As I recently posted, I found myself suddenly in the market for a new car after both my '99 BMW 528i and '07 Citroen C2 sold unexpectedly quickly. The original plan was to keep whichever one didn't sell first, but I got solid offers on both so thought I'd take the plunge. I was leaning towards an older ('07 or later) luxury sedan or hatch (3 series, A3, GTI, Jetta etc), but some sound advice here on the forum led me to look at something newer.
I've always fancied the Suzuki Swift, so I made an offer on an available demo model after taking it for a spin - sticker price R160k. The dealership then offered me a brand new one for R170k, including their R3500 "on-the-road" fees (not included in the demo price). This seemed like a no brainer, I haven't had the luxury of new car smell for many years. I arranged finance through ABSA, paid my deposit and was very excited to take delivery of the car on Friday. She is a silver 1.4 GLS and arrived with 76 km's on the clock. Here are my first thoughts, after having put on my first few 100 km's.
Appearance
To me, the Swift looks like a bit of a hybrid between a Yaris and new Mini - I like the tapering side windows, sporty front bumper and blacked out pillars. I'm looking forward to the fitment of tinted anti-smash&grab film, I think this will accentuate the side profile. At a very quick glance, the looks are a little bit generic, but you soon notice little details that differentiate it from the norm. Included 16 alloys are a nice bonus.
Performance and economy
1400's sure have come a long way. The engine revs very freely and offers ample performance for zipping about town or hitting the freeway. She cruises happily up to 140 (tested on my private airfield, of course), after which the revs start going up (5 speed). The gearing is not only great for lazily bootling about, but also some snick snick vroom vroom.
She probably won't win any drag races, but seems very well set up for delivering excellent performance in real world conditions (actually driving instead of racing). Drop a cog, jab the gas and things where were in front of you appear behind you - works for me. I'm currently averaging about 7.6L/100km's, but expect this to drop down into the 6's once things have loosened up a bit.
Ride quality, comfort and handling
This is what amazed me most about this little car, and what ultimately sealed the deal. The vehicle feels very rigid, but bumps and ruts are handled without any discomfort. This is a novelty - I've taken to deliberately hitting the cats eyes in the road - a distant dup dup dup is all you hear. There is a very meaty, solid quality to it's ride and you can chuck it through the bends enthusiastically without any drama.
The interior is well insulated against noise, right up there with what I was used to in my 5 series. The steering is nicely firm at speed, but sufficiently light when parking. The leather clad wheel is also pleasingly chunky to operate. I'd like the brakes to have a bit more bite, but they do the job - maybe the BMW spoiled me here. Included Bridgestone Turanzas are a nice touch - definitely capable and not necessary to immediately replace like the rubber on some competitors.
Ergonomics
Inside is a comfortable place to be. After reading the reviews, I was impressed by the quality - so far there is nothing to complain about. General concensus is that the Polo is slightly better, but you get what you pay for. The fabric seats are supportive, don't flex and are easilly adjustable - I quickly found a comfortable driving position. With the upholstery and trim mostly being black or grey, the general effect is quite dark, which is to my taste. Everything is very easy to operate - loading up some tunes on a flash drive and playing them back via the stereo couldn't have ben simpler.
Big speedo and rev counter dials are clear and easy to read + light up in a funky red colour. The trip computer is basic, but does everything you need (consumption avg & current, range, 2 trip meters). A button on one of the stalks to operate this would have been nice; it operates via little stalk ala odo reset on most other cars. A very nice feature is keyless open and go - you get a fob which you chuck in your pocket, and can then open the doors and start/stop the engine via buttons. Very very cool (probably until the battery goes flat). The AC keeps the heat at bay without any drama.
Practicality
The interior is spacious with lots of hidey holes for your goodies. The USB port can be used to charge your phone on the move with a standard cable. The rear seats seem spacious enough, perhaps not class leading, but I very rarely carry passengers in the back. One snag is the tiny boot, but this is alleviated by removing the bottom panel which reveals additional space and of course the back seats fold down if needs be. Maybe not a car 4 people could go on holiday in, but certainly 2 or 3. All round visibility is good, with the exception of the broad rear pillars, but parallel parking is still a snap.
Conclusion
Couldn't be happier, would recommend anybody looking at the other models in this segment (Polo, Corsa, Rio, Fiesta, Yaris, etc) to try something a little bit different and give the Suzuki a squiz - you too might be pleasantly suprised!
I've always fancied the Suzuki Swift, so I made an offer on an available demo model after taking it for a spin - sticker price R160k. The dealership then offered me a brand new one for R170k, including their R3500 "on-the-road" fees (not included in the demo price). This seemed like a no brainer, I haven't had the luxury of new car smell for many years. I arranged finance through ABSA, paid my deposit and was very excited to take delivery of the car on Friday. She is a silver 1.4 GLS and arrived with 76 km's on the clock. Here are my first thoughts, after having put on my first few 100 km's.
Appearance
To me, the Swift looks like a bit of a hybrid between a Yaris and new Mini - I like the tapering side windows, sporty front bumper and blacked out pillars. I'm looking forward to the fitment of tinted anti-smash&grab film, I think this will accentuate the side profile. At a very quick glance, the looks are a little bit generic, but you soon notice little details that differentiate it from the norm. Included 16 alloys are a nice bonus.
Performance and economy
1400's sure have come a long way. The engine revs very freely and offers ample performance for zipping about town or hitting the freeway. She cruises happily up to 140 (tested on my private airfield, of course), after which the revs start going up (5 speed). The gearing is not only great for lazily bootling about, but also some snick snick vroom vroom.
She probably won't win any drag races, but seems very well set up for delivering excellent performance in real world conditions (actually driving instead of racing). Drop a cog, jab the gas and things where were in front of you appear behind you - works for me. I'm currently averaging about 7.6L/100km's, but expect this to drop down into the 6's once things have loosened up a bit.
Ride quality, comfort and handling
This is what amazed me most about this little car, and what ultimately sealed the deal. The vehicle feels very rigid, but bumps and ruts are handled without any discomfort. This is a novelty - I've taken to deliberately hitting the cats eyes in the road - a distant dup dup dup is all you hear. There is a very meaty, solid quality to it's ride and you can chuck it through the bends enthusiastically without any drama.
The interior is well insulated against noise, right up there with what I was used to in my 5 series. The steering is nicely firm at speed, but sufficiently light when parking. The leather clad wheel is also pleasingly chunky to operate. I'd like the brakes to have a bit more bite, but they do the job - maybe the BMW spoiled me here. Included Bridgestone Turanzas are a nice touch - definitely capable and not necessary to immediately replace like the rubber on some competitors.
Ergonomics
Inside is a comfortable place to be. After reading the reviews, I was impressed by the quality - so far there is nothing to complain about. General concensus is that the Polo is slightly better, but you get what you pay for. The fabric seats are supportive, don't flex and are easilly adjustable - I quickly found a comfortable driving position. With the upholstery and trim mostly being black or grey, the general effect is quite dark, which is to my taste. Everything is very easy to operate - loading up some tunes on a flash drive and playing them back via the stereo couldn't have ben simpler.
Big speedo and rev counter dials are clear and easy to read + light up in a funky red colour. The trip computer is basic, but does everything you need (consumption avg & current, range, 2 trip meters). A button on one of the stalks to operate this would have been nice; it operates via little stalk ala odo reset on most other cars. A very nice feature is keyless open and go - you get a fob which you chuck in your pocket, and can then open the doors and start/stop the engine via buttons. Very very cool (probably until the battery goes flat). The AC keeps the heat at bay without any drama.
Practicality
The interior is spacious with lots of hidey holes for your goodies. The USB port can be used to charge your phone on the move with a standard cable. The rear seats seem spacious enough, perhaps not class leading, but I very rarely carry passengers in the back. One snag is the tiny boot, but this is alleviated by removing the bottom panel which reveals additional space and of course the back seats fold down if needs be. Maybe not a car 4 people could go on holiday in, but certainly 2 or 3. All round visibility is good, with the exception of the broad rear pillars, but parallel parking is still a snap.
Conclusion
Couldn't be happier, would recommend anybody looking at the other models in this segment (Polo, Corsa, Rio, Fiesta, Yaris, etc) to try something a little bit different and give the Suzuki a squiz - you too might be pleasantly suprised!
Last edited:
