Small but crazy - Suzuki Swift
Swift has matured, become more beautiful, more comfortable and more modern. It has all the features to ensure it continues the success of the previous generation of this superb small city car.
This is the fifth generation of agile urban warriors from Japan. The previous version, introduced in 2004, found almost 2 million subscribers. This is an excellent result. And that's probably why the (completely) new Swift is so (quite) similar to its predecessor.
Changes in appearance do not shock even the biggest Orthodox. Swift features are now a bit more aggressive and dynamic. Oh, this facelift - "stretched" lines of headlights, bumpers and side windows. Swift, as the star of the scene, underwent a course of treatment to restore his not at all ugly image. It's almost the same, but adapted to today's aesthetic. The car gained a little weight - it became 90 mm longer, 5 mm wider and 10 mm higher. The wheelbase itself has grown by 50 mm. The proportions remained the same, as did the short overhangs front and rear. It was supposed to have the same old shape and body shape, but the slight intervention of the "scalpel" designer allowed Swift to continue to participate in the automotive show business as efficiently as possible.
The corresponding image specialists took care of the interior of our city star. What can I say - just richer. He takes handfuls from Suzuki's flagship limousine, the Kizashi, which sits above. At first glance, it is quite attractive and alluring, but on closer inspection it loses a little. Silver trim strips run through the door to the dashboard and cut through areas of dark plastic, and along with the vent surrounds, add a modern touch to the interior. As well as a dark radio panel and plastic inserts on the steering wheel. Yes, where it is difficult not to touch, but you can feel the good quality of the material and its texture that is pleasant to the touch. The air conditioning and radio knobs are easy to use, although the latter are rather clumsy. Everything is in place. Apart from one important element - a "stick" for controlling a modest on-board computer. It protrudes from the instrument panel, and to switch computer functions, you need to put your hand through the steering wheel. Well, apparently, such a decision should have guaranteed considerable savings, because it is difficult to find another reasonable reason for such an obvious exposure to criticism from merciless automotive journalists. On the other hand, women only occasionally use information such as average fuel consumption, and this car is primarily addressed to them. The fair sex will certainly appreciate and use many different storage compartments. There is nowhere to put an iPod, phone, glasses and even a bigger bottle in the door.
Although the steering wheel was adjustable in only one plane in the test version, you can easily find a comfortable position. We sit not too high, but the all-round visibility, so necessary for urban maneuvers, is excellent. Externally, the seats are identical to those installed in the previous generation, they are more comfortable and spacious. Thanks to the extended wheelbase, rear passengers won't suffer too much during short trips. Behind them is a luggage compartment increased by as much as 10 liters, now it has a not very impressive capacity of 211 liters, which, when the separate rear seats are folded, increases to 892 liters.
A complete novelty in the Swift is its engine. The still naturally aspirated engine now has a displacement of 1242 cc. cm (previously 3 cc), but also added 1328 hp. and full 3 Nm (only 2 Nm). As you can see, Suzuki has not succumbed to the subcompact-plus-turbo trend. And maybe that's a good thing, because the naturally aspirated nature of the unit defines the Swift and sets it apart from other city haulers. To develop a full 2 hp, the engine must be spun up to 118 rpm. RPM and dynamic acceleration require frequent depressing of the shift lever. This one works great, has a short stroke and works precisely, so fast and aggressive maneuvers accompanied by a (not exciting) roar of four cylinders is a lot of fun. 94 seconds to 6 km/h is not impressive, but in the city we do not exceed 11 km/h. Truth? Even with intensive driving, fuel consumption in settlements will not exceed 100 liters. On average, you can get as much as 70 l / 7 km. On the track at three-digit speeds, the Swift will do less than 5,6 liters per 100 km. On long trips (yes, we tested the Swift here too), there is a poorly muffled engine hum that cannot be drowned out even by music from low-quality speakers.
Short wheelbase and low weight provide excellent handling. Driving the Swift on winding country roads can be a lot of fun. The steering is precise, and it lacks (like the gearbox) the beefy characteristic that would draw the driver in, but that's not what you'd expect from a machine like this. Small slopes give you confidence and encourage you to play with physics. Yes, larger bumps are transmitted to the people in the car, but that's the price you pay for great handling and traction.
And what price do you have to pay for a Swift 1.2 VVT with two doors? Swift in the basic Comfort package costs from PLN 47. A lot of? Rather, yes, but only as long as we do not stop at the standard equipment. You won't stop wondering how seven airbags are stuffed into such a small car, and you'll already read that when it comes to safety, the Swift also offers stability control systems, traction control and emergency braking assistance. What about comfort, you ask? Well, the basic package includes air conditioning, radio with CD, radio control from the steering wheel and mirrors with electrically adjustable and heated. Well, as you can see, Suzuki doesn't want to compete with the French or the Germans on price. This is a car for modern people who keep up with the times, for whom comfort, convenience and safety, rather than economy, are a priority even in a small city car.
