Suzuki Swift 2017 Review - International

It might be looking hyper-congested in the small-cars area of Suzuki’s current line-up, what with this 2017 Swift joining the ranks at about the same level as the Baleno and Ignis, but these days it’s not enough to just have one super-mini offering in your showrooms.

That’s why the Japanese firm now has the pragmatic hatch (Baleno), the funky micro-SUV (Ignis) and the established contender, the Swift, all jostling for customer attention in dealerships.

Pricing has yet to be confirmed for Australia, but in other markets, the Japan-built Swift slots in between the Ignis and Baleno on the order books; although that’s an almost infinitesimal gap to be aiming for here, as the former starts from $16,990 and the latter $17,490.

Still, Suzuki thinks there’s a place for all of them and even if there wasn’t, the Swift would be the last nameplate it would can. It has been around in one form or another since the 1980s, although its identity has often been under the alias of the Suzuki Cultus - or even Holden Barina.

Nevertheless, it’s a familiar shape and this car (sort of the fourth generation, although its lineage is, as we’ve already said, confused) is very much a smoothed-off, polished-up evolution of what went before. Witness the wraparound windscreen, the similar-shaped light clusters and the sloping roofline. Some may lament the ‘smiley face’ lower front intake and rather cutesy grille, but we happen to think the new Swift looks smart. You can even have two-tone paint schemes that finish the roof in a contrast colour, aimed at making it a little more youthful than the Baleno.

Clever Packaging
Suzuki has done away with the three-door model in most markets because of low take-up and, while the Swift in the photos might appear to be a three-door, look more closely and you'll spot that the rear door handles are hidden in the black plastic trim up near the ‘floating roof’ split on the C-pillar.

Whether we’ll get a three-door here in Australia or not, the salient facts are these: the Swift is 10mm shorter, 15mm lower but 40mm wider than the old car, with a wheelbase stretched by 20mm to the benefit of interior space. Boot capacity is now up 54 litres to 265 litres with all seats in place, and there’s no doubt that four reasonably-sized adults could fit on-board the Suzuki with little in the way of difficulty.

The cleverly-packaged bodywork also hides the removal of mass from the Swift. Suzuki’s new Heartect platform accounts for 30kg of the up-to-120kg reductions seen across the board. Even in five-door guise, the lightest Swift clocks in at just 890kg and none of the line-up broaches the tonne -- which is a phenomenal performance in an era when most super-minis hover around the 1200kg mark.

Power comes from a choice of a 66kW/120Nm 1.2-litre, four-cylinder petrol engine, or the far more appealing 1.0-litre, three-cylinder Boosterjet turbocharged unit with outputs of 82kW and 170Nm.

These both drive the front wheels through a five-speed manual as standard, with a six-speed automatic an option on the forced induction powerplant only.

In some markets buyers can option the Smart Hybrid Vehicle by Suzuki (SHVS) system for both engines. Doing so to the 1.2-litre also brings in Allgrip four-wheel drive, but for the 1.0-litre it means the automatic is no longer an option.

While this powertrain option is unlikely to make it Down Under, it was the focus of Suzuki’s first international drive of the Swift.

Swift Performance
SHVS brings in the Integrated Starter Generator (ISG) and accompanying extra 12-volt lithium-ion battery under the passenger seat, with the ISG rated at 2.3kW and 50Nm. Suzuki, though, quotes no difference in overall outputs or performance from the non-SHVS cars to the equivalent hybrid versions. So, for this 1.0-litre, you’re looking at 0-100km/h in 10.6 seconds and 195km/h flat out.

What the modest e-motor does is ‘torque fills’ at lower revs to make building your speed back up easier for the engine, reducing fuel consumption as an outcome. SHVS can also harvest kinetic energy from the brakes to keep the lithium-ion battery charged, the net result of which sees the 1.0-litre Swift’s 4.6L/100km and 104g/km CO2 data trimmed to 4.3 and 97g/km on the SHVS-equipped car.

It’s more for the as-yet unpublished low-revs performance gains that we love SHVS. Coupled to this charismatic 1.0-litre triple, performance from this 925kg version of the Swift is, well… swift.

You don’t spend your time thrashing the Swift to blue blazes, just to keep up with traffic, and if anything its on-paper performance claims feel a little reserved. Indeed, it’s decently quick through second and third gear, of the excellent five-speed manual gearbox.

The Swift Boosterjet also has a highly appealing vocal performance, just enough to make it sound interesting, without ever becoming harsh or sounding like it is wheezing for the redline.

The Swift will pile on revs quickly and sweetly, belying its turbocharged status, which all helps to make the car feel so lively. This is a direct corollary of the weight loss, because the power-to-weight ratio of the 1.0 SHVS (88.6W/kg) is not far off the outgoing Swift Sport (94.8W/kg).

Swift Handling
And when it comes to handling, the new Suzuki turns out to be a delight. It dives into corners exceptionally keenly, limits understeer to the barest minimum, controls body roll reasonably well (there is some lean but it at least lets the driver know when the dynamic limits are being approached) and feels magnificent through high-speed, flick-flack direction changes.

No doubt about it, the Swift feels sharper to drive than either the Baleno or the Ignis. It’s just a shame the steering lacks finesse and that you can ascertain the regenerative capabilities of the brakes during initial pedal progression.

Thankfully, for all its eagerness of chassis, the Swift manages to function as a daily driver. The ride is very good, not descending into farce at the first sign of rucked-up road surfaces, and by class standards there’s good suppression of both wind noise and tyre roar.

All the controls are light and well calibrated, and visibility out is excellent – and pleasingly uncompromised by that nifty C-pillar/rear-door handle treatment.

Cabin Comments
Having given the dynamics a big tick and the exterior styling a slightly less big tick, that just leaves the interior. We’ve already touched on the practicality and that’s fine, while the layout of the major switchgear is intuitive, clear and functionally attractive.

Being a Suzuki, it’s also going to come with a lot of kit as standard, with some real luxury toys making an appearance on higher trim grades.

Yet the dash design is nothing like as daring as the effort in the Ignis, looking more like the bland interior of the Maruti-derived Baleno, and three fillets of contrast trim finishers aren’t about to save it from getting a ‘meh’ response from most (us included).

Nor are the plastics of the highest quality. This is something that can be levelled at the Ignis too, of course, which looks the part but isn’t quite so convincing once you press your fingers into the dash top.

The Swift is even more obviously built to an exacting price, because there’s plenty of ‘rhino skin’ charcoal grey brittleness swathing the main surfaces, and there are one or two areas elsewhere that wouldn’t dare stand comparison to a Hyundai or Kia interior, never mind the cabins of the Skoda Fabia or Volkswagen Polo. The air vents are particularly below par. We also think the steering wheel’s rim feels a bit insubstantial.

In general, though, we’re impressed with the Swift, which has shed the kilos and gained a lot as a result. In 1.0-litre SHVS format, this is an engaging little shopping car that enjoys being thrown around when the mood takes its driver, while it’s also blessed with a strong and refined drivetrain.

Sport Prediction
All of which leaves us with the big, tantalising gap at the top of the super-mini’s range – the Swift Sport.

Due out sometime in 2018, it’ll almost certainly use Suzuki’s 1.4-litre Boosterjet engine rated at 105kW and 220Nm. Even if it tipped the scales as the joint-heaviest Swift (which we seriously doubt), that would lead to a power-to-weight ratio of 107.1W/kg and a mass more midrange torque than the outgoing 1.6-litre normally aspirated machine.

And in this sparkling chassis? With such little weight to shift around? It could be absolutely epic and yet only about $25,000.

Yep, on the basis of this mild hybrid’s sharp showing, we simply can’t wait to see what Suzuki does with the excellent Swift next.

2017 Suzuki Swift 1.0 Boosterjet SHVS pricing and specifications:
Price: Swift expected to start from around $17,000
Engine: 1.0-litre three-cylinder turbocharged petrol with Smart Hybrid Vehicle by Suzuki mild hybrid system
Output: 82kW/170Nm
Transmission: Five-speed manual
Fuel: 4.3L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 97g/km
Safety rating: Not tested