Suzuki Swift review

Quick review

The Suzuki Swift is a value champion in a slowly shrinking class. It feels built to a price in a way the MG3 doesn’t, but the trade-off is a lightweight construction that provides agile handling and rock-bottom fuel costs. The Swift won’t suit everyone, but if you’re not yet ready to go electric, this car provides an affordable, familiar and honest entry into the small-car market.

Our choice: 1.2 Motion

Suzuki Swift: price, specs and rivals

The supermini segment is dwindling. The Ford Fiesta is no more, and fewer manufacturers are finding reasons to invest funds in small cars – looking to more profitable SUVs (and electric cars) instead. 

But instead of pulling the plug, Suzuki sees this as an opportunity. It estimates that of the 250,000 superminis sold annually in the UK, almost a third either won’t exist at all, or won’t have a like-for-like petrol replacement by 2028.

Hopes are high for the Suzuki Swift, then. There’s an expectation from the company that the Swift should thrive in a thinning market thanks to a long specification list, respectable efficiency from its mild-hybrid engine, a choice of manual or automatic gearboxes and even a four-wheel drive powertrain option.

All Swifts are powered by a 1.2-litre petrol engine with mild-hybrid electrical assistance, delivering 81bhp and 112Nm of torque. It comes with either a five-speed manual, or a CVT automatic transmission. The majority of the range is front-wheel drive, but the top-of-the-range Ultra trim can be had with ALLGRIP four-wheel drive.

Used - available now

2021 Suzuki

Swift

32,895 milesManualPetrol1.2L

Cash £10,999

View Swift

2021 Suzuki

Swift

35,375 milesManualPetrol1.2L

Cash £10,999

View Swift

2019 Suzuki

Swift

36,388 milesManualPetrol1.0L

Cash £9,299

View Swift

2021 Suzuki

Swift

31,802 milesManualPetrol1.2L

Cash £10,701

View Swift

Speaking of trims, there is a choice of two: entry-level Motion or Ultra. We reckon that Motion makes the most sense because despite being the least expensive version, it still comes stacked with the essentials (and more besides). For instance, there’s 16-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights, a nine-inch touchscreen infotainment system with sat-nav and full wireless smartphone connectivity, heated front seats, blind spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and adaptive cruise control. The pricier Ultra trim gets a few additional extras such as an automatic climate control system with a rear air vent, polished 16-inch alloys, electrically folding door mirrors, and seatbelt height adjusters.

Pricing for the Swift starts above the entry-level Renault Clio at a little over £18,500 in Motion trim. Upgrading to Ultra ups the price to a shade under £20,000, or roughly the same price as an entry-level Skoda Fabia. A CVT auto Swift starts at around £20,000, while the top-of-the-range Ultra equipped with ALLGRIP starts at a little over £21,000, or about what it’ll cost to get into a full hybrid Renault Clio E-Tech or an entry-level Volkswagen Polo.

The Swift features some very trick construction that means it’s just about the lightest car in the supermini class, with even the SZ5 4x4 model weighing less than 1000kg - a minor miracle in this day and age. The 82bhp offered by the 1.2-litre Dualjet motor sounds small by modern standards, but the Swift's light weight means that it still feels enthusiastic, while working the slick and smooth five-speed manual gearbox gets the best out of the engine.

The rest of the basics feel sound enough. The steering doesn’t do an amazing job of communicating what the front wheels are doing but it’s nicely weighted and consistent, making it relatively easy to place the Swift in corners. The five-speed manual gearbox has a pleasingly short throw and is happy enough to shift quickly, too.

That lack of mass means the Swift feels pretty agile, too – not as crisp as the Ford Fiesta, certainly, but a match for just about anything else. The car is happy to change direction quickly and it stays admirably flat in corners. Unique to the class is the AllGrip all-wheel drive system available on SZ5 models, which offers extra traction and security. While its cheap and rugged enough to do a decent job off-road, it offers only limited appeal to buyers.

Ride quality is the trade-off for this agility; Suzuki’s engineers reportedly spent time developing the Swift on UK roads, but it hasn’t quite paid off. In the most part it stays composed, but over broken surfaces – precisely the sort of bumps and potholes that are common on British B-roads, in fact – it gets a bit unsettled. In particular, passengers in the rear are likely to complain about being bounced around - a result of the car’s relatively simple torsion-beam rear suspension set-up and low weight.

Mild-hybrid tech for the 1.2-litre engine uses a lithium-ion battery under the front passenger seat that harnesses braking energy and then uses it to power a small integrated starter generator. This, in turn, helps the petrol engine when you’re accelerating, but the goal is efficiency rather than performance, so it never feels like an extra surge of pace. Indeed, if anything, it’s impressively well integrated.

The hot Swift Sport has a decent breadth of talents, with a punchy engine and direct steering, but it's undone by handling that plays it too safe; as a result, other hot hatches are more exciting to drive.

Engines, 0-60 acceleration and top speed

The 1.2 Dualjet petrol unit produces 82bhp and 107Nm of torque. Opting for the four-wheel-drive set-up of the SZ5 model brings the slowest 0-62mph time in the range at 13.8 seconds, while the front-wheel-drive car trims this time to 13.1 seconds - both use a five-speed manual gearbox. The CVT auto versions are capable of the same sprint in 12.2 seconds.

The Swift Sport offers 127bhp from its 1.4-litre turbocharged engine. This doesn't sound like much but, given the Swift's low weight, and the engine's decent 235Nm of torque, it's satisfyingly brisk when shooting out of corners. 0-62mph is dispatched in 9.1 seconds, with a top speed of 130mph.

There’s no denying that the Suzuki Swift’s lightweight construction helps it achieve some strong fuel economy figures. The 1.2-litre Dualjet offers CO2 emissions of just 106g/km and official fuel economy of up to 59.7mpg on the WLTP combined cycle.

Swift models fitted with the CVT auto transmission are slightly less efficient, with CO2 emissions rising to 115g/km and average fuel economy of 55.3mpg. Opting for the four-wheel-drive SZ5 means you'll see a return of 52.3mpg, while CO2 levels increase to 121g/km.

At the other end of the scale, the 127bhp Swift Sport delivers 50.4mpg and emits 125g/km of CO2 – decent numbers, considering the performance. 

Insurance groups

Ratings for the Suzuki Swift are surprisingly high, with all models sitting in groups 19-21. In comparison, the pricier VW Polo only goes up to Group 23 for the Polo GTI performance model, while the standard Ford Fiesta, Renault Clio and Peugeot 208 ranges are all cheaper to cover.

An explanation for these ratings could be the relatively small number of Suzuki dealers and repairers, as well as the hassle of sourcing parts for the Swift from Japan if you have an accident.

Depreciation

Our experts predict the Suzuki Swift range will retain around 52 per cent of its value after three years and 36,000-miles of ownership. The best performer is the SZ5 CVT automatic model, while the Swift Sport isn't quite so strong - holding onto around 46 per cent of its value over the same period. 

To get an accurate valuation on a specific model check out our free car valuation tool...

Inside, the swift’s cabin is best described as functional. There’s no soft, squidgy plastics or fancy swooping features here: what there is, is a fairly solid cabin with a neat layout and big, simple controls for the air conditioning system.

Suzuki has revised the trim structure for the Swift, with the cheapest SZ-L model featuring generous levels of kit: 16-inch polished alloy wheels, rear privacy glass, air-con, a DAB radio, Bluetooth and adaptive cruise control.

Mid-spec SZ-T looks the most appealing of the editions, because it brings Android Auto and Apple CarPlay compatibility (so you can use selected apps from your phone, including navigation), along with rear parking sensors and a host of extra safety equipment. SZ5 throws in integrated sat-nav, keyless entry, climate control, electric rear windows and power folding door mirrors.

The interior design is neat, and all of the switches are in sensible positions. However, while there’s no denying that it all feels tightly screwed together, the whole experience is short on flair, with even range-topping versions including swathes of hard, black plastic. Indeed, there are precious few soft-touch materials throughout the cabin; the likes of the Ford Fiesta do a better job of feeling plush in the right areas, and it’s a world behind the SEAT Ibiza in this regard.

The Swift Sport looks the hot hatch part without being garishly attention grabbing - if you don't choose Champion Yellow paint, of course. It gets a honeycomb radiator grille, carbon-fibre effect sills, twin exhausts and a small roof spoiler, plus unique bumpers and sports seats.

Sat-nav, stereo and infotainment

Only the SZ-T and SZ5 trims feature a touchscreen system, while the base SZ-L uses a more old-school head unit with a monochrome LCD screen and chunky buttons. Even though it looks a little dated, it does the job perfectly fine, and features DAB radio and Bluetooth functions.

The built-in interface of the Swift's touchscreen is a little clunky and slow, so you'll probably benefit from using the Android Auto and Apple CarPlay features. The set-up is close to a widescreen layout, however, which means that smartphone apps appear less cramped, while the main menu layout is very simple to understand.

Many superminis will be used as two-seaters, in effect, with the rear cabin being used as a dumping ground for shopping more regularly than as a space for passengers. If this is your pattern of use, the Swift won’t disappoint; there’s room for two adults up front, and two grown-ups will be able to sit behind them for more than a short journey. If they’re over 6ft tall then they may complain about their knees hitting the front seats, however.

The Swift’s boot is a respectable size, at 264 litres - but while that’s a useful increase over this car’s predecessor, it lags well behind rivals. However, it’s worth noting that the Swift’s boot is smaller because the whole car is much shorter overall. So the choice comes down to either load capacity or ease of parking.

There’s a fair old lip to lift heavy items over, though – and while the Swift’s rear seats do fold down in a 60:40 split, they leave a pretty horrid step in the floor. It certainly wouldn’t be easy to slide heavier items into the expanded load bay.

It’s easy to see all round the Swift, despite the relatively thick C-pillars. And there’s a fair amount of oddment space in the cabin, with decent-sized doorbins and a storage area ahead of the gear lever.

Visibility is good, thanks to the thin pillars and upright rear screen, although top-spec cars offer a reversing camera as an option. Other practical features include a small central armrest, as well as usable doorbins and a decent glovebox. You’ll also find a couple of cupholders ahead of the gear lever.

Dimensions and size

The latest Suzuki Swift performs a bit of a visual trick - because it’s actually about 10mm shorter than the previous generation car. However, and more importantly, its front and rear axles have been pushed further apart (by about 20mm); this increase in the wheelbase is designed to improve the amount of cabin space on offer, particularly to those sitting in the rear seats.

As a result, the Swift keeps its overall compact dimensions - as well as the wheel-at-each-corner stance and short overhangs that gave its previous generations such striking looks. To give you an idea, the Swift’s wheelbase is only around 20mm shorter than a Skoda Fabia’s, but the Suzuki is more than 150mm shorter than its Czech rival overall.

Leg room, head room & passenger space

The Swift’s diminutive size means that it’s still not quite as spacious as the likes of the Skoda Fabia, but there is room for four adults on board – and unless you’ve got a couple of six-footers in the rear, there are unlikely to be many complaints about longer journeys.

There’s plenty of head and shoulder room for both sets of passengers, but taller rear occupants might grumble about their knees hitting the backs of the front seats.

Boot space

The good news here is that this Swift’s latest platform has allowed Suzuki’s engineers to package in a much larger boot than this car has ever offered before – 264 litres. The bad news is that this is still really only average in a class where plenty of rivals are used as small family cars. The latest Skoda Fabia now offers 380 litres, for example, and even the Fiesta manages 311 litres.

Nor is there anything remarkable about the Swift’s boot set-up; in fact, there’s a fairly hefty lip if you’re trying to lift in heavier items. The back seats fold down in a 60:40 split but while doing this does free up a fair amount of extra space, it also leaves a big step in the floor that makes it awkward to slide in heavier items.

Towing

With a maximum braked towing weight of 1,000kg, the Swift should be fine to pull a small trailer, although we'd always advise double checking your vehicle's towing capacity before hooking up.

The Suzuki Swift didn't feature in the 2022 Driver Power customer satisfaction survey, while Suzuki itself achieved a disappointing 21st position (out of 29 manufacturers) - down from 14th spot in 2021.

The Swift was awarded two separate ratings by Euro NCAP. In standard guise it was given three stars out of five. While its 83 per cent adult occupant and 75 per cent child occupant scores are decent enough, it was let down by a 25 per cent safety assist score.

Euro NCAP gave the Swift four stars, however, when it was fitted with an optional safety pack that included autonomous emergency braking. In this guise, the Swift scored 88 per cent for adults, and 44 per cent for its safety assistance systems.

Suzuki updated the Swift's safety kit in 2020 as part of the model's facelift. All versions now include adaptive cruise control, while SZ-T and SZ5 cars feature a lane departure warning and prevention function, a blind spot monitor, a rear-cross traffic alert, traffic sign recognition and a rear parking camera.

Warranty

All Suzuki Swifts get a three-year, 60,000-mile warranty. That’s a typical duration for the industry in general, albeit with a slightly higher mileage limit (some brands still operate on a 12,000-miles-per-year basis). However, the Swift’s warranty can’t match the Kia Rio’s seven-year policy, or the five years of cover offered with the Hyundai i20.

Servicing

Suzuki has a history of shorter service intervals than many of its rivals, and the Swift looks set to continue that pattern. Its service intervals are listed as every 12 months or 15,000 kilometres (just over 9,300 miles). That’s a slightly shorter distance than you’ll find with many other superminis - although given how most Swift customers use their cars, the annual interval is likely to kick in before the mileage does anyway.

Should you buy a Suzuki Swift?

The Suzuki Swift will appeal to those who just want a small urban runabout that’s well-equipped and easy to park, and to those who feel small cars have become far too bloated. That lack of excessive mass does pay dividends on a B road, too, where the Swift will earn the respect of those who value something that’s fun to drive.

Unfortunately, it’s too noisy inside to be a very good road trip car, so anyone looking for a premium-feeling small car will have to head towards an Audi A1 or Volkswagen Polo. Company car drivers looking for the lowest tax bill should gravitate towards electric alternatives, while those looking for a small car with the practicality for family duties should consider the Skoda Fabia. Then there’s our favourite small car, the Renault Clio, which sort of does everything you could ask of a small car, yet has lower insurance costs than the Swift, and, in some trims, actually costs less than a Swift.