SUZUKI SWIFT
New version of Suzuki’s supermini still has some of the old magic
Don’t go writing off the supermini just yet. European offerings are dropping by the wayside, but Japan has other ideas. We’ve recently welcomed the refreshed Toyota Yaris and closely related Mazda 2. And now we’re driving the fourth-generation Suzuki Swift – a former CAR magazine Car of the Year, remember.
The old four-cylinder engine has been given the chop in favour of a 1.2-litre inline-three mild hybrid. Suzuki has managed to squeeze out 81bhp, which is about the same as you got from the old K12D engine, but it’s more efficient and will get to 62mph slightly quicker at 12.5 seconds. Still a pedestrian figure at best, and we’re not going to pretend the Swift is a thrill a minute, but the power delivery, and the driver engagement, are impressive.
It’s not very refined, but it is spritely and offers a pleasing growl as you climb through the revs. Coupled with Suzuki’s manual gearbox it’s a winner. With its slick and precise action, rowing through the gears yourself is a treat. There’s an optional CVT alternative available, but we haven’t tried it yet, and the history of CVTs suggests it won’t be very driver-focused. It also harms fuel consumption, increasing it from the manual’s 64.2 to 60.1mpg
Also available as an option, but later in the year, will be an all-wheel-drive version. Suzuki has a lot of form with 4wd, but there really doesn’t seem to be any good reason to have it here. It will add weight and expense, and harm fuel efficiency.
Suzuki has resisted the temptation to make the new Swift bigger than the car it replaces, the classic route to being able to claim there’s more legroom. What’s more, the lightest versions still weigh in at less than a tonne – impressive trend bucking.
And check out the price. There’s been a lot of focus lately on bargain Dacias, but Suzuki is elbowing its way back into that territory; £18,699 is hard to argue with.
And it allows you to overlook the largely unappealing materials used in the cabin. You can see how the costs and the weight have been reined in. It’s now a symphony in hard and scratchy plastics. Soft surfaces are a rarity, but for a sub-£20,000 hatchback that’s fair enough.
Overall room is decent. There isn’t much rear legroom, but enough headroom in the front and rear to com
