Suzuki Swift (2023 - ) review

Suzuki has made sure the Swift is strong on value. It starts at £18,699 undercutting rivals such as the Skoda Fabia and Peugeot 208, while the entry-level Mazda2 is marginally cheaper but offers significantly fewer mod-cons as standard. The Swift is predicted to hold its value well, making for some attractive finance offers and from launch you will be able to bag one for as little as £189 per month. It shouldn’t cost you much to fuel either – Suzuki claims the 1.2 litre mild hybrid is capable of up to 64.2 mpg and our short test route suggested this could be achievable if hypermiling is your thing. CO2 emissions are low too at just 99 g/km for the front-wheel-drive manual models keeping Benefit In Kind tax down for company car drivers. The only sting in the Swift’s tail is likely to come from the all-new hybrid MG3. The MG will be a self-charging hybrid like the Toyota Yaris. However, whilst the Yaris is a more expensive option, the MG3 will be available for a similar price as the Swift, suddenly making it look a bit dear.

This is an all-new version of the Swift, so we don’t know about its reliability just yet. However, it’s based on existing Suzuki foundations and given Suzuki’s strong reliability record, we’ve got high hopes for the latest model. Like all Suzuki’s, the Swift will have the usual three-year/60,000 mile warranty but servicing your car with Suzuki will extend your cover until the car is up to seven years old or has 100,000 miles on the clock, so you can rest easy.

Suzuki has been generous with its safety features, offering a huge list of kit as standard. All Swifts come with sensors to alert to any potential collisions and lane keeping assistance which will intervene to stop you drifting out of your lane. You’ll also get blind spot monitoring, which is one of our favourite features and is often a cost option, even on significantly more premium cars. Included with this is a rear cross traffic alert which will detect if you are about to reverse out into oncoming traffic. The only annoyance is the traffic sign recognition which will often spot stop signs or speed limits on side roads. This is made more frustrating due to the warning beeps suggesting you’ve exceeded the speed limit, even when you haven’t. The warning can be turned off, but it’s a bit fiddly and you’ll have to remember to do it every time before you set off.

Getting comfy in the driver’s seat is easily done by pumping a few manual leavers and the seats are supportive. Suzuki has worked to improve the refinement compared to the previous model by reducing the amount of noise and vibrations making their way into the cabin, and the Swift coped admirably over speed bumps and rough road surfaces. The cream geometric patterned door trim and dashboard do look like they might be part of the sound proofing, but you won’t be paying them much attention it when you’re driving. While these harsh plastics might put some people off the Swift, the interior does feel well put together and durable. The interior is airy with light headlining adding to the sense of space. Headroom is good in the back and there’s an acceptable amount of legroom for a car of this size. The boot may not be cavernous, but again, it’s much as you would expect from a supermini.

The Swift comes in two trim levels, but Suzuki has made sure everything you need comes as standard. The base-level Motion trim has a reversing camera and rear parking sensors, adaptive cruise control, keyless entry and start, satnav, 16-inch painted alloy wheels, and it’s even got heated seats. For most people, there’s no need to opt for a range-topping Ultra model. This simply adds a few nice-to-haves, such as electric folding wingmirrors with integrated indicators, polished alloy wheels, and automatic air conditioning. All cars also get a nine-inch touchscreen with wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay integration. This looks rather bulky, and does have a noticeable amount of lag, but it is logically laid out and we like how the navigation instructions can also appear between the speedometer and rev counter in front of the driver.

Though Suzuki says this is a Swift for the digital era, its traditional driving experience feels almost retro in an age of touchscreens and fancy displays. While this might not be for everyone, we loved it. The Swift’s performance figures will win you no bragging rights, however on the road it feels much nipper than the numbers would suggest. The car we tried was the front-wheel-drive manual but there’s an automatic version available too and an all-wheel-drive manual option to follow. Many other new cars are heavy brutes, yet the Swift is very light, so it doesn’t take long to gather its skirts and unleash all of its 82 horsepower. Ok, we admit you’ll need to work through the gears, but the Swift felt playful and eager out on the country roads of rural France where we tested it. The clutch and other pedals are wonderfully light, and the steering is direct, so for the tiniest bit of effort you’ll get maximum reward. We can’t wait to try it back in the UK and to see if it can keep pace sufficiently on motorways. Everything you need is exactly where you would expect it to be, making it refreshingly easy to just get in and go.