Suzuki Swift review - Reliability and Safety

Suzuki has a pretty strong reputation for build quality, and that side of its operation tends to score well in our annual Driver Power owner satisfaction survey.

The Suzuki Swift didn't feature in the 2019 Driver Power survey, but Suzuki itself achieved an impressive 8th place finish out of 30 manufacturers. No other brand scored better for running costs and fuel economy, while reliability was praised. Infotainment and ride quality weren't rated particularly highly, however. 

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The Swift was awarded two separate ratings by Euro NCAP. In standard guise it was given three stars out of five. While its 83 per cent adult occupant and 75 per cent child occupant scores are decent enough, it was let down by a 25 per cent safety assist score.

Euro NCAP gave the Swift four stars, however, when it was fitted with an optional safety pack that included autonomous emergency braking. In this guise, the Swift scored 88 per cent for adults, and 44 per cent for its safety assistance systems.

Warranty

All Suzuki Swifts get a three-year, 60,000-mile warranty. That’s a typical duration for the industry in general, albeit with a slightly higher mileage limit (many brands still operate on a 12,000-miles-per-year basis). However, the Swift’s warranty can’t match the Kia Rio’s seven-year policy, or the five years of cover offered with the Hyundai i20 and Toyota Yaris.

Servicing

Suzuki has a history of shorter service intervals than many of its rivals, and the Swift looks set to continue that pattern. Its service intervals are listed as every 12 months or 15,000 kilometres (just over 9,300 miles). That’s a slightly shorter distance than you’ll find with many other superminis - although given how most Swift customers use their cars, the annual interval is likely to kick in before the mileage does anyway.

We’ve yet to see any hard figures on how much the Swift will cost to service, but Suzuki has a history of being competitive on maintenance pricing - and of offering payment plans that allow owners to spread the cost over a 12-month period.