Suzuki will axe the Ignis, Jimny LCV, Swace and Swift Sport in the UK in the coming months as the brand gears up to launch its first electric car.

It has attributed the decision to the UK's zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) mandate, which forces manufacturers to sell an increasing proportion of EVs over the next decade.

That starts at 22% in 2024 and rises to 28% in 2025 and 80% in 2030. Manufacturers face a £15,000 penalty for every ICE car sold above the permitted proportion.

Suzuki UK director Dale Wyatt said: “The departure of these models will make room for EV and enable us to compete during a period where our sales ratio of hybrid versus EV products will drive our business. 

“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.”

His comments suggest that the Swift Sport hot hatch, which has been on sale in various forms since 2006, won't return in this model generation.

Suzuki UK added that the models being axed could disappear from its showrooms "sooner than early 2025 if dealer stock depletes”. 

The changes mean that the only petrol-engined cars remaining in the Japanese brand's UK line-up will be the Swift, Vitara, S-Cross and Across. 

It forecasts a similar sales total for this year as in 2023. According to figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, it sold 26,574 cars last year, up on 17,378 in 2022.

Suzuki has already provided a first look at its first electric car with the eVX concept, sized roughly between the S-Cross and Vitara. It has a 60kWh battery that's claimed to yield a range of 342 miles.