Suzuki Swift review

It’s the fourth generation Suzuki Swift, or it could be the sixth generation depending on how you look at it. Suzuki itself refers to this as the fourth gen, but that’s because it considers the 2004 iteration as the first ‘global’ Swift and thus the first generation.

Here in the UK, we had two cars called Swift before that, with the first (known as the Cultus in Japan) arriving back in 1983. Not as straightforward an answer as you expected, was it?

So, what actually is the Swift these days?

It’s actually quite a rare beast. You see, this is a new supermini – not an SUV or a crossover – being launched in 2024 with an internal combustion engine and a manual gearbox. This makes us very happy indeed.

Those looks, though? 

Yeah, we should probably address that straight off the bat. Although Suzuki refers to this as an all-new Swift, it’s built on the same platform as the previous car so is essentially a heavy facelift. It looks a little like the previous generation too, albeit if that car had suffered an allergic reaction to a bee sting. Poor thing.

Suzuki says the design is “muscular”, but we can’t get over that cartoonish front end. The strange wraparound bonnet line above the new headlights is just downright odd too – it’s there to create a floating cabin section and to make the car look wider, but do superminis really need to look all that wide? We just keep thinking someone has left the bonnet open.

Anyway, elsewhere you get the option of eight different metallic colours and either a black or grey contrast roof if desired. But we're unable to unsee the Swift's uncanny resemblance to a beluga whale from the front, and a house brick from every other angle.

What engines can I have?

Just the one engine, actually. Suzuki is launching the new Swift with a 1.2-litre naturally aspirated three-cylinder that makes a massive 81bhp and 83lb ft of torque. Careful now. Oh, and it refers to the Swift as a hybrid, but all that means is a 12-volt mild hybrid setup that pairs a very small lithium-ion battery with an integrated starter generator (ISG) and regenerative braking.

That ISG helps to run a more efficient start/stop system and also aids acceleration with a teeny bit of extra grunt. Suzuki reckons the whole mild hybrid setup only adds 7kg to the Swift, and it’s a properly featherweight thing that tips the scales at 949kg in base spec with a manual gearbox.

For a car that meets all of 2024's fiendish crash tests, um, head-on, and has all the equipment you could reasonably expect in a supermini, to come in at under a tonne even with half a tank of fuel is a staggering achievement. Well done, Suzuki. Rest of the industry, take note.

That manual is standard and has five speeds, but a CVT auto is optional. Stick with the manual though and you’ll even be able to get a top-spec version with four-wheel drive. Though if you want a rufty-tufty AWD Suzuki, we'd go for the charming Ignis (while you still can, Suzuki is killing it off in 2025). Or a used Jimnny. Is any company as consistently good at small cars as Suzuki?

Is it efficient?

In theory it’s very efficient. Suzuki claims 64.2mpg and just 99g/km of CO2 for the entry-level manual car, with the CVT achieving 60.1mpg and emitting 106g/km. In our tests we averaged mid 50s to the gallon when we weren't trying to be light-footed, and over 60mpg when we were. This is a frugal piece of kit.

How much will it cost me?

Great question. There’s more over on the Buying tab of this review, but in the UK prices will start at £19,199. You’ll have to pay £1,250 more if you inexplicably want the CVT gearbox, while the ALLGRIP four-wheel drive version is £21,549.

Suzuki sold an average of 9,400 Swifts per year in the UK during the previous generation’s lifetime, but it has plans to up that to 12,000 per year for this new one. It reckons that 28 per cent of the current supermini market will be up for grabs as competitors like the Ford Fiesta, the Kia Rio and the Nissan Micra fall by the wayside.

It’s worth noting here that we’ve only driven the manual, front-wheel drive Swift so far, so perhaps take that score up there with a pinch of salt if you’re thinking about buying the CVT auto. In our experience things can get a little unrefined with CVTs in previous generation Swifts.

Still, the manual is a welcome inclusion alongside the little three-cylinder engine and it makes the Swift surprisingly fun to drive. It might not have the shift action or steering feel of a Fiesta, but the little Suzuki admirably tips the scales at under a tonne and is all the better for it.

If you’re looking for a simple, small car these days you’re running out of options, but Suzuki has admirably stuck to its “smaller, neater, lighter” philosophy in updating the Swift. Great value for money with the amount of kit you get with the entry-level Motion trim, too.