Review: Suzuki's Swift remains an excellent budget car option

With the demise of the Ford Fiesta and the drift towards crossover and SUV styling by almost all car manufacturers, there are few enough small and affordable family cars on the market. There are exceptions - Dacia being one - and Suzuki, a smaller manufacturer whose cars are still made in Japan.

I wasn't quite sure what to expect from the latest version of the Suzuki Swift but I was certainly keen to discover what the price tag of €21,995 would represent. The car isn’t all-new but it does have some subtle styling changes and a long - very long - list of equipment.

The Swift has long been a favourite of mine and, on my recommendation, it has been a dependable used small car for younger folk staring out on their motoring journey. I seldom had a complaint, such is the car’s dependability and frugality.

The overall design could be described as cheery rather than innovative and is distinguished by that round bonnet. Because the latest version is a mild-hybrid - meaning it cannot be driven on electricity alone, as it has only a small supplementary battery - it isn’t of the same calibre as a Toyota Yaris but the 1.2 petrol engine does deliver impressive consumption figures.

You can easily average 5.0 litres of fuel per 100 kilometres without being overly careful. That’s as good, and perhaps better, than you’ll get from some full hybrid cars.

It is a city car, engineered for occasional long journeys, and seats four comfortably. Those longer journeys can be done in reasonable comfort but you won’t find the seats overly supportive and the three cylinder engine does get a little trashy at higher speeds. There’s also quite a bit of wind noise but it’s not too excessive. A sixth gear would also be welcome.

While interior space is generous enough, that of the boot is not. The capacity is 265 litres - enough to accommodate two average-sized suitcases but not much more. The rear seats can be folded down, however, and this will increase capacity to 589 litres for the occasional heavy lift.

The interior is on the budget side. Plastics can feel and look a bit cheap and the 9.0" LCD screen is not the most advanced when compared to the competition. It is, however, functional and clear - there’s even quite a good reversing camera - and functions like satellite navigation (standard) are easy to use.

When considering the Swift as an option, it is important to remember the price tag. One shouldn’t expect the advances and more modern features of the car’s competitors but the car does have an impressive list of features, which include things like adaptive cruise control, ABS brakes, an electronic stability programme, ISOFIX child seat anchors, hill hold control, satellite navigation, traffic sign recognition, a blind spot monitor and lane departure prevention.

Even with the full list of extras, the car’s price is still just €22,470.

All in all, the Swift is at its best in town or city driving conditions when its frugality and nippiness are to the fore. It may not be the most advanced in its class but it has a certain charm and, ultimately, it’s as good as many cars that cost a lot more. And it's reliability record remains very impressive.