Suzuki Swift (2005 – 2010) Review

Suzuki Swift (2005 – 2010) At A Glance

4/5

+Decent handling. Fun to drive.

-A little bit tinny. Do not jack by the rear twist beam axle or it will need replacing.

Insurance Group 23
On average it achieves 90% of the official MPG figure

This car surprised me.

I'd driven a Swift before at an SMMT test day and not been particularly impressed. But maybe that's because I drove twenty other cars the same day.

I really liked the 1.5GLX Suzuki sent me this week.

I knew readers had the hots for it because of all the e-mails I received from the Suzuki Swift fan club. So I thought I'd better make a longer acquaintance with the car.

Suzuki Swift 2008 Road Test and Video

Suzuki Swift (2005 – 2010) handling and engines

The Swift 1.5 has plenty of low down grunt too. You can row it along economically like a diesel, not needing high revs.

The steering is light, but with plenty of feel. With a wheel in each corner and quite wide track it feels well ‘planted'. That eagerness translates to a bit of harshness on the motorway. But that's the natural penalty of its eager, dodgem car ability. 

There were a few "issues" over the three years the car has been on UK roads, happily now resolved. One was a rattle behind the dash, that only seemed to affect 2005/2006 models.

The other was excessive rear tyre wear. It seems that early car rear suspension was not welded together properly aligned and the only cure was a new rear torsion beam.

So the Swift gets the thumbs up. It's a really likeable little car, sensibly priced, and a worthy competitor to the Yaris, Fiesta and Mazda 2.

Engine MPG 0-62 CO2
1.3 49 mpg 11.0 s 140 g/km
1.3 DDiS 63 mpg 14.2 s 119 g/km
1.5 44–46 mpg 10.0–11.7 s 143–153 g/km
Sport 40 mpg 8.9 s 165 g/km

Real MPG average for the Suzuki Swift (2005 – 2010)

RealMPG

Real MPG was created following thousands of readers telling us that their cars could not match the official figures.

Real MPG gives real world data from drivers like you to show how much fuel a vehicle really uses.

Average performance

90%

Real MPG

29–61 mpg

MPGs submitted

224

Suzuki Swift (2005 – 2010) interior

Dimensions
Length 3695–3765 mm
Width 1690 mm
Height 1500 mm
Wheelbase 2380 mm

Full specifications

The 3-door is only a 4-seater (the 5-door has seats for 5), yet there's stacks of headroom in the back and the seats are very comfortable.

You can fold down the seatbacks very easily and they make an almost level, carpeted floor. The boot floor itself has space underneath and cleverly folds into two, then slots in behind the back seats if you want to leave the space open. The seats a re quite high, like a Yaris, which always suits more elderly drivers.

Suzuki Swift (2005 – 2010) models and specs

Dimensions
Length 3695–3765 mm
Width 1690 mm
Height 1500 mm
Wheelbase 2380 mm
Miscellaneous
Kerb Weight 1045–1140 kg
Boot Space 213–562 L
Warranty 3 years
Servicing 9000 miles
Costs
List Price £8,995–£12,995
Insurance Groups 23
Road Tax Bands C–G
Official MPG 40.4–62.8 mpg
Euro NCAP Safety Ratings
Adult 4
Child 3
Pedestrian 3
Overall -

On sale until December 2011

Hatchback
Version List Price MPG 0-62
1.6 Sport 3dr £12,995 40.4 mpg 8.9 s

On sale until March 2010

Hatchback
Version List Price MPG 0-62
1.3 DDiS SZ3 5dr £11,005 62.8 mpg 14.2 s
1.3 SZ2 3dr £9,395 48.7 mpg 11.0 s
1.3 SZ2 5dr £9,755 48.7 mpg 11.0 s
1.3 SZ3 3dr £9,925 48.7 mpg 11.0 s
1.3 SZ3 5dr £10,285 48.7 mpg 11.0 s
1.3 SZ4 3dr £10,640 48.7 mpg 11.0 s
1.3 SZ4 5dr £11,000 48.7 mpg 11.0 s
1.5 SZ4 5dr Auto £11,875 43.5 mpg 11.7 s

On sale until October 2009

Hatchback
Version List Price MPG 0-62
1.3 DDiS 5dr £11,250 62.8 mpg 14.2 s
1.3 GL 3dr £8,995 48.7 mpg 11.0 s
1.3 GL 5dr £9,350 48.7 mpg 11.0 s
1.5 GLX 3dr £10,200 46.3 mpg 10.0 s
1.5 GLX 5dr £10,550 46.3 mpg 10.0 s
1.5 GLX 5dr Auto £11,400 43.5 mpg 11.7 s

Model History

September 2004

All new Swift launched at Paris Motor Show

3,695mm x 1,690mm x 1,500mm. Wheelbase: 2,390 mm. Available from Spring 2005 with choice of 1.3 litre or 1.5 litre VVT petrol engines, plus a 1.3 litre Fiat Multijet diesel. Seating: 4 in 3-door, 5 in 5-door

Engines/Transmissions:

1.3L petrol M13A: 5MT
1.5L petrol M15A+VVT: 5MT/4AT
1.3L diesel Z13DT: 5MT
Max power (kW/rpm)/Max torque (Nm/rpm)
1.3L petrol M13A: 67@6,000 114@4,000
1.5L petrol M15A+VVT: 75@6,000 133@4,000
1.3L diesel Z13DT: 51@4,000 170@2,000

1.3L available with four wheel drive.

September 2005

68PS diesel (125 lb ft torque) diesel from September 2005 at £9,750. Does 61.4mpg in combined cycle. Insurance group 4A. Japanese Car of the Year 2005 and 'Car' magazine Car of the Year 2005.

October 2006

Swift Sport launched

1.6 litre VVT engine. 0 to 62mph in 8.9 seconds. 17 inch alloy wheels. Red and black trim colour combination, sports seats and stylish highlights such as brushed stainless steel pedals. Uprated chassis features stiffer springs and dampers, with ESP® (Electronic Stability Control) providing an added sense of security. Standard equipment includes automatic air conditioning, curtain airbags, MP3-audio compatibility, front foglamps, steering wheel audio controls and Keyless start. UK list £11,500 on the road.

April 2008

1.3-litre DDiS CO2 reduced from from 124g/km to 119g/km. The 1.3-litre common rail Fiat diesel engine with turbocharger and intercooler provides 125 lb ft (170 Nm) at 2000 rpm. Same quick-shifting five-speed manual transmission as petrol models and is capable of 61.4 mpg in the Combined cycle.

The 1.3-litre DDiS is priced at £10,515 and pricing for the Swift range starts at £8,260 for the three door 1.3-litre GL model, rising to £11,915 for the high performance 123hp 1.6-litre Sport.

January 2009

The following On The Road (OTR) prices applied to the Suzuki automobiles range as of 12 January, 2009.

1.3 GL 3 Door MT £8,350.00
1.3 SE 3 Door Attitude MT £9,850.00
1.3 GL 5 Door MT £8,700.00
1.5 GLX 3 Door MT £9,400.00
1.5 GLX 5 Door MT £9,750.00
1.5 GLX 5 Door AT £10,600.00
1.3 DDiS 5 Door MT £10,550.00
Sport 1.6 3 Door MT £11,750.00

June 2009

Suzuki announced a range of alloy wheel and tyre packages for the Swift in 3 three variations; 16-inch Bremen, 17-inch Frankfurt and 17-inch Leipzig. All three wheel styles are suitable for all Swift 1.3 GL, DDiS and 1.5 GLX models and are supplied and pre-fitted with premium quality Pirelli PZero Nero tyres. Retail prices are listed below:

16-inch Bremen Wheel / Tyre set £799 (set of 4 incl. VAT)

17inch Frankfurt Wheel / Tyre set £859 (set of 4 incl. VAT)

17-inch Leipzig Wheel / Tyre set £1,159 (set of 4 incl. VAT)

September 2009

New SZ-L limited edition model with even higher level of standard equipment for added customer value. SZ-L is based on 1.3-litre GL five-door. Additional equipment includes air conditioning, pearlescent or metallic paint, 15-inch alloy wheels, side protection mouldings, interior carpet mats and chrome finish for the exterior door handles, front grille and rear tailgate trim. Heated door mirrors on the SZ-L incorporate turn signal indicators and are electrically retractable.

Chrome bezels are added to the instrument meters and the door trims and audio surround have aluminium effect detailing. The limited edition SZ-L is priced at £10,250 and available in four colours; Cool White Pearl, Cosmic Black Pearl, Supreme Red Pearl and Silky Silver metallic. Just 500 cars will be available. Group 4 insurance; combined fuel consumption 48.7mpg and emissions are 140g/km. 92PS 1.3-litre Yaris based engine offers 0-60mph achieved in 10.7 seconds and a top speed of 109mph.

What to watch out for

01-01-0001:

One reader reported a clunk when reversing his Swift 1.5 on full right lock. Four visits to dealer did not rectify it. Various parts replaced including driveshafts and brake calipers. Fault was found to be in the hubs.

Numerous reports of very annoying dashboard rattle, requiring removal of dashboard to fix, which some Suzuki dealers are unwilling to do.

Reports that rear tyres are wearing badly on the outside edges, almost down to the wear indicators, whilst insides are fine. Front tyres seem to be wearing unevenly as well at 9000 miles. Reported on three owners forums. Seems that rear axle is not being welded together properly and causes wheel alignment to be incorrect. Cannot be adjusted so solution is to swap the entire rear axle for one which has been manufactured correctly. Changing the spindles or shimming them helps, but is not the proper fix. In UK, some owners have been getting new tyres under warranty, but as of March 07 no "official" fix for the problem.

Forums mentioned that jacking the car up using the torsion beam at the rear could cause the wheel alignment to be distorted, but the Swift has a big yellow sticker on it telling you not to do this.

One complaint of a load area leak either from the rear light clusters, hatchback seal or rear vent flaps.

One report of early n/s then o/s front wheel bearing failure after 4 years.

Swift Sports come on 195/45 R17 tyres, which is an unusual size in the UK and makes them both difficult to find and expensive. Best changed for 205/45 R17s that don't change the rolling circumference enough to worry about and are much more common so therefore cheaper.

Some reports in 2010 of manual transmission bearing failures after 4 - 5 years, similar to reports of bearing failures in the same box in Toyota Yaris. Also reports of gearlever linkage problems.

24-02-2011:

Report of burning smell from clutch of 2009/6,000 mile Swift.

24-02-2011:

Report of dust caps on rear dampers coming off, causing a crashing noise.

07-02-2015:

Report of first gear bearing failing on 33k mile 2008 Suzuki Swift 4x4. Cost to fix £1,400.

13-12-2016:

Trouble reported with 2008 Suzuki Swift 1.3 DDIS which runs the FIAT 1.3 Multijet engine. If you put your foot down to around half throttle or higher at around 2.5-3k revs, the car loses all power for around 2-3 seconds as if the car is trying to turn off and then performs sluggishly for around 5-10 minutes, the service light comes on for the first 2-3 seconds as well. Owner took it to local Suzuki dealership who have changed the immobilizer ECU, both Keys and the MAP Sensor yet the issue still persists, they are now saying the car needs a new ECM which is £940 just for the part. Needs specialist attention by someone familiar with this engine in FIATs and Vauxhalls as well as Suzukis. Probably DPF active regeneration system.

26-06-2017:

Problems reported with gearchange of 2008 Suzuki Swoft with 24,000 miles. "Every once in a while its impossible to select first gear when at a junction and sometimes when wanting to pull away we find we are in 3rd gear. Apparently a couple of screws work loose with the selector which causes the problem." Not unknown for input shaft bearing to fail (see 7-2-2015).

What does the Suzuki Swift (2005 – 2010) cost?