2011 Suzuki Swift review
2011 Suzuki Swift
By Chris Huston, 15th June 2011
The Swift is rapidly gaining a reputation as one of the best small cars around and has already picked up significant awards.
The model that I tested was the SZ3 trim level - a 5 door, 1.2-litre petrol but it is also available with 1.3-litre diesel engine. I found the fuel consumption to be very good for a small petrol car and performance and handling are both great, especially around the city.
The Swift’s light weight and near-perfect balance make for a fun but safe and reassuring drive.
New Suzuki Swift
Suzuki’s figures for fuel consumption are stated as Urban 46.3mpg, Extra Urban 64.2mpg and 56.5mpg on a combined cycle. The Swift will accelerate from 0 to 62mph in 12.3 seconds and on to a maximum speed of 103mph.
There are plenty of inventive little cubby-holes for stashing all of the usual bits and pieces but I did find the cup holders to be a little on the small side - at least for large fast food chain soft drinks.
The Swift feels very roomy - I’m 5’10" and there appeared to be plenty of leg and headroom, even for a much taller driver than myself. This is partly thanks to a driver's seat which can be adjusted in all directions including height.
New Suzuki Swift SZ3
There are some other small but important details present in the Swift but still lacking in many other cars; such as the heated wing mirrors - these are a godsend in the rain and adjustable intermittent wipers are superb - some cars only have a few intermittent speeds.
New cars are nearly always sold with a USB port for iPods and similar devices these days but I’ve yet to see one which allows a good level of control from the steering wheel. This is the case in the Swift: the user is limited to simply skipping forward or back within a playlist that is specified before making the connection. The connection also failed a couple of times with my iPod Classic.
New Suzuki Swift SZ3 interior
The Swift range comes with the maximum 5-star NCAP rating and is fitted with ESP, ABS and EBD brake assist function as standard. There are also front and curtain passenger airbags, side airbags, side impact protection as well as an ISOFIX child seat dock.
Overall, the Swift is a very attractive car with a low insurance group of 8E for the 1.2 and 9E for the 1.3 diesel. Combine this with road tax of only £30 for the year, an excellent all-round drive, plenty of room and a best-in-class safety package and the entry price of £10,210 begins to look great.
Prices from £10,210 - £12,890
