Suzuki

Wednesday, 8th of October 2008

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Suzuki Swift road test report

Suzuki Swift

The Suzuki Swift is great fun, good-looking with a modern feel. It is well put together, offers excellent value for money, and the Suzuki supermini is quickly winning fans.

Performance

The Suzuki Swift comes with a choice of three engines, the 1.3-litre (92bhp) and 1.5-litre (101bhp) petrol engines plus the 1.3-litre (68bhp) diesel. For best results, go for the 1.5-litre petrol or 1.3-litre diesel. The diesel does, of course, offer the best fuel economy and is surprisingly energetic.

Ride & Handling

The Swift is lively and responsive, with good grip, and offering a relaxing ride. The steering is slightly unresponsive though and the bumps in the road can be rather too-well felt.

Build Quality & Reliability

This is an area in which the Suzuki has really improved. The Swift is expertly constructed and the cabin is of a high quality and built to last. The engines are tried and trusted and will doubtless live up to Suzuki’s well-earned reputation for reliability.

Safety & Security

Twin front, side and curtain airbags plus anti-lock brakes come as standard. Euro NCAP awarded the Swift four-stars out of a possible five in its crash tests, although this is standard, many superminis now receive the full five-star rating. Deadlocks are also standard.

Space & Practicality

Four adult passengers can fit inside the practical Swift. The boot would probably only old enough luggage from a couple on holidays as they would be able to rear seats to boost load capacity.

Ownership & Value

The residuals of the Swift are decent enough; you can expect the Swift to be worth between 43 and 45% of its original price after three years. Good fuel economy and low insurance groups make it inexpensive to run, particularly the 1.3-litre diesel.

Submitted: 26/06/2008 09:31:10

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