Road Test: Suzuki Swift 1.2 GLX

Suzuki Swift 1.2 GLX Fast Facts

• Price: R264 900
• 0-100 km/h: 12.05 seconds
• Top speed: 170 km/h
• Power: 60 kW
• Torque: 112 N.m
• CAR fuel index: 5.28 L/100 km
• CO₂: 102 g/km

One of the most popular vehicles in South Africa in recent years, the Suzuki Swift has strongly appealed to motorists thanks to its blend of value for money, fuel efficiency and a vast network of dealerships and service centres – attributes that have seen the three generations of the Swift account for 85 660 of the 255 000 vehicles sold by the company’s South African arm since 2008.

With a hard-won reputation for affordable yet fun motoring across its entire model range, Suzuki higher-ups would have been scratching their heads on how to improve the Swift – a model responsible for selling volumes to the likes of first-time buyers, young professionals and parents looking to purchase their university-bound young adults a first vehicle.

Although the Swift retains much of its predecessor’s overall shape – an upshot of being underpinned by the previous car’s HEARTECT platform – with slight variations here and there, it’s in the details that Suzuki’s tightened up the design. More angular headlamps with LED daytime running lights on this range-topping GLX grade model, an ovoid grille and smaller recesses that house the foglamps. The bonnet features a clamshell design versus the outgoing flat one.

Notably, along its profile, the rear door handles are now located along the same design line as the front handles, whereas those of its predecessor were hidden away in a blacked-out C-Pillar. At the rear, sizeable taillamps remain, although they are cleverly lined up with the same character line that starts atop the headlamps and have been darkened inside so that the C-shape light profile is what catches your eye. Underneath the Suzuki logo on the tailgate is a protruding reverse camera that looks like a bit of an afterthought, though the designers have made the loading height slightly lower to improve accessibility to the boot.

Inside, there’s still an abundance of presence of hard plastics, but these are of a denser gauge than in the previous car, and collude with an updated facia design to lift the level of perceived quality. Replacing the round HVAC vents on top of the of the outgoing car’s facia is a new infotainment screen that measures 9-inches on this range-topping model (7-inches on GL grade units) and is Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatible. There’s a satin silver trim line that splits the facia and runs along the door panels that helps lift the ambience, and for extra contrast there are glossy finishes on the leather-wrapped steering wheel, on the centre console and around the HVAC controls, with buttons that feel more substantial than the previous car’s dials.

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A single shroud now covers the instrument cluster instead of the individual hoods around the tachometer and speedometer, housing temperature and fuel gauges, respectively. Between the two analogue items is a digital display displaying vitals from the trip computer such as average fuel consumption, instantaneous fuel consumption and so forth.

With positioning placing it squarely in the sights of young families, many will be interested to know what the new car serves up in terms of safety features.  A full three-point safety belt that replaces the centre lap belt in from the older model, and this small yet visible update to the safety specification is supplemented by strong passive and active features such as six airbags across the range, hill start assist, ESP with traction control, ABS with EBD and EBA. Although not necessarily a safety feature and more of a convenience item in a vehicle with tiny dimensions, the reverse camera with park distance control is a feature that most drivers would agree is an appreciated addition.

Suzuki dispensed with  the 1.2-litre four-cylinder K12C motor that did service in the previous model in favour of a three-cylinder engine of the same capacity internally named Z12E. Their claim that the three-cylinder engine results in a 11% increase in fuel efficiency without any real negatives in terms of drivability raised many eyebrows but was something we were keen to put to the test.

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Although not quite as smooth as the outgoing engine, the new three-cylinder’s offbeat thrum is rather enjoyable and kept in check by the increased use of sound-deadening materials in the new car’s construction. Although extended uphills can knock the wind out of its sails somewhat, on the level, this unit revs keenly and is generally capable of keeping up momentum up. Thanks to the short ratios on the Aisin-sourced five-speed manual gearbox, sojourns around town are easily dispatched in fourth and fifth gear. This, along with the introduction of engine start/stop, likely explains how we managed to average significantly less than the CAR fuel index standard for this model.

Our mixed-use route saw the Swift return an average fuel consumption figure of 4.87 L/100 km, though we should also add that even after our full-throttle, in-gear overtaking acceleration and sprint tests, the fuel consumption hadn’t yet passed 6.0 L/100 km. Sure, its zero to 100 km/h time of 12.05 seconds isn’t exactly blazing, but it’s on par with segment peers, although these rivals can’t approach the Suzuki’s frugality.

Handling-wise, the front suspension’s stabiliser bar has been adjusted to improve roll recovery, while at the rear torsion beam’s mountings have been uprated to deal with rebound more comfortably. The remains light and direct, combining with an absorbent –ride and decent torsional rigidity newcomer both engaging and fuss-free to pilot. Although only marginally heavier (35 kg) the new Swift feels a bit more substantial, and while its high profile does catch the odd crosswind, it comes across as more planted than before.

While it remains basic and affordable, the new Swift is incrementally better than its already capable predecessor, and much of its competition. And that’s all it ever needed to be. Factor in the inclusion on an increasingly rare standard service plan, somewhat cheeky looks, strong standard safety spec and its fuel efficiency credentials, and the new Swift looks as though it has the makings of a budget segment class-leader.