Suzuki Swift Sport: PH Fleet
The best old-fashioned hot hatch you can still buy new? Life with the Swift suggests it might be!
I've not spent the whole month in the Swift, though it has been pleasing to note on the odd occasion just how it proves sometimes you only need the basics. As an example it was the transport home from Heathrow after the 5 Series launch recently - that BMW has four ways (that I can count) to turn the media volume up: via the conventional dial, the steering wheel mounted control, the gesture control and through voice. And beyond initial showing off, are you really going to use the latter two? The Swift has a dial and steering wheel button, which work fine. Same with the cruise control: it's on, or it's off. The lights are on a stalk, the handbrake is a handbrake (very, er, effective it is too) and the air-con is simplicity in itself. I know some will say certain amenities, even on a Swift, are superfluous anyway, but I feel that the current car really well incorporates everything you could want without ever feeling overcomplicated or confusing.
Will that be the same for the new car? Let's see. I had a brief look around at Geneva - in all honesty, there were rather more interesting cars to look at - and, while the new look isn't entirely convincing, the news of an even trimmer kerbweight and a reworked interior are encouraging. Yes, I've banged on about the current car's back to basics charm, but this doesn't appear to have entirely foregone that while also bringing in some more style. It's even got two cupholders in the front now...
As you read this a Fiesta Ecoboost should be arriving at PHHQ for a long overdue comparison with the Suzuki. And I have to be honest here, things don't look great for 'my' little Swift. The Ford produces more power and more torque (though at what revs we don't know yet), with very similar performance figures, better official mpg and those famed Fiesta dynamics. The Swift is significantly lighter and cheaper though; sometimes the old methods are best, aren't they? It will be an interesting comparison; more on that next month.
In the coming weeks I really need to get more comparison tests sorted, just to see if the Swift really is spot-on combination of old fashioned fun and modern ease of use I believe it to be. It probably won't be with us for much longer so that's a matter of urgency - if there isn't much content on the site soon then you know I'll be out driving some great old hatchbacks!
FACT SHEET
Car: Suzuki Swift Sport
Run by: Matt
On fleet since: October 2016
Mileage: 4,324 (delivered on 300)
List price new: £14,399
Last month at a glance: Circuit training for the Swift Sport and it's fighting fit!
Previous updates:
A Swift hello!
Doors for thought as Matt gets in a five-door Sport
A Goodwood great? Not far off...
More miles means more smiles
Still a super Swift for Matt
[Track shots: Chris Teagles]
Loads of fun for not much £££.
Swift is a good car but compared to the ecoboost the performance was just archaic
I don't really think about the technology when I'm driving it other than to think how good it is. I'm not knocking the Swift though as I quite liked it but if you werent in the mood it was hard work getting any sort of speed up. In the Fiesta you can just sit back and use the torque.
Loads of fun for not much £££.
Swift is a good car but compared to the ecoboost the performance was just archaic
..
I'm not knocking the Swift though as I quite liked it but if you werent in the mood it was hard work getting any sort of speed up. In the Fiesta you can just sit back and use the torque.
IMHO the turbo lag, reduced torque in 1st & 2nd, longer gearing and additional weight negate most of the on paper performance advantages of the Fiesta. The additional torque is an advantage when cruising on the motorway though.
If you were weaned on turbodiesels and never go beyond 4000 rpm I could understand your point of view, but if you value responsiveness, know how to use a gearbox, or want to get that 3rd gear overtake done quickly and safely, the Swift has the edge.
I like the honesty of the old Swift styling and it's honesty in how it was a warm hatch. Far better to then throw bits at it to meld it to your liking anf go faster, something the Japanese have always allowed.
The new one cannot let the side down with it's new face.
If you're looking for comparisons, I've got a 2005 Lupo GTI, one of the last made and one of only five cars in the UK in laser blue. PM me if you're interested, would be more than happy to spend a few hours hooning about
The Swift is there to be driven hard and doesn't need a lazy turbo. Real world MPG in the Ecoboost isn't great either. It needs boost to get anywhere.
The Swift is there to be driven hard and doesn't need a lazy turbo. Real world MPG in the Ecoboost isn't great either. It needs boost to get anywhere.
Complete tosh!
Also running around I get 40 mpg (mainly 3 mile journey to work) and 50 mpg on a long run - not exactly poor!
Complete tosh!
Also running around I get 40 mpg (mainly 3 mile journey to work) and 50 mpg on a long run - not exactly poor!
Complete tosh!
Also running around I get 40 mpg (mainly 3 mile journey to work) and 50 mpg on a long run - not exactly poor!
It isn't rubbish. 1 less cylinder and less capacity = more engine stress. Some have been known to go through clutches and turbos at low mileage. The same with the Focus. Also direct injection as highlighted above. I'd like to see a good number get to 100k+ miles on original engine components. The Swift is also well proven at Rent4Ring.
The Swift is far more of a driver's car and handles phoenonmanally. It's Jap, it's cheaper, it's a no brainier if you're even a tiny bit of a petrolhead.
I am allowed a different opinion thanks - the Fiesta also has a phenomenal chassis and is without doubt a drivers car - why cant you accept that there may be other drivers cars apart from a Swift ?
I have my Fiesta for 3 years on a PCP so long term reliability doesn't really concern me - from what I've read Ford ecoboost are no more unreliable than other turbo charged engines. Of course turbos add something else that may go wrong but thats another subject - compared to having a car that you have to thrash just o get it too move I'll put up with that. Another dissppointment is that the Swift doesn't even sound good.
And don't talk to me about Japanese reliability ! The worst car I ever had was a Honda Civic that went through Clutches and Turbos like they were service items !
I'm not knocking the Swift its a good car I was merely posting out that there are good alternatives...
There are a lot of innovative parts to go wrong on the Ecoboost though, and they do seem to melt down very quickly and very expensively if there is coolant loss for whatever reason. In contrast, a head gasket on a Rover K-series was a cheap and easy thing to fix.
I think the Japanese were (rightly) reluctant to develop diesel engines. They were playing catch up with the European diesels, but now they never will.
I'd rank modern diesels up there with electronic handbrakes and dual clutch & cvt gearboxes as technologies to avoid if you value reliability.
I am allowed a different opinion thanks
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