Skip advert
Advertisement

Suzuki Swift (2017-2024) - Practicality, comfort and boot space

The Swift's compact dimensions mean it's a great urban runabout; easy to manoeuvre through traffic and park in tight spots

Practicality, comfort and boot space rating

3.5

How we review cars
RRP
£19,199 £21,549
Avg. savings
£750 off RRP*
Find your Suzuki Swift
Compare deals from trusted partners on this car and previous models.
Or are you looking to sell your car?
Value my car
Fast, no-nonsense car selling
Value my car

This is an archived review of the 2017-2024 Suzuki Swift. If you are interested in information about the boot space and practicality of the latest Suzuki Swift, or news about the latest Suzuki models, please follow the links provided.

Many superminis will be used as two-seaters, in effect, with the rear cabin being used as a dumping ground for shopping more regularly than as a space for passengers. If this is your pattern of use, the Swift won’t disappoint; there’s room for two adults up front, and two grown-ups will be able to sit behind them for more than a short journey. If they’re over 6ft tall then they may complain about their knees hitting the front seats, however.

Advertisement - Article continues below

The Swift’s boot is a respectable size, at 264 litres - but while that’s a useful increase over this car’s predecessor, it lags well behind rivals. However, it’s worth noting that the Swift’s boot is smaller because the whole car is much shorter overall. So the choice comes down to either load capacity or ease of parking.

There’s a fair old lip to lift heavy items over, though – and while the Swift’s rear seats do fold down in a 60:40 split, they leave a pretty horrid step in the floor. It certainly wouldn’t be easy to slide heavier items into the expanded load bay.

Skip advert
Advertisement
Skip advert
Advertisement - Article continues below

It’s easy to see all round the Swift, despite the relatively thick C-pillars. And there’s a fair amount of oddment space in the cabin, with decent-sized doorbins and a storage area ahead of the gear lever.

Visibility is good, thanks to the thin pillars and upright rear screen, although top-spec cars offer a reversing camera as an option. Other practical features include a small central armrest, as well as usable doorbins and a decent glovebox. You’ll also find a couple of cupholders ahead of the gear lever.

Size

The latest Suzuki Swift performs a bit of a visual trick - because it’s actually about 10mm shorter than the previous generation car. However, and more importantly, its front and rear axles have been pushed further apart (by about 20mm); this increase in the wheelbase is designed to improve the amount of cabin space on offer, particularly to those sitting in the rear seats.

Advertisement - Article continues below

As a result, the Swift keeps its overall compact dimensions - as well as the wheel-at-each-corner stance and short overhangs that gave its previous generations such striking looks. To give you an idea, the Swift’s wheelbase is only around 20mm shorter than a Skoda Fabia’s, but the Suzuki is more than 150mm shorter than its Czech rival overall.

Leg room, head room & passenger space

The Swift’s diminutive size means that it’s still not quite as spacious as the likes of the Skoda Fabia, but there is room for four adults on board – and unless you’ve got a couple of six-footers in the rear, there are unlikely to be many complaints about longer journeys.

There’s plenty of head and shoulder room for both sets of passengers, but taller rear occupants might grumble about their knees hitting the backs of the front seats.

Boot

The good news here is that this Swift’s latest platform has allowed Suzuki’s engineers to package in a much larger boot than this car has ever offered before – 264 litres. The bad news is that this is still really only average in a class where plenty of rivals are used as small family cars. The latest Skoda Fabia now offers 380 litres, for example, and even the Fiesta manages 311 litres.

Nor is there anything remarkable about the Swift’s boot set-up; in fact, there’s a fairly hefty lip if you’re trying to lift in heavier items. The back seats fold down in a 60:40 split but while doing this does free up a fair amount of extra space, it also leaves a big step in the floor that makes it awkward to slide in heavier items.

Towing

With a maximum braked towing weight of 1,000kg, the Swift should be fine to pull a small trailer, although we'd always advise double checking your vehicle's towing capacity before hooking up.

Skip advert
Advertisement

Which Is Best

Cheapest

  • Name
    1.2 Mild Hybrid Motion 5dr
  • Gearbox type
    Manual
  • RRP
    £19,199
Select car

Most Economical

  • Name
    1.2 Mild Hybrid Motion 5dr
  • Gearbox type
    Manual
  • RRP
    £19,199
Select car

Fastest

  • Name
    1.2 Mild Hybrid Motion 5dr CVT
  • Gearbox type
    Auto
  • RRP
    £20,449
Select car

New & used car deals

Suzuki Swift

Suzuki Swift

RRP £19,199Avg. savings £750 off RRP*
Volkswagen Golf

Volkswagen Golf

RRP £24,405Avg. savings £2,749 off RRP*Used from £12,220
Audi A3

Audi A3

RRP £26,075Avg. savings £1,664 off RRP*Used from £14,990
Volkswagen Tiguan

Volkswagen Tiguan

RRP £35,080Avg. savings £3,743 off RRP*Used from £25,098
* Average savings are calculated daily based on the best dealer prices on Auto Express vs manufacturer RRP
Skip advert
Advertisement

Most Popular

Car Deal of the Day: Bag one of the last Jaguar I-Pace electric SUVs for under £400 a month
Jaguar I-Pace - front cornering

Car Deal of the Day: Bag one of the last Jaguar I-Pace electric SUVs for under £400 a month

The I-Pace shows how good an electric Jag can be. It’s our Deal of the Day for 7 February
News
7 Feb 2025
Best car insurance comparison sites 2025
Person browsing on a laptop

Best car insurance comparison sites 2025

It’s always a wise policy to shop around for car insurance cover, so which websites make it easiest?
Product group tests
6 Feb 2025
Controversial new Jaguar GT caught prowling in the snow
Jaguar Type 00 (camouflaged) - front 3/4 tracking

Controversial new Jaguar GT caught prowling in the snow

The latest spy shots provide more insight into what we can expect from this eagerly awaited EV
News
7 Feb 2025