• Two grades of Swace, but only one engine
• 120hp pre-facelift, 140hp from 2023
• Automatic only, with good driver assistance

Hybrid engines

You can only have the Suzuki Swace with a hybrid powertrain. It’s the same 1.8-litre four-cylinder petrol unit fitted to the Toyota Corolla which, depending whether you secure a pre- or post-facelift car, will have either 120hp or 140hp. The engine is mated to a CVT gearbox, which sends drive to the front wheels.

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Facelifted versions of the Swace (those built after February 2023) get the higher 140hp output and some new model names, called Motion and Ultra. The updated car can accelerate from 0–62mph in 9.4 seconds and has CO2 emissions of 102g/km.

Pre-facelift 120hp versions of the Swace are noticeably slower. They take 11.1 seconds to accelerate from 0–62mph. That’s a 1.7-second difference – and you can feel the lack of performance in everyday driving. However, the older 120hp model is a little kinder to the planet, with CO2 emissions of just 99g/km.

What’s it like to drive?

• Smooth and easy to control
• Steering and handling has great feedback
• Hybrid engine dulls responses

We’re tempted to say ‘see Toyota Corolla Touring Sports’. But to save you the hassle of clicking off, it’s simple enough to say that the Swace is pleasant to drive, and will surprise you with its keenness of response, and excellent handling and steering.

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This is a car in which you make comfortable progress – and the suspension will impress with its supple ride and decent body control. It’s set-up for driving in a relaxed manner that prefers the sweeping bends of an A-road rather than the switchbacks of a B-road, particularly as the engine and gearbox are not set up to react swiftly to demands for more – or less – power.

On the motorway it’s deeply impressive for a car at this budget, refined and comfortable with standard 16-inch wheels that have generous sidewalls to filter out the small bumps and lumps. Road and wind noise can be intrusive at speed, but on the whole it’s relaxing – particularly if you’re happy to use the standard adaptive cruise control and steering assist, which keep the car centred and take the frustration out of roadwork speed limits or stop-start traffic.

In town the car’s quiet, effortless nature shines. Exceptionally low noise levels and supple ride (the suspension is more sophisticated than most rivals in this budget) set a calm mood, though if you do need to move quickly there’s no hiding the CVT-hybrid howl from the engine as it switches to high-revs for power.