Suzuki Swift Hatchback (05-11) - Review

Review by Dan Harrison on
Last Updated: 17 July 2008
It may lack the badge kudos of the Corsa or Clio but the Swift is a superb small car that is every bit the equal of more expensive hatchbacks. It's stylish and sporty looks mean it stands out from the crowd of usual suspects and with plenty of interior space along with a neat, well built cabin, it is also practical. The excellent ride means it's comfortable on the move but the best thing about the Swift is the handling - sharp and responsive it makes the little Suzuki great fun to drive in town and on the open road. Affordable prices, generous equipment levels and a diesel option only add to the attractive package - in short it's one of the best small cars on sale.
4.5 out of 5

Other Suzuki reviews

3.5 out of 5

Running costs

The Swift is excellent value for money new and even better as a used car. All engines are economical and insurance is cheap too while servicing at Suzuki dealers is very affordable. Depreciation is better than other small cars too.

* based on most recent data

Estimated fuel cost for 10,000 miles per year

Unleaded

£1,279 - £1,497 *

Diesel

£1,034 - £1,034 *

The estimated fuel cost figure is a guide to how much this model will cost to fuel each year, so you can compare between cars. It's calculated by using the model's average mpg (calculated from both town centre and motorway driving) and the average fuel price. It's based on the following cost-per-litre: petrol 135p and diesel 141p. Prices are updated daily.

Summary Running Costs

Servicing period

10,000 miles.

Warranty

Three years/60,000 miles.

Road tax (12 months)

£30.00 - £170.00

Vehicle excise duty (VED) varies according to the CO2 emissions and the fuel type of the vehicle. For cars registered after March 1st 2001 VED or road tax is based on the car's CO2 emissions. For cars registered before March 1st 2001 it is based on engine size.

Full running costs data

3.5 out of 5

Green credentials

  • A
  • B
  • C
    119
  • D
  • E
  • F
  • G
    153
  • H
  • I
  • J
  • K
  • L
  • M

CO2 emission figure (g/km)

Fuel economy rating

The arrows indicate the best and worst CO2 bands for this model.

Emissions summary

The Swift performs fairly well on the eco front, although CO2 emissions for the petrol engines seem a little high compared to other manufacturers engines - for instance the 1.3-litre petrol emits 140g/km of CO2. The diesel is the cleanest with CO2 emissions of 119g/km (meaning road tax is cheap) and fuel economy of 63mpg.

Find the exact engine and CO2