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The new Suzuki Swift has a single engine choice as it arrives in the UK in the latter half of 2010. The supermini features a new EU5-compliant 1.2 litre 94PS Dual VVT petrol engine, replacing the old 1.3 litre engine. And it offers a significant improvement in every critical area by providing more power, better fuel economy, and drastically improved CO2 emissions. It shows behind the wheel too with the additional torque ensuring the Swift lives up to its moniker, at least when around town where it feels lively and nippy yet incredibly easy to drive. Unleashed on the motorway the lack of real power wont please hat-hatch fanatics as there’s a lack of grunt when travelling above 60mph, but for the average driver then it is perfectly capable and happy when tootling along with traffic. A top speed of 103mph and 0-62mph time of 12.3 seconds merely highlight its lack of fight in a sprint. The new engine has impressive fuel economy and CO2 emission statistics and read more like a small diesel engine, combined fuel economy is 56.5mpg while CO2 emissions come in at a lowly 116g/km – making the new Suzuki Swift one of the lowest CO2-emitting petrol-powered cars on the road in the UK. The Japanese carmaker has also confirmed that it plans to bring a new diesel engine to the Swift line up in Spring 2011, which promises CO2 emissions of 109g/km and fuel economy of 67.3mpg.

Getting behind the wheel of the Suzuki Swift it takes no time at all to figure out the steering it very light, which means it’s great for manoeuvring in busy traffic but to my tastes it was just a little too light. That said, the sharpness of the steering makes it a very responsive handler and is ideally suited for mean city streets the world over. After all Suzuki is one of the dominant global supermini manufacturers, building cars to survive the urban environment from London to Bangalore. In terms of ride, the new Swift is a good bit firmer than the out going model, with both the front and rear suspension enjoying greater rigidity, and it shows when driving on some of our more bumpy roads. The firm ride doesn’t distract from what is a pleasurable driving experience.

The old Swift had a reputation as being the most luxurious of Suzuki’s city car/supermini offerings, and the new Swift sees the bar raised for the carmaker. Everything about the interior is an improvement – with a black/silver colour scheme used through out the car. Available in a choice of three trim levels - the SZ4 trim level is the top specification available and comes a comprehensive list of standard equipment including electric windows, keyless entry and push button start, Bluetooth integration, Cruise control, front fog lights, and rear privacy glass. SZ2 and SZ3 trims complete the Swift line-up.

The great news for people considering a new Swift is that every single car sold in the UK, regardless of trim level, will come with ESP as standard – which is a great safety story and earned the Suzuki Swift a Safety award from Scottish Motoring journalists in late 2010. The supermini also comes complete with seven-airbags – front, side, curtain, and driver’s knee. These features and the car’s performance under crash test conditions have enabled Euro NCAP to give the car a top 5-star score for safety.

The new Swift has increased in size by a relatively modest amount, length has crept out to 3,850mm from 3,760mm, while the height and width of the car have increased by 5mm and 10mm respectively, you’d be hard pushed to notice though. Inside the cabin the usual troubles for tall adults in a car of this size will materialise in the rear of the car, head and leg space is pretty tight. The five door body type certainly helps with the rear ingress though. However, there are no such space troubles in the front and with the SZ4’s movable steering wheel it is easy to construct a comfortable driving position. Boot space is at a premium, with vertical space more prevalent than floor space, this shouldn’t be a problem for groceries but four adults and luggage will be stretching it.

The top of the range Suzuki Swift is the 5-door SZ4 on test drive here, and weights in at £12,245 OTR – but stick an additional £390 on the price if you want one of the seven metallic colours available. The price reflects the level of equipment the SZ4 comes with and it’s well pitched in the battle for sales in this segment. The highly efficient petrol engine will certainly go down well with buyers on a budget, as it’ll help keep ongoing costs in check. Insurance shouldn’t provide exorbitant either, with it ranking 9 in the new 1-50 groupings. There’s a lot to like about the new Suzuki Swift and rather than being a revolution the Japanese carmaker has wisely decided that evolution was the order of the day, people familiar with the old Swift will feel at home in the new Swift. This all means that the good things about the old Swift have just got that little bit better on the new car. It’s a tough, competitive segment it operates in and while it isn’t the market leader it’s distinctive, different and, importantly, good enough to enjoy a popular fanbase.

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Initially I was alarmed to learn that there are no diesel models available on the new Suzuki Swift and feared that Suzuki had made a massive oversight. Imagine my relief when I realised that a new diesel model will become available early next year. I’m sure I won’t be the only one comforted by this as the 1.2 petrol engine just cannot deliver anything close to the ‘sporty supermini’ performance which the carmaker originally purported about the Swift. The old car lived up to its name thanks to its diesel model and a choice of big petrol engines (such as the 1.5 GLX). The new model is -thankfully – lighter than the old model as its limb engine (which generates 87 lb of torque at 4600 revs and takes 12.3 seconds to get to 62mph) would not able to cope if the model’s new longer profile had come at the expense of extra weight. Don’t get me wrong the 1.2 petrol will prove perfectly adequate for many uses-school runs, shopping trips and as a first car for that just-passed driver, it is just if you have driven the 1.3 diesel model you will find it sorely missed.

The Swift has always had some of the finest handling in the supermini market, and thankfully, despite the far-from powerful engine, the new model still has an entertaining and confidence-filling ride. Short, wide stature of the Swift helps to give it superb grip and minimised body roll. Meanwhile its new lighter body does leave it feeling a little vulnerable to the uncomfortable side effects that come from hitting a pothole; but it is fair to say it’s in line with most cars in its class. New high strength steel, MacPherson struts and coil springs make the Swift stronger, lighter and stiffer than previously, this has made its handling feel a little bit more flyweight than before but it still knocks much of the competition. Suzuki has also taken steps to reduce the wind noise audible inside the Swift, giving it a more upmarket, quiet ride.

Suzuki wasn’t one of the top performers in the 2010 JD Power survey, but I wouldn’t let this put you off. Everything about the Swift feels solidly built and the interior is basic yet hard-wearing. The interior is smart and well-laid out with handsome new black and silver interior design in this latest model. Externally the design of the new Swift makes rivals, like the MINI, which once was all the rage, look sad and dated. While the new Swift retains much of the look of the previous generation model, this is no bad thing as the old model was universally excepted as being pleasing to the eye and more distinctive-looking than many of dull-looking class rivals. Suzuki has just made a few noticeable adjustments, including the sexy new elongated headlamps, which once again put Suzuki at the avant-garde and prove that small cars don’t automatically have to be dreary to look at. With top marks for design, you’ll look after your Swift’s paint and bodywork, ensuring that its build quality will still shine years down the line.

Standard safety equipment includes anti-lock braking, seven airbags, electronic safety program (ESP) and electronic braking-force distribution (EBD) while seatbelts come fitted with pre-tensioners and force limiters. Security-wise all models come with remote central locking with deadlocks, electric front windows and electric mirrors. The range topping SZ4 gains automatic headlamps, rear privacy glass and cruise control.

The new Swift model is 90mm longer, with a 50mm longer wheelbase, 10mm taller and 5mm wider than the outgoing model. All of this helps to address one of the key criticisms of the old Swift. Aimed at MINI territory it was forgivable that the old model had a tiny boot and very tight back seats, but the extra room is greatly appreciated and will make you feel less guilty in expecting an adult to sit in the rear. The now bigger boot is more useable although the high lip is a bit of a nuisance. Its new longer profile allows the new model to compete with a broader section of the supermini sector, making it more spacious and practical than its German rival or the likes of the Ford Ka. Now the Swift should be seriously considered alongside the Ford Fiesta, Honda Jazz, Volkswagen Polo and Mazda2. On that note, its worth mentioning that one of the key strengths of the Swift is that visibility from inside is a lot better than in the likes of the Fiesta. Suzuki has produced a car which is stylish without compromising practical things such as this, which is more than can be said of its American counterpart.

The kit level on the range topping SZ4 is generous for £12,245 however the entry-level SZ2 is a little basic but fair considering the £9,995 price tag. The base model even comes with steering wheel mounted audio controls and CD tuner with USB port. The mid grade SZ3 adds manual air conditioning and 16” alloy wheels while the SZ4 gains automatic air conditioning, fog lamps, Bluetooth audio unit with music streaming capability, electric rear windows and push button keyless start (much better than the compromised keyless entry and start system on the old model). A choice of three and five-doors is available across the range. Emissions and fuel consumption is improved over the old model even though currently there are no plans to include stop-start technology on UK as in other countries (this is because the technology would not have a big enough effect to alter the Swift’s UK tax banding). The sole engine choice available at the moment, the 1.2 Euro 5 Dual VVT petrol is capable of 56.5 mpg on a combined cycle and in our test drive of the Swift we were truly amazed at the car’s fuel-sipping ability. A 1.3 DDiS diesel model due out in the spring of 2011, will be even better, emitting just 109g/km CO2 (Tax band B) and achieving 67.3 mpg on a combined cycle. Insurance wise, the Swift should prove affordable with a classification of 8E for the SZ2 models, while the other two trim grades sit in group 9E. Finally, residuals for the Swift should prove respectable thanks to its element of exclusivity on the road and solid manufacture (Swift sales have always been dwarfed by sales of more mainstream rivals, but be assured this is their loss not yours if you plump for this car over, say, a Corsa).

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