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Suzuki Swift: Final report

Supermini has really lived up to its name over 11 fun-filled months with us

  • It's easy to get carried away when it comes to driving dynamics, as most modern superminis go, stop and steer very well. But the Swift is very talented and great fun to drive. It bodes well for the Swift Sport hot hatch version, which is expected to hit showrooms next year.
  • Two negatives crop up when discussing the Swift: styling, which is subjective, and size, which isn’t. Given that the new car is bigger than the model it replaced, we expected more rear legroom and a larger boot. The Suzuki’s load area of 211 litres is 84 litres smaller than a Ford Fiesta’s.
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Swift by name, swift by nature! The last 11 months have flown by, so it’s time to wave goodbye to our Suzuki one last time. 

Like any good sports team, our long-term line-up features cars with a mix of characters. Glamour boys like the Audi A1 mix with hard grafters such as the Skoda Superb Estate to cover all bases. In this context, the Japanese runaround would be the talented youngster with his head screwed on, sitting quietly in the corner of the dressing room, impressing everyone with minimum fuss.

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Over the course of 11,799 miles, KS10 ZPG hasn’t undertaken any gigantic road trips or been thrown around a racing circuit – but it has lapped up the daily grind of commuting through London’s congested streets without complaint.

As part of my job, I spend a lot of time travelling to drive new cars and, no matter what I’ve been testing, I’m never disappointed to be greeted by the sight of our Suzuki in the long-stay airport car park on my return.

At first, I felt the styling was a letdown, as the Swift looks just like its predecessor, but I’ve grown to like its sharp lines. My colleagues have been hooked, too. For its second report, motoring writer Paul Bond took the Suzuki to meet a rallying relation and returned with praise for the high kit count of our SZ4, which comes with cruise control and iPod integration. Its grown- up qualities were highlighted again in its third update, when staff writer Jamie Fretwell waxed lyrical about its cruising abilities after a lengthy motorway drive.

Downsides are few and far between, so waving goodbye won’t be easy. However, I’ll still be able to get my Swift fix, as its place on the fleet is being taken by the new diesel version...

Extra Info

“I spend a lot of time travelling to drive new cars and, no matter what I’ve been testing, I’m never disappointed to be greeted by the sight of the Suzuki in the long-stay airport car park on my return.”

Jack Rix, deputy motoring editor

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