2017 Suzuki Swift reviewed
This is the new Suzuki Swift and whilst it looks incredibly like the old one it’s actually completely new. We find out if it’s actually any better than the old one.
The new Swift has a smarter looking front end beefier wheel arches as well as large and distinctive rear lights. This is all designed to make the car appeal to younger drivers while more mature buyers, Suzuki hopes, will go for the Swift’s sister car in the guise of the Baleno.
Whilst the new Swift is a little bit larger than then old Swift the boot is still a little bit smaller than you’d find on the Ford Fiesta or the Kia Rio. There’s also quite a large lip and drop down into the boot floor which proves a bit of a struggle getting your luggage in and out. We also don’t particularly like the cheap looking parcel shelf which just feels like it’s made out of tissue paper. Even though it’s good that this car has 60/40 rear folding seats when you actually fold them down there is still quite a lip from the bottom of the floor to the back of the seat. This means that sliding larger items through into the cabin is just that little more difficult than it should be.
You could never say that the old Suzuki Swift had a lot of space in the back but this new version is an awful lot better. Adult passengers of average height will find a decent amount of leg room and thanks to the boxy dimensions then headroom is pretty good too. Even if you’re over 6ft you can still fit in nicely and that’s because you can put your feet underneath the seat in front of you and slouch a little bit. If you want to carry three people in the back then this is absolutely fine. Although there’s a small hump in the floor the middle passenger can actually sit quite comfortably. The seats are nice and padded and although there’s a little shortage of shoulder space it’s absolutely fine for a supermini. Elsewhere, you’ve got iSOfix points in both outer seats for child seats should you need them.
When you sit upfront you’ll find it all a bit of a surprise and that’s because the Swift has actually got quite a stylish dashboard. We love the large dials and the air conditioning controls also look very smart. The coloured panel along the top of the dashboard and on the doors really helps to break up the sense of greyness which is needed. It’s needed because Suzuki has decided to use quite a lot of grey plastics in the cabin. Whilst it’s all well screwed together none of it is of a plush soft material like you’d find in a VW Polo. With regards to practicality, you’ll find a couple of decent sized cubbies, a tray for your mobile phone and some charging ports. You’ll also find some cup holders, however what really lets the side down is the fact that the door bins just aren’t big enough. The same can be said about the glove box which is probably one of the smallest we’ve seen in a car in this class. Step into an entry level SZ3 and you get air conditioning, a leather steering wheel, digital radio, Bluetooth and front electric windows. For £2k more you can get your hand on the SZT which gives you things such as a rear view camera. While the SZ5 gets you sat nav, forward collision warning and keyless entry.
Basics Swifts get an 89bhp 1.2 litre petrol engine and amazingly they’re available with two or four wheel drive. The engine we’d opt for is the 1. 0 litre boosterjet turbo with 110 bhp that’s both punchy and economical. In the SZ5 version the boosterjet comes with something called SHVS. This is what Suzuki calls its mild hybrid system. This doesn’t mean you get electric the silent running that you get in a Toyota Prius but instead a system that stores the lost energy you lose through breaking and then uses it to assist acceleration. You won’t be able to feel this actually working but it does improve fuel economy. For example, the tiny 1.0 litre turbo charged petrol engine can realistically return over 50 miles per gallon (mpg) – which is pretty darn good! Claimed fuel economy for the basic 1.2 litre and hybrid version of the 1.0 litre is identical at 61.7 mpg. If you go without the hybrid then the 1.0 litre’s figure drops to 61.4 mpg. If you’re looking to count your pennies we would suggest that you avoid the automatic. Not only is it sluggish to change gears but you’ll be getting a claimed 56.5 mpg.
The old Swift was always a great car to drive and you can find lots of great used Suzuki Swift examples on DesperateSeller.co.uk. With the new incarnation we’re pleased to say that it’s arguably even better. The front end on the new car is extremely responsive and you’ll find that there’s so much grip. The steering is lovely and direct as well and the gearbox, especially the 5-speed manual, is really snappy. The only downside to this car is that the ride is actually really quite firm which means that the car really fidgets about when you go over potholes. There is another downside to this car as well and this is that it’s actually really quite noisy on the motorway. Cars such as the Vauxhall Corsa and the VW Polo are a lot more refined.
Just like its predecessor the Suzuki Swift is a very likeable car although it’s not particularly cheap. It looks good and for the most part it’s fun to drive. Niggles aside, it’s still an attractive choice in the class.
