Suzuki Swift (2005 - To Date)

Models Covered: 3 and 5-door hatchback: 1.3, 1.5, 1.6 petrol, 1.

3 diesel [GL, GLX, Sport, DDiS]

BY ANDY ENRIGHT

Although Suzuki would probably beg to differ, their old 1998-2003 Swift was often regarded as a bit of a joke, one of those Japanese oddities that missed the mark by some considerable margin. Yes, it was well engineered and relatively cheap but it lacked that element of personality and sparkle behind the wheel. It seems Suzuki was paying attention. Nobody really saw the 2005 Swift coming.

Suddenly here was a small car that keen drivers would turn to, a car that was fun, cheeky and affordable. As unlikely as this turnaround may have been, its to the benefit of used car buyers who now have a fairly sizeable park of used stock to choose from.

Build
Comfort
Depreciation
Economy
Equipment
Handling
Insurance
Performance
Styling
Value

The first good thing to say about the Swift,is that its no bad looker. For years we received a stream of small Suzukis that, while being reasonably good to drive, just looked a little too alien to succeed as a mainstream proposition. Anybody who has driven a Wagon R+ will know that its enormous fun to drive but few potential buyers ever got past the setsquare looks. The post 05 Swift was refreshingly different, offering what Suzuki calls a "1.5 box" design. Rather than being an amorphous blob, this Swift features a pronounced bonnet line and a very shapely contour along its shoulders. A wide air dam and big headlamps give the car a distinctive face and the big wheels at each corner of the car give the impression that its solidly planted to the road. The black pillars produce a floating glasshouse effect and the wraparound glazing helps to promote better all round visibility.

The rear of the car is even more expressive, with thickset haunches and a roof that melds into an integrated spoiler. The interior was also very different from what wed come to expect from Suzuki. Again a wraparound theme dominates, with smoothly curved surfaces and a number of bright ideas. The illuminated ring around the speedometer is a welcome change from the usual chrome rings and the three-spoke steering wheel looks agreeably sporty.

Taking its cue from Suzukis sports bike expertise, the tachometer dial features a zero mark at the six oclock position. A centrally mounted information display takes care of the time, fuel consumption and outside temperature functions. Suzuki have listened to customers who are tired of manipulating tiny, fiddly audio and climate buttons and have instead opted for big, easy to reach dial-type controls. The audio system can also be operated from a set of optional wheel-mounted switches.

A Swift 1.3 GL starts at around £5,700 for an 05 plate model in the three-door body style. Plump for the five-door and youll need to front up with a couple of hundred more. The 1.

5-litre engine is usefully pokier and the three-door GLX kicks off at just over £7,000 on an 06 plate. The automatic version has proven quite popular and these start at around £6,900 on an 05 plate. The diesel is a little rare but clean 2006 55 platers can be found from around £7,500.

The build quality feels way better than early Swifts and Suzuki has developed a burgeoning reputation for good dealer service and sensible spares pricing. As with any car that gets used in the city a good proportion of its life, check for shopping dents and scrapes, wheel alignment and kiddie damage. The Sport model is likely to have lived a slightly more exercised existence, so check for crash damage, tyre wear and clutch life.

(approx based on a 2006 1.5 GLX - ex Vat) A clutch assembly is around £90 and an exhaust system about £115. Front and rear brake pads will be about £60 and £35. A radiator is about £100 reconditioned, a recon alternator about £150 reconditioned and a recon starter motor around £110.



The entry-level option is a 92PS 1.3-litre petrol unit that has been a big seller. Next up is a 102PS 1.5-litre petrol powerplant and then theres the 65PS 1.

3-litre DDiS diesel. The Sport is powered by a 125bhp engine and this is the standout motor in the range. Suzuki quotes a sprint to 60mph of just 8.9s, making the Swift quicker off the mark than a MINI Cooper or a Citroën C2 VTR. High-lift cams help top-end performance, the peak power being reached at a lofty 6,800rpm, a reminder, if ever it were needed, that Suzuki make some very decent motor bikes! The intake manifold has been widened and polished while the forged pistons and free-flowing exhaust also help the Sport realise its dynamic aspirations. Drive in a more measured fashion and you might match Suzukis quoted combined fuel consumption figure of 37.7mpg.

Just dont bank on it. That throttle pedal is an addictive thing. The diesel unit is also interesting, featuring common rail architecture allied to a turbocharger and intercooler. The result is a surprisingly flat torque curve that offers strong responses at a wide range of engine speeds.

The 1.3-litre petrol engine is capable of hitting 60mph from standstill in 11 seconds on the way to its 109mph top speed. The 1.5-litre option cuts a second from that time and has a top speed of 115mph, although those figures are dulled slightly if you substitute the standard manual transmission for the automatic gearbox.

Fuel economy is key in a car like the Swift and averages of 45.6mpg and 43.5mpg for the two petrol engines respectively is a good showing. Better still is the diesels 61.

4mpg.

The Swift hits the spot. Its well built, cheeky, safe, inexpensive and. above all, fun to drive. Many small cars can offer two or three of those attributes but to get the full house is a rarity.

If youre looking for a supermini thats a little different to the usual boring names, give the Swift a try.