Suzuki Swift

Road Test

Your Say

Test date 09 June 2005 Price as tested £9,515

For Price, performance, high-quality ambience

AgainstCostly insurance, poor steering feel

There have been three different incarnations of the Suzuki Swift over the past 20 years. Three million have been sold worldwide, although only 58,000 have found homes in the UK. The new Swift marks the start of a line-up of new models that Suzuki hopes will improve the fortunes of its four-wheeled products, which currently play second fiddle to the firm’s motorbikes. In October the new Grand Vitara arrives, while a smaller 4x4 will follow next year.

SO far as reputations go the new Suzuki Swift doesn’t have much to live up to. The previous model, sold in the UK in three guises from 1982 until 2002, was an unsophisticated and rather bland product with only a low price on its side. In 20 years Suzuki UK sold just 58,000 of them – 2900 a year – but with this all-new model it’s hoping for more like 10,000 a year. One reason Suzuki expects the new Swift to succeed in the UK is the effort it has made to give the car a more European feel. This involved completing part of the design process from a new European base and expanding Suzuki’s production facility in Hungary, where the new Swift is built. Initially the range will be made up of four models. Prices start at £7499 for the three-door 1.3 GL, with the five door version costing a further £500. The larger-engined 1.5 GLX – only available with five doors – costs £8999 with a manual gearbox or £9824 in automatic form. In September the range expands with a 1.3 diesel, while a 1.6 sports model and cabriolet variant are following next year. Here we’re testing the 1.5 GLX.