Terrifically nimble
Introduction: Hailing from India, the Suzuki
Swift is a force to be reckoned with and is not surprisingly leading the charge
as South Africa’s best-selling car, with an incredible 2,628 units sold in January
this year. Suzuki says that the reason for the demand is purely based on three important
and appealing attributes that customers are after, namely style, efficiency and
value. Our neighbours absolutely love theirs and are about to hand it over to
their student daughter, other mates bought one each for their recently out of
school daughters and another retired mate adores her 3-year-old! I can fully
understand why my intelligent and safety conscious friends have made such
informed decisions.
Engine/ Economy/ Drive/ Comfort: The 1.2-litre,
3-cylinder petrol unit, delivers a spirited 60 kW and 112 Nm of torque. The CVT
gearbox, was smooth and I loved putting my foot flat to hear the almost growl
of this little engine. With a fuel tank size of 37 Liters and a claimed 4.6
Liters per 100 kms, this is a winner for anyone wanting to save money in these
tough economic times. I naturally dragged it giving the car the respect and
matching revs it deserves so was way thirstier at 6.6 Liters per 100 kilometers.
I really loved driving the Swift. It drove well, was comfortable, was agile, silky,
light and easy in and out of parking bays, held the road well through corners within
the speed limits and generally had a lovely feel.
Features: Important safety features such as
the ‘HEARTECT’ platform, which is has been tried and tested for 11 years
already, has worked so well that it justifiably cracks the nod in the manufacturers
marketing brochure. The HEARTECT platform is an ideal form framework with
smooth and continuous curves that spreads the energy and increases rigidity.
The “new” generation platform advances fundamental automotive functions like stopping,
cruising and turning to the next level. It also comes standard with
best-in-class safety features such as, EBD, ABS, ESP, Brake Assist function,
six airbags (front, side and curtain) and rear ISOFIX anchors. All occupants also
have access to three-point seatbelts (two front, three rear) with
audible/visual reminders. The standard Android/ Apple car play connected super-fast
to my cell phone, which was a bonus, so I could pump my latest favourite tune
through the 4-speaker system, with an adequate output, even for me! The rear-view
camera with PDC works well and is crystal clear on the close to 18 cm infotainment
touch screen. A C type usb port is found in the front centre console and a 12 V
socket, along with 2 well positioned cup holders. Keyless entry is standard
along with an aircon that worked better than other cars triple the price, which
was a welcome relief to the hot and humid February days of Ethekwini!
Interior/ Exterior/ Boot: I found the Swift to
have ample cabin space with the interior having a solid feel, with a well-designed
and ergonomically presented dashboard. The Swift from the outside, looks good
and to me, its looks improve with the new, front halogen projector lights sitting
nicely into the new bolder looking grille! The decent size boot of 265 Liters was
more than adequate to do the school run for three high school teenagers, who have
so much to take to and back from school, that in the olden days, each would
have been assigned a pack horse to carry their luggage. With a minimum ground
clearance of 145 mms there is enough room between the tar and the curb should
you need to ramp a pavement for those times when you cannot find a parking at a
Sharks game, and you are close to missing the kick off!
Price/ Warranty/ Service Plan: R259900, with a
5-year/ 200000 km manufacturer warranty and a 2-year 30000 km service plan with
15000 km service intervals.
In Summary: I really enjoyed driving the Swift.
Could this be the car for all ages, for all types and for all consumers wanting
a great car, that does not leave you bonding your house to afford it. Could
this be the car that ticks so many boxes that it is hard not to buy? Could this
be the new car for the people, but comes in more than one colour? I am going to
leave this up to you to decide. Why not test drive one and see for yourself!
*This article is written in my opinion only. For
detailed information on the specs, please contact Suzuki SA*
