The 69-MPG Car Your Government Says You Can’t Have

“The government has the power to certify vehicles for sale here, and they simply refuse to certify diesel-powered vehicles smaller than a 3/4 ton pickup truck (6,000-lb GVWR), with very few exceptions. The reason I mention all that is to introduce you to a new economy car of which you may be unaware; the Suzuki Swift1.3 DDiS. You know, Suzuki: the affordable car just about anyone can manage to buy new. Except you can't buy this one. It is rated at 49.6 mpg city, 69 mpg highway, and 61.4 mpg combined. And with a 0-60 mph acceleration time of 14.2 seconds and top speed of 102 mph it is not what you would call a muscle car, but its performance is on par with most other economy cars. And it's not a hybrid. It's a diesel. Which is why the government won't let us have one.”