A lot for little
Suzuki Swift: There should be more of them!
Suzuki is one of the manufacturers that still offers "cars like the old days" - in the very best sense of the word! The official fifth generation of the Swift is just such a car: as classic as possible, but also as modern as necessary! And optionally with all-wheel drive.
As part of the test drives for the current edition of the World Car Awards, we had the opportunity to drive the little one in front-wheel drive in Los Angeles. The still small one, you could say, because with a length of 3.86 meters, the Swift remains true to what used to be a small car format. Today, it falls more into the subcompact category.
Yet it is surprisingly spacious inside. Even two adults can fit surprisingly well in the rear seat and the trunk can hold 265 liters. That's not enough for a family vacation, but at least for shopping. With the rear seat backrests folded down to form a step, it is almost one cubic meter.
The look is somewhat more cumbersome than before, especially the front with the now completely raised hood looks a little clumsy. You could also call it a clamshell, which increases its coolness factor.
Underneath is a 1.2-liter petrol engine with no alternative. It now only has three cylinders and is called a mild hybrid, although you shouldn't expect any miracles from the electric support - the 12-volt electric motor (a belt-driven starter generator) doesn't even deliver quite three hp.
This means that the combustion engine essentially has to cope with the car, which weighs less than a ton, on its own. It does this with 82 hp and 112 Nm, which doesn't turn the Swift into a sports car, but doesn't let it get in the way at all. With the CVT gearbox we drove, it is even a little more lively than with a manual five-speed gearbox: at 11.9 seconds, it takes a good half a second off the standard sprint of the manual gearbox, and both run at 165 km/h. Real consumption is around five liters. Incidentally, a Swift Sport is no longer being produced.
Analog gauges adorn the speedometer. A rarity in times like these. But a touchscreen is a must. It measures nine inches in diameter and comes with the navigation system as standard. Adaptive cruise control is also standard.
Sure, the interior is plastic-heavy and not exactly luxurious, but with its light gray, textured surfaces, it looks really friendly. The driver has even more reason to smile, as there are plenty of real buttons that are easy to operate. Why we weren't also treated to a rotary control for the volume, however, remains incomprehensible.
Even the automatic climate control (or system in the two simpler of the three equipment levels) has real switches and even its own small display. A blessing! The days when you had to put a key in the lock are also over: keyless entry and starting from the base level.
The Swift doesn't show any weakness when driving: the steering is direct enough, the chassis is crisp rather than sluggish without suggesting sportiness, and the brakes are also adequate. It's just a shame that there is no turbo version of the engine.
The prices
At 17,490 euros, the Suzuki Swift offers a lot of car for the money, because even the base model clear is well equipped. In addition to adaptive cruise control, it also offers wireless smartphone integration and the entire assistance package.
The somewhat arbitrary distribution of equipment options is not entirely comprehensible. With front-wheel drive and manual transmission, there is a free choice between clear, shine (20,490 euros) and flash (21,490 euros). With a continuously variable automatic transmission, you are forced to choose shine (22,490 euros) and all-wheel drive (2000 euros surcharge) is not available for the base model or with CVT. In addition, there is only a 490 euro surcharge if you want a color other than a rather cool orange or 850 euros for the two-tone paint finish.
Driving quote
Small but powerful is an appropriate saying for the Suzuki Swift. It is already well equipped out of the box and yet is one of the cheapest offers on the market. And then you also have the option of automatic or even all-wheel drive. Winter can come. Just like in the old days.
Why?
Simple, yet well equipped
All-wheel drive is unique in this class
Why not?
A turbo wouldn't hurt.
Or perhaps ...
... Kia Rio, Dacia Sandero, Hyundai i10, Renault Clio
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read the original article here.
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