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Road Test: Driving Dundee and Angus in the 64mpg Suzuki Swift

The Swift is the only supermini offered with four-wheel drive.

Jack McKeown stands beside an orange Suzuki Swift parked on a cobbled city street
The new Suzuki Swift is an excellent city car. Image: Eilidh Moir.

The Suzuki Swift might not sell in huge numbers but it has a particularly strong following in Scotland.

That’s partly because it’s the only supermini available with four-wheel drive.

In a country that gets harsher winters than the rest of the UK – particularly areas like rural Angus, Highland Perthshire and the Cairngorms – the extra traction gives added peace of mind.

The fourth-generation Suzuki Swift went on sale in the spring. While it’s an all-new model, Suzuki hasn’t messed too much with the formula and it’s instantly recognisable as a Swift.

The Suzuki Swift tackling one of Dundee's narrowest streets.
The Suzuki Swift tackling one of Dundee’s narrowest streets. Image: Eilidh Moir.

The exterior has a softer shape, there are L-shaped headlights, and a snazzy new grille.

Inside there is more technology and a higher level of standard equipment than there was in the previous car.

New safety features include a braking assist system that uses a combination of camera and radar to detect cars, cyclists and pedestrians.

It can automatically apply the brakes if the software feels a collision is imminent, although thankfully the system didn’t feel the need to kick in at any point during my week with the Swift.

Mild hybrid petrol engine

Under the bonnet there’s a three-cylinder 1.2-litre petrol engine. All versions are mild hybrid, with a battery helping boost efficiency.

While it can’t run on electric power alone, Suzuki says the technology makes the new Swift 8% more economical.

The new engine also emits less CO2 and gets the car from 0-62mph almost a second faster. With a 0-62mph time of 12.5 seconds, it still isn’t going to set the heather alight, however.

The Swift parked up at Dundee's Magdalen Green, with trees and grass in the background
The Swift parked up at Dundee’s Magdalen Green. Image: Eilidh Moir.

In an era where cars are more expensive than ever, the Suzuki Swift has a refreshingly attractive price tag, with base models coming in at just over £18,000.

A smooth, accurate gear change and light steering make the Swift an easy car to drive. It’s equally at home zipping around town or cruising along country roads.

Its small size makes it a perfect city car, while good steering feedback and decent levels of grip make it enjoyable on a backroad.

The lack of a sixth forward gear is noticeable during motorway driving. At 70mph the engine is working harder than it would if you had that extra gear.

A rear shot of the car going down a narrow, cobbled Dundee lane.
The Suzuki Swift is in its element around town. Image: Eilidh Moir.

Wind and tyre noise aren’t bad but the Swift isn’t as good a long-distance car as the much-missed Ford Fiesta was.

On a trip up the A90 from Dundee to Fettercairn (on my way to drive the superb MG Cyberster electric roadster) I had to nudge the volume on the radio up a couple of notches.

It’s far from the quickest car I’ve ever driven and it doesn’t have a lot of oomph when it comes to overtaking. It’s in its element around town, though, where the engine’s responsiveness makes nipping out of junctions a cinch.

Inside the Suzuki Swift

It’s easy to get a comfortable driving position and there’s plenty of room for tall people in the front. All versions come with a reversing camera and rear parking sensors, which makes getting into spaces nice and easy.

Every Swift also comes with a 9.0 inch touchscreen that has smartphone mirroring. Wisely, Suzuki has gone with physical buttons for the heating and fan controls, instead of burying them in a touchscreen menu as some rivals do.

The Suzuki Swift interior is well laid out and has lots of standard equipment.
The interior is well laid out and has lots of standard equipment. Image: Suzuki.

This makes it much easier to adjust the temperature or demist the windscreen when you’re driving.

The rear doors open nice and wide for easy access and tall side windows mean it doesn’t feel claustrophobic in the back.

Rear headroom is good but leg room is hampered by the car’s short dimensions. The Swift has a 265-litre boot, measured up to the parcel shelf, which is about average for a supermini.

The rear seats split 60/40 to make more space for bulky items.

A well equipped supermini

Compare the Swift to rivals like the Renault Clio or Toyota Aygo and it doesn’t look like outstanding value. However, the Swift comes with excellent levels of standard equipment.

Even entry-level models get LED headlights, adaptive cruise control, heated front seats and a suite of safety systems.

The Suzuki Swift is the only supermini available with four-wheel drive. Image: Eilidh Moir.

It’s also extremely cheap to run. Official fuel economy for the two-wheel drive version is 64.2mpg and I managed to average above 60mpg over my week with the car.

My test car was front-wheel drive. If you go for the four-wheel drive model, expect a slightly slower 0-62mph time and a small hit on fuel-economy as a price for the extra traction.

There’s an awful lot to like about the Suzuki Swift. It’s well equipped and well priced, drives nicely and is particularly impressive around town, and the four-wheel drive option makes it an attractive proposition in Scotland.

Suzuki Swift review – facts:

Price: £19,799

0-62mph: 12.5 seconds

Top speed: 103mph

Economy: 64.2mpg

CO2 emissions: 99g/km

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