Introduction
The last Suzuki Swift was a proper revelation in 2004, shifting from a fairly pedestrian and very obviously 'budget' supermini into a Savile Row one; it was one of the most handsome superminis on sale. So Suzuki decided not to mess too much with this one, released in 2010, to the extent that even its mother probably couldn't tell it apart from the older brother.
We're driving the diesel one here, which has only just gone on sale (June 2011) and will account for a fraction of overall sales. So why bother, Suzuki? Well, we've driven around in one for a week and the answer is: we're not sure.
What are its rivals?
Supermini buyers are among the most spoiled for choice in the UK - we love a good supermini here - so the Swift is in both prolific and esteemed company. The top two in the class are the Ford Fiesta and the Volkswagen Polo, while the not-quite-so-good Vauxhall Corsa (from which this Swift borrows its engine) and Peugeot 207 sell very well too. Budget rivals include the Kia Rio and the Hyundai i20; then there's the French set comprising the Renault Clio and the Citroen C3.
Any more? The Chevrolet Spark does a similar thing, and there's the Skoda Fabia, SEAT Ibiza, Fiat Punto Evo, Mazda2, Toyota Auris and even the Honda Jazz and Nissan Note if you want something a little taller. Enough already.
How does it drive?
Take away the engine (figuratively, not literally) and the Swift drives with the sort of cheery sharpness that its name suggests it will. The engine is the weak link, though; not because there's much wrong with it, but because it adds a huge premium to the car for negligible benefit. We'll come to that.
The Swift feels big because of its tall roofline, nicely adjustable driving position and decent rear space, but at the same time the chassis setup makes it feel almost as nimble and dynamic as the class best.
A suspension setup ever-so-slightly on the firm side gives it lots of cornering feel and it resists body roll during cornering and braking, although it does mean that the most pebbly streets have it jiggling around a little, which irritates at times. But it's not enough to ruin a car that's actually great fun to drive, yet big and comfy enough to satisfy those who are just after a bit of good looking A to B transport.
The gear stick has a tad too much left-right movement in gear, but the five-speed gearbox is good enough. And the 74bhp engine, though noisy above 3,000rpm, has plenty of shove from low revs. It does bog down when pulling away in first gear at times, however.
What's impressive?
Aside from all the positive driving traits we've just mentioned, and its good looks, the Suzuki is, on a basic level, just a very pleasant car to live with. Its dashboard is nice to look at - if slightly grey - with the boring stuff well handled, like putting the buttons within reaching distance and clumping them together in a logical fashion.
It's also got a driving position that all sizes of person can get on board with, which is not always the case in a supermini. And with this diesel engine it has a fuel needle that seems magnetically opposed to sinking, and very low VED bills: nothing in the first year, £20 thereafter.
What's not?
The quality of the surfaces is not up with the best, with not a sausage in terms of spongy material - the Ford Fiesta, VW Polo and Punto Evo all get some soft surfaces. And the boot is small.
But it's the diesel engine that's the problem here - or rather, the cost of the diesel engine. With only one specification available, mid-level SZ3, the diesel Swift is almost £13,000, which is a full £1,660 more than the 1.2-litre petrol version. Yes, it has more low-end punch and is a good ten mpg more economical (67.3mpg against 56.5mpg) but most low-mileage, door-to-door supermini users (a stereotype, true) just won't make those savings.
Should I buy one?
It's not the most refined, highest quality or cheapest supermini available, but as an overall package the Swift is charming to live with. It drives as well as it looks, has a decent amount of space and, once you've swallowed the buying costs, is cheap to run, tax and insure. However, we think the diesel premium is simply too big, and for that reason alone we'd steer you towards a petrol Swift.
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