Suzuki Swift long-term test

The car Suzuki Swift 1.2 Mild Hybrid Ultra Run by Kiall Garrett, senior videographer

Why it’s here To see if the fourth generation of this small car can mix it with the best in the class, and prove that downsizing doesn't need to mean compromise

Needs to be gobble up motorway miles, deliver hybrid-worthy efficiency and squeeze into tight parking spaces

Mileage 2261 List Price £18,699 Target Price £18,248 Price as tested £20,649 Official economy 64.2mpg Test economy 52.0mpg 

3 October 2024 – Standard kit king

When working your way through a manufacturer’s online configurator, speccing up your new car just the way you want it, the options list can quickly become tiresome.

Of course, if you’re speccing up the Ferrari you’ll buy after winning the lottery then it’s amusing to dream away what you'll tick, like £20,544 on carbon fibre wheels, or £5136 on a two-tone leather interior.

However, if you’re shopping on a real-world budget, then a long list of rather drab options like cargo netting in the loadbay or carpeted door bins can dull the excitement somewhat, and also make you feel a bit short-changed that things like this don’t come as standard.

The Suzuki Swift, though, doesn’t have this problem. You see, when creating my perfect Swift on the configurator, the options presented to me were entry-level Motion trim, or range-topping Ultra.

After opting for Ultra, there was then a nice selection of metallic paint options, with a two-tone roof if I wanted. Then one other option to paint the 16-inch alloy wheels black, and a couple of storage optional extras like a cargo tray and a rear bumper protection.

At first the selection of options seemed on the stingy side, until I realised that my Swift came with everything I could required as standard. Granted, this is a top-spec car, costing £1100 more than the entry-level model, but even so, many small car rivals don’t offer standard luxuries like heated front seats and adaptive cruise control – both of which are on my car.

Wireless phone connection is a little more common to find on a new car, but is something I find essential. I don’t always want to be charging my phone when I'm leaving for the office, and it saves me from having to set up one extra thing.

My swift is also generous when it comes to standard safety equipment. Take the driver monitor system, for example, which keeps an eye on me using a discreet camera just to the right of the infotainment screen, checking that I'm awake, that I'm not on my phone, and that I'm not distracted. If it detects that I an, it flashes up a message on the driver display telling me to keep my eyes on the road.

Given its extensive kit list, then, what do you think my favourite piece of kit is on the Swift so far? The answer is adaptive cruise control.

This feature is really helpful on the long drives I often take to get to and from video shoots for the What Car? YouTube channel. It’s very easy to engage, being on a button to the right-hand side of the steering wheel, and I follow it up  by also pressing a button on the front of the steering wheel to engage “Lane Keep Assist”.

This helps keep the Swift in its lane, and gives me a gentle reminder through the wheel if it senses I'm drifting from my lane. This, in combination with adaptive cruise control, really helps take a lot of the stress out of heavy traffic stop-start motorway driving.

While the Swift may be seen as a more budget-focused option in its class, then, my car comes extremely well equipped. No options are no problem.

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