Name: Suzuki Swift (2010-2016)
Brand: Suzuki

The Suzuki Swift is a supermini that is fun to drive and competitively priced. Its main rivals are the Hyundai i20, Ford Fiesta and Skoda Fabia.

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RRP £9,469 - £16,659

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Used: £6,000

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Find out more about the Suzuki Swift (2010-2016)

Is the Suzuki Swift (2010-2016) a good car?

Expect to see a lot of hard and cheap plastics around the interior, but after all the Swift is a cheap car and the quality is largely improved over the old model. Passenger space is good, especially knee and headroom, but the boot isn’t best in class.

Being cheap does not mean it’s bad to drive, though. On the contrary, the Swift is fun in corners. The Swift Sport is frequently compared with the best in class in terms of driving. There is a lot of wind noise at motorway speeds, but the car compensates with fluid and fun handling on twisty roads. The 4×4 model offers winter traction, but the added weight is detrimental to performance.

There are only three engines to choose from – two 1.2-litre models and a sporty 1.6. The basic 1.2 impressed testers with its blend of efficiency and performance while the larger engine is praised on its eager character and nice sound. An automatic gearbox is available for the 1.2-litre and is well received by critics.

For such a low asking price, the Swift is well equipped and all models get air conditioning except the most basic SZ2. The popular Swift Sport comes with sports seats, powerful HID headlights and a six-speed gearbox.

Why not check out the colours available using our Suzuki Swift colours guide and see if it offers enough interior space with our Suzuki Swift sizes and dimensions guide.

The Suzuki Swift might be cheap but it is also super cheerful

Mat Watson

Carwow expert

Despite the visual similarities and seemingly minor updates, the new Swift is a substantial improvement over the old car. The ride and interior build quality are all better than before, there’s slightly more space on offer and it’s as fun and as affordable as ever.

It may not be the absolute best in its class, but it’s proof that you don’t need to spend loads of money to get a good new car. The Swift does nothing badly and yet is characterful and charming – and as good to drive as anything in the class.

How much is the Suzuki Swift (2010-2016)?

The Suzuki Swift (2010-2016) has a RRP range of £9,469 to £16,659. The price of a used Suzuki Swift (2010-2016) on Carwow starts at £6,000.

What's it like to drive?

There are only three engines on offer in the Swift, with a pair of 1.2-litre petrols powering the regular Swift range and a 1.6 petrol for the Sport model.

The Swift is a laugh to drive – the Swift Sport is one of the more fun little hatches you can buy

Mat Watson

Carwow expert

Performance and Economy

The basic petrol manages respectable fuel economy of 56.5mpg with CO2 emissions of just 116g/km. With 89hp it has plenty of power for town driving and motorway cruising, but you’ll need to take care when performing high-speed overtakes.

New to the range is the 1.2-litre Dualjet engine, which is only available on SZ4 trim. It’s actually slightly slower than the more basic car, but you do get lower running costs – fuel economy rises to 65.7mpg with CO2 emissions of 99g/km. It also gives the Swift a little more torque lower down in the rev range, meaning that it’s even easier to drive around town and nip into gaps in traffic without having to change down a gear.

We tested a Swift fitted with the 1.2-litre Dualjet engine in 2015 and were impressed with its ability to quickly pull the car from 40mph up to motorway speeds without a struggle. It doesn’t quite have the punch of rivals’ turbocharged engines, such as the 1.0-litre Ecoboost in the Ford Fiesta, but as long as you’re happy to let the engine rev the Swift can offer decent acceleration.

There is a four-speed automatic available on the Swift, and it’s smooth in its operation and the overdrive feature means it’s just as effortless on motorways as the manuals. However, it’s only available on the top-spec 1.2-litre petrol model, and adds about £1,000 to the Swift’s list price.

The 1.6-litre engine in the Swift Sport produces 134hp; not a huge figure but combined with the Suzuki’s lightweight it offers decent performance, getting the car from 0-62mph in 8.7 seconds on the way to a top speed of 120mph. The Sport is the only Swift model to come with a six-speed gearbox and, alongside making for a better motorway car, its swift precise action means it is also fun to use.

Driving

One major area where the Swift is an improvement over its predecessor is in refinement. There’s still a bit of wind noise at higher speeds, but overall it’s a quiet and comfortable car, given its size and price.

Due to its short overhangs and good visibility, the Swift is also easy to drive in town, with the ride dealing well with all but the worst bumps in the road.

It’s also an excellent car on twisty roads, thanks to the direct steering and eager engines – in terms of being fun to drive it’s right up there with Ford’s excellent Fiesta.

Pick the Sport model and you’ll have one of the finest-driving small hatchbacks on the market thanks to a punchy engine and suspension that helps the Swift dart into corners like a go-kart, while still providing a comfortable ride. Less impressive is the 4×4 model because although the extra winter traction is useful, the car’s added weight contributes to a slightly dulled drive and slower performance.

A relative rarity in a car the size of the Swift is the option to fit four-wheel drive. It makes the car slower and more expensive to run, but the extra grip it offers makes sense if you live in a rural area where you’re likely to encounter slippery roads on a regular basis. Raised suspension means it can also handle rough, heavily rutted tracks.