Suzuki Swift Review (2010-2017)
Suzuki Swift cars for sale
4.0
Expert review
Pros
Nimble handling and nippy performance
Affordable used prices
Deserved reputation for reliability
Cons
Plasticky cabin finish
Not as roomy as a Skoda Fabia
SZ2 spec is a little bit basic
The CarGurus verdict
Is a used Suzuki Swift a good buy? We reckon so. Granted, it feels a bit lightweight and unsubstantial inside, the ride is a touch firm and if you regularly ferry three adults around, you might prefer to look at something more spacious, like a Skoda Fabia.
But if you don’t, the Swift will probably do everything you need it to do, while also being a good deal cheaper to buy than most of its rivals. Even in standard form, it has the ability to put a smile on your face, thanks to that sprightly handling and the peppy little engine, and the Swift Sport is a laugh a minute.
Throw in an excellent reliability record and a decent equipment list, and suddenly it starts to look like pretty good value. It’s a bit of a shame the Swift is so often overlooked, then, because it’s a very smart choice.
What is the Suzuki Swift?
If you’ve never heard of the Suzuki Swift, chances are you aren’t alone. It’s often overlooked on the shopping lists of buyers of superminis such as the Ford Fiesta and the Vauxhall Corsa, simply because it isn’t quite as well known.
That’s a shame, because the Swift is an excellent little car that manages to please both the head and the heart. How? Well, for starters, it’s a smart-looking thing, with styling that's a bit less generic than some of its rivals, with neat proportions and a hint of the Mini about the roofline.
The second-generation of the modern Swift, reviwed here, was replaced by the third-generation in 2018.
How practical is it?
Inside, the design is smart, too, which helps disguise the fact that some of the materials are quite hard and scratchy, making them feel a little cheap. Happily, the bits you tend to touch the most – the gear lever and indicator stalks, for example – are finished in higher-quality plastics, so unless you have a penchant for stroking the dashboard regularly, you shouldn’t notice too often.
There’s enough space up front, although the rear seats are a bit tighter; larger adults might struggle to fit. AT 211 litres, boot space is a little on the small side, so if you regularly carry bulky items in the back, the Swift might not be for you.
What's it like to drive?
Where the Swift does score better is out on the open road. It’s great fun to drive, responding quickly to inputs on the steering wheel and changing direction nimbly, which makes it a satisfying car in which to zip around town. There’s lots of feedback, too, so you get a good idea of what’s going on with the front wheels. Granted, the ride is a little on the firm side, but it'll be comfortable enough for most and it feels more composed at speed on the motorway.
Most Swifts come with a 1.2-litre petrol engine that doesn’t look all that quick on paper, but in reality it feels much more eager, with lively throttle response and a reasonable amount of punch right the way through the rev range.
If that’s not quick enough for you, though, there’s always the more potent 1.6-litre Sport version. Suzuki also offered the Swift with a 1.3-litre diesel, although these are few and far between, which is no bad thing given that they’re rather sluggish and quite noisy.
Technology, equipment & infotainment
The cheapest Swift is the SZ2, which feels a little basic, although you still get seven airbags, remote central locking and electric front windows as standard.
Even so, we’d advise upgrading to the SZ3 version, which adds air conditioning and alloy wheels, but if you really want to push the boat out, the high-spec SZ4 version gets cruise control, climate control and automatic headlights.
There are a couple of special editions to choose from, too, among them the SZ-L version, which looks like good value.
Suzuki Swift running costs
You can expect to see 50mpg or thereabouts from the standard Swift in everyday motoring. That mpg figure should rise to around 55 if you go for one of the 1.2-litre Dualjet versions. If you do, you’ll also pocket a discount on your car tax, because while the standard Swift is pretty cheap to tax, the Dualjet sneaks in below the 100g/km CO2 emissions threshold, so tax won’t cost a penny.
The same goes for the diesel version, which should also see 60-65mpg in normal driving. At the other end of the spectrum sits the Swift Sport, although even this is hardly wallet-busting in terms of running costs. You’ll still see somewhere in the region of 40mpg unless you have a particularly heavy right foot.
Maintenance costs are a little more expensive no matter which Swift you choose. You’ll pay more to get your Swift serviced at a main dealer than you will a Ford Fiesta or Vauxhall Corsa, so factor this into your budgeting decisions.
Mind you, that extra cost will be mitigated by the fact the Swift uses a metal timing chain in its engine. Some of its rivals – the Skoda Fabia, for example – use rubber timing belts instead, and these need to be replaced every few years, which is a costly job. The Swift’s chain, by contrast, should last the life of the car.
Suzuki Swift reliability
At this point in our reviews, we normally we like to give you a run-down of the common problems a car has been known to suffer with. Trouble is, that’s quite hard to do with the Swift. Happily, that's because the car is so reliable, there really isn’t anything that usually goes wrong with it.
Suzuki’s impressive reliability is evidenced by its fifth-place finish in the 2019 JD Power Vehicle Dependability study, with owners generally very impressed with their cars and reporting just 94 problems per 100 cars; a good showing in comparison with Ford, which scored 104, while Citroen scored 126, and Fiat a worrying 173.
And while too few owners responded to the 2019 What Car? Reliability Survey for the Swift to be featured, its smaller stablemate, the Celerio, was the highest-scoring small car in the survey, and that bodes well for the reliability of its bigger brother.
So while it’s important to check round any prospective purchase as carefully as you would any other model for electrical glitches and mechanical maladies, the chances are you won’t find any with a Swift. Choose a well-maintained example, then, and it shouldn’t let you down.
- The Suzuki Swift Sport, which was first available as a new car in 2012, has attained a bit of a cult following among young drivers looking for a fun little car that isn’t too expensive to buy and run. With 134bhp, it doesn’t quite have the legs to challenge the Ford Fiesta ST and Volkswagen Polo GTI, but don’t think that makes it any less fun to drive. What power the engine does have is delivered right at the top end of the rev range, so it the harder you drive it, the more it comes alive. Allied to the agile, playful chassis and wonderfully communicative steering, that makes the Swift Sport a car that’ll have you grinning after no more than a couple of bends. And you’ll keep laughing all the way home, because the Swift Sport is more economical, cheaper to insure and cheaper to maintain than most full-blown hot hatches. And it also benefits from Suzuki’s excellent reliability record and is well equipped, with satnav included.
- Four-wheel drive isn’t usually found on cars of this type, but the Swift is the exception; the Swift 4x4 was released in 2013. You could take your pick from SZ3 and SZ4 versions; both got 25mm of extra ride height compared with the standard car, while the SZ4 added faux skid plates on the front and rear bumpers and plastic wheel arch extensions. Don’t go thinking this is a Land Rover replacement on a budget, though. Power is mostly sent to the front wheels, and only shunted to the rear as and when it’s needed. Even so, the Swift 4x4 is still useful on a muddy field or track, or in slippery road conditions.
- A new version of the 1.2-litre engine was introduced in 2015, with a clever new fuel injection system that Suzuki called Dualjet. This improved fuel efficiency significantly while also reducing CO2 emissions, which makes these later Swifts much cheaper to tax. As a result, it’s worth looking one out if you can afford one. But don't confuse it with the later Boosterjet engine, introduced in the later fourth-generation Swift in 2018.
- If you want the best all-rounder: The Swift is best served in 1.2 SZ3 form with a manual gearbox. This provides all the equipment you could need, none you don’t, and the engine that offers the best balance of fuel efficiency and throttle response. SZ3 trim means you have equipment like Bluetooth included, too.
- If fuel economy is a big concern: You might want to look at the 1.3-litre diesel version, although we’d suggest ask yourself whether you really need that extra fuel saving, given that the petrol Swift is already pretty economical as it is, and the diesel isn’t particularly pleasant to drive.
- If you fancy an affordable runaround that knows how to have fun: The Swift Sport deserves a place on your list. Even if you aren’t a dyed-in-the-wool petrolhead, you’ll find this pocket rocket’s performance is accessible and you’ll grin endlessly at the way it gets around corners. Yet when you just need to get somewhere, it’s just as easy-going and practical as the rest of the Swift range.
- If you want the benefit of four-wheel drive without the thirst and clumsiness of a massive off-roader: The Swift 4x4 is right up your street. Like a mountain goat, it’ll shimmy up muddy hills and skip along grimy country lanes sure-footedly, without spinning its wheels.
