Suzuki Swift: Final report

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.

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...

“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.”