Suzuki Swift Review 2023

The 2017 Suzuki Swift isn’t perfect, with a small boot, a slightly unsettled ride, high insurance costs and an iffy safety record. However, it’s still a very likeable car thanks to its funky styling, thrill-a-minute handling and rev-hungry engines, and there’s much more to like besides. Granted, most supermini buyers will probably prefer the cocktail of attributes provided by a Ford Fiesta or SEAT Ibiza, but while the Swift is flawed, it’s most certainly charming.

Fiesta. Polo. Corsa. There are some very familiar names in the supermini market, not least because they’re some of the best-selling cars in Britain. And for good reason. Smart to look at, comfortable and enjoyable to drive and practical enough for day-to-day use, they suit a very large number of drivers.

But what if you’re not like most drivers? What if you value different things? What if you could have a car that focused much more on fun and style than comfort and luxury, and you could have it for much less cash than you’d pay for one of the usual suspects?

If that’s what you’re after, then you’d be missing a trick if you didn’t consider the Suzuki Swift.

This thing really is lots of fun. First off, it looks great thanks to its sleek lines and its cutesy features. Secondly, it’s an absolute hoot on the road. The rev-hungry engines tempt you into thrashing them mercilessly, and when you chuch the car into a bend, it rewards you with good grip, meaty-feeling steering and really impressive balance. It’s virtually impossible to drive this car without smiling.

It’s good in other ways, too. The engines are smooth and quiet, and deliver good efficiency figures, there’s decent room for four in the passenger compartment, and all but the entry-level version come with a decent amount of kit.

However, doubling down on fun does involve a few sacrifices in other areas. Some drivers will find the ride rather unsettled, the boot is quite small and the cabin feels pretty plasticky. Still, drivers who are young and care-free are unlikely to care too much about that.

Sadly, the Swift does have one more rather serious - not to mention strange - achilles heel that makes it completely unsuitable for young drivers, and that’s its preposterously and catastrophically high insurance groupings.

Parents won’t much like the fact that the Swift has struggled in Euro NCAP crash tests, either. It’s such a shame, because otherwise, it’s absolutely perfect for that audience.

There’s very decent space up front, and a fairly average amount in the back by class standards. Six-foot passengers will be able to sit comfortably behind a driver of a similar scale, with contact between their knees and the front seats, or their head and the headlining.

Yes, the biggest small hatchbacks provide a bit more headroom and legroom, but even these are too narrow to sit three across the rear bench comfortably, a feat that the Swift also struggles with. Two bulky child seats will fit easily, though, and there are Isofix mounting points with which to secure them.

The boot is rather more disappointing, sadly. It’s appreciably smaller than many others in the class: you’ll have room for a weekly shop, but not much more. There’s a big lip to haul items over, too, and when you drop the 60/40 split-folding rear seats to extend your cargo space, the backrests lie at an angle and the load area also has a large step in it.

When you first climb into the Swift, things don’t look too bad at all on this score. The grey plastics that most of the interior is fashioned out of are broken up with various silvery or shiny black trims, adding a bit of visual variety and giving a fairly smart look.

The stitched leather steering wheel feels nice and chunky in your hands, too. Place your hands elsewhere, though, and the smart feeling quickly begins to deteriorate.

Having said that, the materials do appear very durable and the standard of assembly is much higher than the standard of the materials.

If you go for the entry-level SZ3 trim, you’ll get a stereo with a CD player, DAB radio, Bluetooth and four speakers, but with no central screen, the interior feels a bit basic by modern standards.

From SZ-T trim upwards, you get a 7.0-inch touchscreen that comes with Apple Carplay, Android Auto and Mirrorlink, meaning you can use your phone’s apps and navigation functionality through the car’s screen.

It makes the world of difference. SZ5 trim adds a couple more tweeter speakers and built-in sat-nav, but to be honest, it’s rather clunky to use, so you’re probably better off sticking with your phone’s software. The touchscreen system isn’t ideal in other ways, either. Some of the on-screen icons are a little bit small to hit without really concentrating, and the graphics aren’t as crisp or as slick as they are in the best rivals.

Compared with more recognisable names like the Ford Fiesta, Volkswagen Polo and Peugeot 208, prices for new Swifts look very low indeed. At the time of writing, they started at just over £13,000 for the 1.2 SZ3, and rose to just over £18,000 for the 1.0-litre automatic. The 4x4 version cost a wee bit less than that, while the one we’d recommend for most buyers, the 1.0-litre SZ-T, stood at just over £15,000. 

Perhaps surprisingly, the Swift doesn’t lose its value quite as quickly as many others in the class, so it’ll provide better protection for your investment and you’ll get a bigger slice of your outlay back when the time comes to sell the car on.

If you’re considering buying on finance, it’s always worth checking Suzuki’s website for any offers or promotions being run.

At the time of writing, for instance, the 1.2 Dualjet Hybrid SZT was being offered for £149 per month on a four-year PCP deal following a customer deposit of £1,750. This represents 0% interest and a £500 deposit contribution, although it should be noted this was a temporary deal.

The 1.2 Hybrid is the most efficient according to official WLTP figures, with a best average of more than 55mpg, but even the thirstiest of them, the 1.0-litre (non-hybrid) automatic, manages almost 47mpg. Bear in mind, though, that these are figures obtained from laboratory tests, and replicating them in the real world will be extremely difficult.

If you buy an affordable car, chances are you want it to be affordable to insure, too, and most superminis are.

The Swift, however, isn’t. First of all, let’s get some context. A Ford Fiesta’s insurance groupings range from 2 to 15 (group 1 being the cheapest and group 50 being the most expensive). The Swift, meanwhile, starts at 22 and rises to 27, 35 if you count the most powerful Swift Sport model.

These ludicrous rates are likely to be because of high repair costs and the difficulty of sourcing replacement parts, but that’ll be of no consequence to those left paying hefty premiums. Shame, because otherwise, the Swift would be a really appealing car for young drivers.

That said, repair bills should be fairly few and far between, because most reliability surveys doing the rounds put Suzuki among their top performers.

The steering is quick and nicely weighted, and there’s plenty of grip, so the front of the car turns quickly and eagerly. You will detect a bit of body roll when you turn in initially, but things feel more controlled after that.

True, if you’re looking for ultimate dynamic polish, the Ford Fiesta does it better, but the Swift’s up-and-at-’em nature and neutral balance still make it a very enjoyable car to drive.

And that’s whether you go for the front-wheel-drive version or the four-wheel drive version: you’ll actually notice very little difference between them on the road.

That said, it’s not the most comfortable car of its type by any stretch. It stops short of being uncomfortable, but pockmarked urban streets will jostle you around more than they will in many other superminis, and sharped edged ruts and potholes will result in more of a thud. Things improve as you go faster, but the Swift still isn’t as settled as many rivals on the motorway.

All Swifts of this generation come with a petrol engine, the entry-level choice being a 1.2 with 90PS. That doesn’t sound like a lot, but because the Swift is so light, it’s enough to keep you rolling along at a decent rate.

You’ll need to keep a few revs on the dial, mind, because if you let them drop too low and you suddenly need to pick up speed, you might find yourself in the doldrums. However, make the most of the engine’s revvy character, and you’ll get on just fine.

If you can afford to, though, we’d recommend making the upgrade to the more powerful option, which strangely, is smaller.

This 1.0-litre engine - tagged ‘Boosterjet’ - produces 111PS, but because it has a turbocharger, it has much more low-down urge than the 1.2, making your progress easier and more relaxed: you’re not constantly thrashing the engine and snicking through the gears.

Both engines are also available with a hybrid system. Well, we say hybrid. It’s basically a posh starter motor that can provide a small amount of assistance to the engine when you’re pulling away. It makes barely any difference to your level of performance, and the marginal fuel gains aren’t exactly going to win you a Nobel Peace Prize.

All Swifts get six airbags, electronic stability control, two Isofix child seat mounting points, tyre pressure monitoring and a pot of tyre sealant (no spare wheel, though).

All except the entry-level SZ3 also get a reversing camera. However, only the range-topping SZ5 car comes with automatic emergency braking as standard, and you can’t add it to more humble versions.. However, you do get all sorts of other safety kit on top, such as LED headlamps with high-beam assist, lane departure warning and adaptive cruise control.

Nevertheless, the SZ5 Swift still only received a Euro NCAP score of four (out of five) stars when the industry body smashed it to pieces. Lower-grade Swifts, meanwhile, scored just three stars due to their meaner safety kit. To be honest, that’s pretty disappointing.

The entry-level SZ3 will be a touch spartan for some tastes. You get manual air-con, electric front windows, LED daytime running lights, privacy glass, remote locking and a leather steering wheel, but you have to make do with steel wheels.

SZ-T trim checks that box, and is generally much more like it, with front foglamps, a rear-view camera, and smartphone linking for your stereo.

The Attitude special edition took SZ-T trim and added some racy styling touches, while SZ5 trim earns you climate control, keyless go, powered rear windows and navigation.