Suzuki Swift 2021 review
Content
- Does it represent good value for money? What functions does it have? 7/10
- Is there anything interesting about its design? 8/10
- How practical is the interior space? 7/10
- What are the main characteristics of the engine and transmission? 6/10
- How much fuel does it consume? 7/10
- What safety equipment is installed? What is the safety rating? 7/10
- How much does it cost to own? What kind of guarantee is provided? 8/10
- What is it like to drive? 7/10
- Verdict
For nearly thirty years, Australians have been able to walk into a few dealerships and pick out cars—obviously small ones—for less than twenty thousand. And I mean twenty grand in the modern sense, not an early 80s Mitsubishi Sigma GL without power steering or… you know, seats that don't give you third-degree burns in the summer.
We had a golden age that started with the Hyundai Excel and may have ended with the demise of the Hyundai Accent. One by one, automakers are pulling out of the sub-$20,000 market.
Suzuki hangs in there along with Kia and, oddly enough, MG. But I'm not here to tell you about Swift Navigator because, frankly, I don't think you should buy it. It's not the cheapest Swift, and for the same money you can get a better-booted Kia, a savory version of the Picanto GT. However, not far from the $20,000 mark is the Navigator Plus, which makes a lot more sense. As part of the Series II Swift update, which arrived in September, the Plus feature in Navigator Plus has taken on a whole new meaning.
| Suzuki Swift 2021: GL Navi | |
|---|---|
| Safety Rating | |
| engine's type | 1.2L |
| fuel type | Regular unleaded gasoline |
| Fuel efficiency | 4.8l / 100km |
| Landing | 5 Places |
| Price from | $16,900 |
Does it represent good value for money? What functions does it have? 7/10
The $18,990 cut is where the Swift range starts with the GL Navigator manual, adding $1000 for an automatic CVT. For Series II, the base model comes with over-spec rear speakers, 16-inch alloy wheels, air conditioning, a rearview camera, cruise control, a cloth interior, remote central locking, power windows with auto-down and a compact spare.
At $21,490, the Navigator Plus has a lot more to offer than the GL Navigator. Which makes sense considering Plus, but I'm no marketing genius.
For the money, you get heated and power mirrors, a rear-view camera, active cruise control, sat-nav and a leather-wrapped steering wheel, and plenty of extra safety features over the GL Navigator.
Annoyingly, there is only one "free" color - white. For any other color, that's another $595.
The GLX Turbo has lower performance thanks to a six-speaker stereo system, shift paddles, LED headlights, and a 1.0-liter three-cylinder turbo engine. This car costs a pretty hefty $25,290 but is not without its own unique charm.
All Swifts have the 7.0-inch screen that almost all products with the Suzuki badge have, and share the same basic software, which isn't all that flashy but more than makes up for it with built-in sat-nav in the Navigator Plus and GLX Turbo. (I'm assuming a certain demographic buys this car and insists on it), as well as Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
Annoyingly, there is only one "free" color - white. The rest of the colors (Super Black Pearl, Speedy Blue, Mineral Grey, Burning Red and Premium Silver) will cost you another $595. In contrast (see what I did there?), you can choose from five free colors on the Mazda2, and the three premium colors are $100 off.
At $21,490, the Navigator Plus has a lot more to offer.
Is there anything interesting about its design? 8/10
Ah, this is where things get interesting. Swift looks amazing even though it hasn't changed much in the last three generations. But here's how good the Swift revival was sixteen years ago. The details have obviously been improved, but it really does look brilliant.
The Navigator Plus does look a little cheap here and there when you look closely, but a lot of much more expensive cars have weird cheap parts, like the weird textured plastic chrome on the Lexus LC taillights.
Swift looks amazing even though it hasn't changed much in the last three generations.
Inside, it's more in line with its price than the Swift Sport. There's nothing particularly noteworthy about the cabin, other than attractive new patterned seat inserts and a nice leather-wrapped steering wheel, which, oddly enough, is flat-bottomed.
How practical is the interior space? 7/10
If you're in the front seats, you're golden. Apart from being a bit tall for my taste, they are very comfortable and the previously mentioned padding is very nice. You get two shallow cup holders and a tray that's not big enough for a larger phone, but fits a standard size phone.
As with the front seats, rear seat passengers get a pair of small bottle holders in the doors and nothing more than a seat pocket on the left seat. Like the front seat, there's no armrest here, which is a shame because the back seat is so flat there's nothing but a seatbelt to keep you from crashing into your neighbor in the corners. Between the front seats there is a square cup holder that will be difficult for small people to reach.
Three in the back is obviously a distant dream for adults, but two in the back are in reasonably good shape with plenty of headroom and surprisingly good knee and leg room if you're about my height (180 cm) behind someone else of the same growth.
The trunk is predictably tiny at 242 liters, which is slightly below the segment standard, and the boot capacity with the seats folded down is 918 liters. The boot of the Swift Sport is slightly larger at 265 liters because it doesn't have a spare, but oddly enough it has the same capacity as the other versions.
With three top-tether anchorages and two ISOFIX points, you are protected from child seats.
What are the main characteristics of the engine and transmission? 6/10
A very modest 66kW and 120Nm of naturally aspirated Swift torque comes from its 1.2-liter four-cylinder engine. This is not a lot of power, even with variable valve timing. To make the most of those numbers, Suzuki installs a continuously variable automatic transmission, or CVT, to send power to the front wheels. A $1000 cheaper manual, a five-speed unit you'll only find in the $18,990 GL Navigator.
A very modest 66kW and 120Nm of naturally aspirated Swift torque comes from its 1.2-liter four-cylinder engine.
Step up to the Turbo GLX and you get a 1.0-litre three-cylinder turbo with 82kW and 160Nm power output, with a six-speed automatic torque converter unlike the lower-end CVT.
Luckily, the Swift weighs next to nothing by today's car standards, so even the 1.2-liter engine offers reasonable speed without having to overclock it.
How much fuel does it consume? 7/10
The official combined cycle figure on the sticker is 4.8 l/100 km. The dashboard display showed me getting 6.5L/100km, and to be fair to the Swift, he barely drove on the highway, so it's not that far off the city's 5.8L/100km.
With its small 37-litre fuel tank, that means a real range of around 500 km, and maybe another 100 km if you're traveling on motorways.
What safety equipment is installed? What is the safety rating? 7/10
Navigator Plus Series II safety upgrades add blind spot monitoring and rear cross traffic alert, and you get front AEB with both low and high speed operation, forward collision warning, lane keeping assist, lane departure warning motion, as well as six airbags and conventional ABS and stability control.
These features are also found in the more expensive turbocharged GLX, but not in the cheaper Navigator, which is one of the main reasons I tell you in the introduction that this is the best car.
The Swift is equipped with three top tether points and two ISOFIX child seat anchorages.
In 2017, the base GL received four ANCAP stars, while other classes offering things like the AEB forward received five stars.
Warranty and safety rating
Basic Warranty
5 years / unlimited mileage
guarantee
ANCAP Safety Rating
How much does it cost to own? What kind of guarantee is provided? 8/10
Suzuki offers a five year unlimited mileage warranty which is competitive.
Worth noting is the fact that the service intervals of the 1.2-litre engine (12 months/15,000 12 km) are slightly longer than those of the turbo engine (10,000 months/1.2 239 km). 329 will cost $239 for the first service and then $90,000 for the next three. The fifth service costs $499 or, if it is covered more than 1465 km, it goes up to $300. If you stick to "average" mileage, that means a five-year service bill of $XNUMX, or just under $XNUMX for service. Not bad, although the Yaris is by some margin cheaper and the Rio is about twice as expensive (however it has a longer warranty).
Suzuki offers a five year unlimited mileage warranty which is competitive.
If you upgrade to the GLX turbo, along with shorter mileage intervals, you'll pay $1475 or $295 in service, which again is pretty good and cheaper than servicing the Rio and Picanto GT by a wide margin. Obviously, the turbo trio has more complex maintenance needs, and if you exceed your expected mileage, the final service will cost between $299 and $569, which is still reasonable.
What is it like to drive? 7/10
Fortunately, for this review, I drove two cars. The first one was the one I think most people will buy, the 1.2-litre Navigator Plus. One of my favorite things about Suzuki, including my Vitara Turbo long-term test car, is the decent tires that fit all but the cheapest of their cars.
This means that, combined with a very impressive suspension setup that strikes a great balance of ride and handling (especially for such a small car), it's also fun to drive if you like it. If it's not your thing, it's comfortable and feels good on the road.
The steering is perhaps a bit slow for my taste, which I found a bit strange. The specs say it has adjustable rack and pinion steering, which means you get more steering angle with more speed the more you turn the steering wheel, but it only seems to accelerate usefully when you're parking or moving at low speeds . I've always felt like it takes a quarter turn or so more to achieve the same effect compared to most other small cars I've driven. Most owners probably won't mind, I just think it would be even better if the steering was a little faster.
The steering is perhaps a bit slow for my taste, which I found a bit strange.
The dreaded CVT makes the most of the limited power and torque of the 1.2-liter engine, which CVTs are good at. I'm afraid of CVTs - and this is purely personal - because I don't think they are very good in most cars equipped with them. This one can whine a bit as you ride, but I'll take it because it has a nice strong reception from a standstill that almost feels like a good dual-clutch gearbox. Some CVTs are too soft in the light, and you end up being overwhelmed by couriers on scooters.
Moving on to the turbocharged GLX, the main difference is the extra power and torque. When I first rode it, I thought, "Why don't you buy this one?" While the extra attraction is welcome, it's really not a deal breaker and really not worth the (nearly) $XNUMXk extra unless you're really committed to the idea of turbo or LED headlights. Both of these are good things.
Verdict
It was a tough choice, but I settled on the Navigator Plus as my choice. For an extra $1500 over the automatic GL Navigator, you get all that extra equipment and a slight performance boost that will be well served with the inclusion of GLX LED headlights.
All Swifts are good to drive, with flexible chassis setups, acceptable performance and pretty good performance from the 1.0-litre turbo and a good aftermarket package. However, I think Swift is a bit overpriced, especially given the big move to GLX. But if you're looking for a Japanese-made hatch with character, fantastic looks, and good mechanics, the Swift fits all three.
