileage
11.5 km/l
16.0 km/l
Highway Mileage
16.8 km/l
19.0 km/l
Fuel Tank Capacity
51 l
37 l
Emission Standard
Euro 6B
Euro 6 equivalent
AdBlue Tank Capacity
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Auto Start Stop
Standard
Yes
Real-world Mileage
14.3 km/l
18.2 km/l
Charging Port Type
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Charging Type
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Fuel Tank Litres
51
37
Combined Driving Range
Not Applicable
700
Electric Consumption
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Range Real World Highway
Not Applicable
650 km
Range Real World Mixed
Not Applicable
600 km
Spec
L4
Swift
Airbags
6
6
ABS
Standard
Not Applicable
Electronic Stability Control
Standard
Yes
Traction Control
Standard
Yes
Hill Descent Control
Standard
No
Hill Start Assist
Standard
Yes
Child Safety Lock
Standard
Yes
ISOFIX Mounts
Standard
Yes
Brake Assist
Standard
Yes
Tyre Pressure Monitor
Standard
Yes
Engine Immobiliser
Standard
Not Applicable
Seatbelt Warning All Seats
Yes
Yes
Front Parking Sensors
Standard
Yes
AEB
Standard
Yes
BA
Standard
Yes
Brake Override System
Yes
Yes
Curtain Airbags
Standard
Yes
Driver Airbag
Standard
Yes
EBD
Standard
Not Applicable
Engine Immobiliser
Standard
Yes
Hill Hold
Standard
Yes
Passenger Airbag
Standard
Yes
Rear Cross Traffic Alert
Standard
Yes
Seatbelt Pretensioners
Yes - front seats
Yes
Seatbelt Reminder
Yes
Yes
Side Airbags
Standard
Yes
Stability Control
Standard
Yes
TCS
Standard
Yes
Knee Airbag
Not Available
No
ABS EBD
Standard
Not Applicable
Spec
L4
Swift
Cruise Control
Adaptive
Adaptive cruise control
Adaptive Cruise Control
Standard
Yes
Lane Keep Assist
Standard
Yes
Lane Departure Warning
Standard
Yes
Blind Spot Monitoring
Standard
Not Applicable
Rear Cross Traffic Alert
Standard
Yes
Parking Sensors
Front and rear
Front and rear
Rear View Camera
Standard
Yes
360 Degree Camera
Standard
Yes
Autonomous Emergency Braking
Standard
Yes
Driver Fatigue Alert
Standard
Yes
Traffic Sign Recognition
Yes
Yes
Auto Highbeam
Standard
Not Applicable
Auto Wipers
Standard
Yes
Rear Parking Sensors
Standard
Yes
Reverse Camera
Standard
Yes
Adaptive Cruise Control
Standard
Yes
Park Assist
No
Yes
Around View Monitor
Standard
Yes
Blind Spot Warning
Standard
Not Applicable
Forward Collision Warning
Standard
Yes
Spec
L4
Swift
Seat Material
Faux leather
Fabric upholstery
Heated Seats
No
No
Ventilated Seats
Standard
No
Ambient Lighting
Yes
No
Steering Wheel Material
Faux leather
Leather
60 40 Split Seat
Standard
Yes
Driver Seat Adjustment
6-way power
Manual adjustment
Passenger Seat Adjustment
4-way manual
Manual adjustment
Seat Trim
Faux leather
Fabric upholstery
Spec
L4
Swift
Climate Control
Climate control
Automatic climate control
Power Windows
Front and rear
Yes
Keyless Entry
Standard
Yes
Push Button Start
Standard
Yes
Wireless Charging
Standard
Yes
Sunroof
Standard
No
Electric Tailgate
Not Available
No
Rain Sensing Wipers
Standard
Not Applicable
AC Type
Climate control
Automatic climate control
Spec
L4
Swift
Infotainment System
13.2-inch
Touchscreen infotainment system
Apple CarPlay
Standard
Apple CarPlay
Android Auto
Standard
Android Auto
Bluetooth Connectivity
Standard
Yes
Number of Speakers
6
6
Digital Instrument Cluster
8-inch segment display
Digital instrument display
USB Ports
2
USB-A / USB-C
Infotainment Screen
13.2-inch
9
Touchscreen
13.2-inch
9
Spec
L4
Swift
LED Headlamps
Standard
Yes
Daytime Running Lamps
Standard
LED
Fog Lamps
Rear
Yes
Roof Rails
Standard
No
Exterior Colour Options
LEPAS South Africa colour availability varies by derivative and launch allocation.
Multiple Suzuki factory exterior colours
Headlights
Standard
Yes
Panoramic Sunroof
Standard
No
Spec
L4
Swift
Approach Angle
20.0 deg
Not Applicable
Departure Angle
28.0 deg
Not Applicable
Wading Depth
400 mm
Not Applicable
Terrain Modes
No
Not Applicable
Locking Differential
Not Applicable
No
4WD System Type
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Breakover Angle
18.5 deg
Not Applicable
Spec
L4
Swift
Tyre Size
215/60 R17
195/60 R16
Front Brake Type
Ventilated disc
Ventilated disc
Rear Brake Type
Disc
Disc
Spare Wheel Type
Temporary T-type spare tyre
Space-saver spare wheel
Wheel Rim Size
17-inch
16
Handbrake Type
Electronic
Manual parking brake
Spec
L4
Swift
Front Suspension
MacPherson strut independent suspension
MacPherson strut
Rear Suspension
Torsion beam semi-independent suspension
Torsion beam
Spec
L4
Swift
CO2 Emissions
159 g/km
125 g/km
Spec
L4
Swift
Service Plan
5 years / 75,000 km
5 Years / 90000 km
Spec
L4
Swift
Ownership Role
safety and comfort flagship derivative
Suzuki ownership programme
Price Zar
419900 ZAR
312500 ZAR
Pricing Role
safety and comfort flagship derivative
Hagalu Research Team price estimate
Starting Price
419900
312500
Starting Price Zar
419900
312500
Spec
L4
Swift
Warranty
5 years / 150,000 km
5 Years / 200000 km
In depth: how these cars differ
This L4 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: L4 47 vs Swift 23.
Efficiency index: L4 56 vs Swift 69.
Safety-equipment index: L4 92 vs Swift 87.
Practicality index: L4 59 vs Swift 42.
Ownership-cover index: L4 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
L4 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
L4 leads by 10 points
L4 has a modest catalogue-index lead, while Swift remains close.
Moderate difference in the source-backed catalogue index.
Why this scoreView full breakdown
Evidence-index leader
L4
Performance
47/100
Efficiency
56/100
Safety
92/100
Practicality
59/100
Swift
Performance
23/100
Efficiency
69/100
Safety
87/100
Practicality
42/100
What the evidence means
Evidence indexLEPAS L4
leads the specification evidence index with 64 pts
vs 54 pts for Swift
In Hagalu's specification evidence index, L4 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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