Suzuki Swift review

If you’re a material fetishist, then step inside with caution. In an increasingly premium small car market, the Swift is more about plasticky pragmatism than most. But that also means everything feels solidly screwed together and the layout is more ergonomically sound than some (perhaps all) try-hard touchscreen rivals.

See the neat analogue dials, large circular climate controls and simple smartphone link-up for some prime examples. It’s an easy, accessible car that just makes sense. Sense is rarely glamorous, of course, but it all fits neatly with the rest of the Swift’s big-warranty, high-mpg ethos.

There’s a decent amount of room for such a small car, too. Four adults can fit inside and the boot measures between 265 and 579 litres depending on whether you’ve flipped the seats. Neither figure is chipped away by going for the 4x4, impressively, while the mild hybrid tech is squirreled away within the engine bay and under the front seats. Pragmatic it may be in here, but in a value hatch that’s perfect.