Skating star is a wheely fun drive

The Swift’s diminutive stature does not mean it is a pushover. It has bags of attitude, with an upright stance and some nice touches, such as blacked-out pillars, contrasting roof finishes and signature LED lights. The back door handles are located in the C-pillars, creating a cleaner design.

Inside, the Swift is pleasant without ever being truly groundbreaking. It is not as luxurious as a Polo and cannot match the flair of a Citroën C3, but it is smart and the build quality is better than expected.

There is a new sense of space, thanks to some clever packaging and Suzuki’s decision to lower the seats to create more headroom. While every other car-maker seems to be going up, Suzuki is happy to sink closer to the tarmac. In fact, rear-seat passengers have as much headroom as front-seat passengers did in the last model. The front seats are
also farther apart, while luggage capacity is up by a fifth to 265 litres.

SZ5 additions include adaptive cruise control and guide-me-home lights, rare in a small car

There are three trim levels available and the benefits of going up the range are clear. Standard equipment on the entry-level SZ3 includes six airbags, air conditioning, a leather steering wheel, privacy glass, a digital radio with Bluetooth and four speakers, LED daytime running lights, and 15in wheels. Mid-range SZ-T models add a rear-view camera, smartphone syncing, 16in alloy wheels and front fog lamps.

The SZ5 adds automatic air-conditioning, 16in polished alloy wheels, satellite navigation, autonomous braking, keyless entry and start button, rear electric windows and LED headlamps. It also has adaptive cruise control, which is something of a rarity in a car this small, but an extremely useful add-on.

The SZ5 also has a 4.2in colour screen that displays everything, from engine output and torque data to G-force tracking, and a guide-me-home light function, which keeps the dipped-beam headlamps on for 10 seconds to help you find your front door. It is a little addition but, again, not the sort of thing you would expect on an affordable supermini.

Both SZ-T and SZ5 models get a 7in touchscreen. The SZ5 gains a perfectly competent satellite navigation system plus smartphone compatibility through MirrorLink, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.

On the road, the Swift benefits from a substantial weight loss programme when compared with its former self. The SZ3 weighs 890kg — more than 100kg lighter than before — hence the roller skate-style handling that makes this little car a joy to drive.

There is a choice of three engines including a 1.2 Dualjet petrol with 88bhp and a “mild hybrid” (SZ5 only) that uses a 2.3kW generator to assist the petrol engine during vehicle take-off and acceleration to lower emissions to 97g/km CO₂.

It is no surprise that Suzuki’s press office stuck me in the Boosterjet model as it is a real doozy. This turbocharged three-cylinder petrol-engined motor has a capacity of less than 1 litre but produces an impressive 109bhp. Carbon emissions are just 104g/km while it will glean 4.3 litres per 100km.

The engine first featured in the Baleno and S-Cross but makes the common-or-garden Swift perform more like the excellent Swift Sport of old. It combats turbo lag by locating the turbocharger directly on the cylinder head and injecting high-pressure fuel into the combustion chamber. The result is a 0 to 100kph acceleration time of 10.6 seconds with the manual transmission and 10 seconds flat in automatic guise.

While the Swift was built for Japan’s buttery-smooth highways, Suzuki tried 90 suspension prototypes in Germany and Britain while setting up the car for Europe. In testing, it remained relatively flat through fast bends. The steering has been sharpened and the turning circle reduced to 4.8m.

Despite the fact that this is a car made for hurling around town, straight-line stability on the motorway is impressive — I was surprised how little wind noise there was.

Suzuki’s Allgrip four-wheel- drive system is available as an option on SZ5 models with a 1.2-litre engine. It automatically transfers torque to the rear wheels to provide extra grip in poor conditions.

Safety is another strong point, with the Swift securing a four-star rating from EuroNCAP. It features a camera and laser sensor for autonomous emergency braking and a lane departure warning. It monitors the road ahead and will automatically dip your headlamps if another car is approaching.

The adaptive cruise control system uses the radar to keep a set distance from the vehicle in front, meaning that you can sit on the motorway and automatically keep pace with the traffic.

Suzuki Ireland is doing a great job of offering generously-equipped cars at great value prices, but it is the addition of the Boosterjet engine to arguably its best looking car that tips the balance in favour of the Swift. It really is a great little car and one that will find you making excuses to go round the block for one more spin.

We are testing the new Fiesta next week and it will be fascinating to see if it has kept pace with this unlikely pretender to its crown.

SUZUKI SWIFT 1.0 BOOSTERJET SZ5
Price €19,365
Engine 998cc 3 cylinder turbo petrol
Performance 0 to 100kph in 10.6 SECS
Top speed 195kph
Fuel 4.3 litres per 100km
CO2 97g per km
Road tax Band A2 (€190 a year)
Rating ★★★★☆
Verdict Flyweight fun
On sale Now