Suzuki Swift - the honest rebel

Classic small cars are slowly but surely disappearing from the market. Ford Fiesta? No longer in production. Nissan Micra? Now only available as an electric version. VW Polo? Its price has almost sent it to the compact class. But one manufacturer is boldly continuing to bet on the classic line: Suzuki with the Swift magazin de piese auto online.

Suzuki Swift - the honest rebel

This is exactly the car for people who don't want to pay, for example, 40,000 euros for a small electric car and are not fans of all this multitude of touchscreens in modern cars. The promises in Suzuki's technical specifications sound almost like a provocation to the automotive industry: under 1,000 kilograms of curb weight and an efficient three-cylinder engine. Is the Swift the last analog hero of the city or is its engine not that suitable for everyday life after all? We tested the small Japanese car in the city and not only in it.

Design and bodywork: nice appearance

The Suzuki Swift looks at us with an honest and rather sympathetic “look”. The length of the car is 3.86 meters. This belongs to the true, pure format of a small car (the current VW Polo or Opel Corsa are a full 20 centimeters longer). In everyday life, this means: parking spaces where other drivers pass by and in which the Swift fits easily. Visibility is excellent thanks to the relatively vertical front pillars and large windows. In fact, you don’t need a reversing camera at all (which is part of the higher equipment levels). The car is the perfect “tool” for the urban jungle.

The interior is made of relatively ordinary plastic, but everything is made solidly. There is no creaking or rattling, even when driving on paved roads. The two-tone cockpit is dominated by a 9-inch touchscreen. The infotainment system is functional, offers Wireless CarPlay and Android Auto, the graphics are at a simple but decent level. Something that pleased us: the climate control is controlled by real, physical switches. No touch-sensitive surfaces, no complicated submenus and annoying searches. The analog indicators on the speedometer are perfectly readable, and between the instruments there is a small, functional color display for the on-board computer.

The space offered in the Swift is what you would expect from a car that is 3.86 meters long. You will sit very comfortably in the front, and small children will travel comfortably in the back, while for adults it is not impossible, but still not recommended for long distances. The maximum boot capacity is from 265 to 980 liters.

The new Swift is powered by a 1.2-liter three-cylinder naturally aspirated engine with 82 hp and 112 Nm of maximum torque. The five-speed manual gearbox shifts gears with great precision, and the clutch is light as a feather. In the city, the Swift feels at home – the model weighs just 920 kilograms. At first glance, the modest 82 hp feels like at least 100 hp – the 12-volt mild hybrid system provides an electric boost when starting off. The car weaves through traffic with agility, and the suspension is firm but not too stiff.

On intercity roads, the 3-cylinder engine roars pleasantly, and in tight bends you really feel the lightness of the car. On the highway at speeds above 130 km/h the engine becomes a little noisy, but despite the top speed of 165 km/h the Swift is also suitable for long-distance travel. The absolute highlight is the consumption: thanks to the low weight, the average consumption we achieved (highway, intercity and city) was around 5 l/100 km. That is, with a little effort you can also achieve 4 before the decimal point.

The price of the Swift in Bulgaria starts at 18,912 euros, and the 1.2 Mild Hybrid GLX version we tested is 21,980 euros.

CONCLUSION

Hristo Angelov

The Suzuki Swift is a simple, unpretentious and superbly light car in the overloaded automotive world of complex and heavy models. With its manual transmission and low fuel consumption, the little "Japanese" is a car for all those who see the car as a practical "tool" and not as a status symbol.

Car parts AutoPower
Car parts AutoPower

This is exactly the car for people who don't want to pay, for example, 40,000 euros for a small electric car and are not fans of all this multitude of touchscreens in modern cars

Design and bodywork: nice appearance