Say hello to…
…the latest Suzuki Swift aimed at buyers who still want a traditional five-door hatchback powered by a petrol engine. Suzuki has stuck to its tried and tested recipe with the new Swift by keeping the cost low, the equipment high meaning that the overall value proposition is first rate. The car’s also slightly smaller than most of its rivals and is lighter weight as a result which brings better efficiency. That efficiency further helped by a new 1.2-litre three-cylinder engine.
Suzuki offers the new Swift with a manual or auto gearbox and, for the manual, the option of all-wheel drive over the usual front drive.
All versions are incredibly well equipped as standard and Suzuki offers just two trim levels:
- Motion
- Ultra
Standard equipment on the Motion includes adaptive cruise control, lane keeping, lane departure warning, rear parking cameras, rear parking sensors, keyless entry and start, aircon, heated front seats, auto high beam, satnav, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, 9-inch infotainment screen, 2x USB sockets and 16-inch alloys.
Ultra adds different 16-inch alloys, climate control, rear heater outlet and power-fold door mirrors.
Is The Suzuki Swift Suitable For My Fleet
The Achilles Heel, in fleet terms, is the lack of an EV or PHEV powertrain, which means despite being a car with a 64mpg official fuel consumption and a CO2 figure of 99g/km it still sits in the 24% BIK tax bracket and as such will mean that it’s best taken on a cash scheme.
By other company car measures, the Swift is pretty much a class leader for running costs and residuals.
Suzuki also offers a seven year warranty.
Leasing A Suzuki Swift
Intelligent Car Leasing is offering the new Suzuki Swift Ultra for an attractive £250 a month on a 3+36 contract with 10,000 miles a year. Maintenance is forecast at £35 a month, according to Gensen Reports.
Driving A Suzuki Swift
If someone came to you with a car with stats that read; 82hp, 103mph top speed and a 0-62mph time of 12.5 seconds, you’d be mildly unimpressed. However, these are the numbers from one of the very best petrol cars on sale today.
With the practicalities such as impressive standard equipment levels and a long warranty already in place, Suzuki hasn’t rested on these factors and has also delivered a first-rate driving experience.
Starting with the steering, this is light but not overly so – probably helped by the fact the car itself weighs less than a tonne. Feedback to the driver is good and the car’s small dimensions a good all-round visibility make the Swift easy to position on the road and park.
The new three-cylinder engine has been judged just right, in that it is quiet on a motorway cruise or when you’re simply pootling around, but if you want to have a bit more fun, the engine note is far more thrummy and interesting than you’d get with a four-cylinder unit.
And while 82hp isn’t a lot, again, the car’s low weight means the Swift feels brisk enough.
Comfort levels are impressive too. Suzuki has judged the car just right for the poor quality of UK roads. The car is in no way soft or suffer from bodyroll, but it rides with better comfort than many small SUVs.
Are there any negatives to the Suzuki Swift? Not really. The rear seats are just about okay for six-foot tall adults and will be fine for kids. The only negative we have is the fact the Swift beeps when it’s locked or unlocked. But if that’s the worst we can find, this is one seriously impressive car.
FleetandLeasing.com Verdict On The Suzuki Swift
Amazing value and a great-driving traditional hatchback.
Suzuki Swift
- Model: Swift Ultra 1.2 manual
- Power: 82hp
- Torque: 112Nm
- Max speed: 103mph
- 0-62mph: 12.5s
- Official mpg: 64.2mpg
- Test mpg: 54.0mpg
- CO2 emissions: 99g/km
- BIK tax band 2024/25: 24%
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