When Suzuki Philippines first brought the second generation Dzire, it became the first model to come with a 5-speed automated manual transmission (AMT) dubbed Auto Gear Shift (AGS). It was then followed by the third-generation Celerio which swapped its CVT for AGS. Last but not least was the S-Presso which used to only be available with a 5-speed manual but was eventually given an AGS variant.

With more and more models being fitted with the AGS transmission, we won't be surprised if Suzuki's other cars could soon be equipped with the automated manual transmission. In fact, the Suzuki Swift built and sold in India by Maruti actually comes with the said gearbox.

Unlike the PH-spec Swift which comes from Thailand and is offered with a CVT or 5-speed manual gearbox, the Indian-spec Swift is only available with an AGS or manual transmission. It comes with a 1.2-liter four-cylinder Dual VVT engine that makes 89 PS (extra 7 PS compared to PH) with 113 Nm of torque and is coupled to a 5-speed AMT.

Style-wise, the Swift AGS for the Indian market is still based on the third-generation model which the Philippine market also continues to get. But since the fourth-generation Swift is already available in other global markets, perhaps it might not be long before it becomes available to other markets like the Philippines.

This, however, begs the question, will the Philippines eventually get the Maruti-built Swift which comes with the AGS? According to an insider we spoke to, that will not be the case. Based on our previous report, a Suzuki executive shared with us that plans to bring the next-generation Swift are still under consideration. When we asked if the company would eventually get the next-gen Swift from India, they said that should they bring the all-new Swift to the Philippines, they would still source it from Thailand.

If you had a choice to bring the all-new Swift to the Philippines, would you want it with a CVT or with the 5-speed AGS transmission? Let us know in the comments.