Suzuki Swift 2017 – First Drive Review

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Test location: Monaco

By Tim Barnes-Clay, Motoring Journalist – Tweeting: @carwriteups

If you like superminis, you’ll love the all-new 2017 Suzuki Swift. It has a straightforward, non-pretentious quality about it – a trait that goes back to when it was first produced in 1983.

The car looks sturdier than the retiring Swift, but it’s lighter – and you can tell. The 2017 Suzuki Swift scoots along city streets without any sweat, and you can throw it around like a rag doll. But it’s so unflappable and agile – all it takes is a flick of the wrist and the steering wheel talks to the tyres instantly. There’s no uncertainty or woolliness, the Swift simply does what it’s told in a lively, fun manner.

I was able to carve my way through the winding hills around Monaco quite happily in my 1.0-litre mild hybrid test model. I found myself smiling as the car did its damnedest to grip to the tarmac while I drove it harder than I had any right to. Sure, there’s some roll through corners, but it never felt anything other than sure-footed. The Swift shows you can have as much enjoyment in a light, small engined car as you can in a throbbing V6 beast.

It is still not the sexist looking car on the planet, but the 2017 Suzuki Swift has a confident stance and a bright, engaging ‘face’. The supermini’s upright headlamps, wrap-around windscreen, and beaming lower air intake work well together.

Inside, the cabin has been changed, but the usual hard plastic dashboard is still there. It’s no deal breaker, though, the synthetic material looks and feels hardwearing. The seats are more supportive, meaning it’s a comfier car than the soon-to-be departing model. The facia is clearer, and there’s more room to stretch your legs, due to the Suzuki’s lengthier wheelbase. What’s more, the Swift’s boot has grown 25 per cent, meaning there’s now 265 litres of load space.

One of the niftiest areas of design on the 2017 Swift involves the rear door handles. Suzuki has done what Alfa Romeo did ages ago, by hiding the handles in the C-pillar. This gives the initial impression of a three-door motor. It’s a good job, as the Japanese automaker has kicked the actual three-door model to the kerb for 2017, but I doubt it’ll be missed.

Kit is generous in the 2017 Suzuki Swift. It includes factory-fitted DAB radio, Bluetooth, and air conditioning. The SZ-T trim is perhaps the one to go for. This ushers in a three-cylinder turbo, fitted to my test car, and is expected to account for 50 per cent of British sales. The model also comes with arch-filling 16-inch alloy wheels, and a useful reverse-parking camera.

The 110ps, 998cc, petrol-turbo, powering the Suzuki Swift 1.0 Boosterjet SHVS under review here, comes with a five-speed manual gearbox or a six-speed automatic transmission. The test car available at the 2017 Swift’s launch in Monaco, only came with a manual ‘box. The shift actions are positive and the gearstick feels good in the hand, while the clutch is virtually weightless.

The new Suzuki Swift also comes with mild hybrid technology, although it’s an option. This ‘green’ gadgetry recaptures the Swift’s deceleration in a lithium-ion battery by means of a starter/generator. That starter turns the engine quicker than an orthodox system, which equates to discreet and more efficient stop-starting in road traffic. Additionally, it assists the engine with 2kW of pull for a brief period under heavy acceleration. It also cuts CO2 emissions by 7g/km, and boosts average fuel consumption by 4.3mpg.

So, if you don’t drive like a loon around Monaco, you could get up to 65.7mpg out of the 1.0 Boosterjet SHVS Swift. Considering the unconfirmed price-tag of £12,500, the car makes a great case for itself if you’re in the market for a sweet driving, brand new, inexpensive supermini. You’ll have to wait to get your hands on one, though – the 2017 Swift doesn’t go on sale in the United Kingdom until 1 June.

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